IMPORTANCE OF THE FLAX PLANT. 137 
southern latitudes enjoy a temperature which nearly approaches 
that of the summers of more northern countries. Therefore, 
in Egypt and India, Linseed is sown in autumn, and the stalks 
harvested in early spring, even before the seeds have begun to 
be sown in the more northern places where it is cultivated. 
This winter cultivation of southern latitudes has probably given 
origin to the autumnal sowings of European latitudes. But 
this lowering of temperature is not all that the plant requires 
for the production of fine flax, as we shall immediately more 
particularly inquire. But the natives of India, who are more 
ingenious in their devices and more successful in their agricul- 
ture than is generally allowed, have adopted methods of culture, 
such as thin sowing, though intermixed with, or in drills as an 
edging to, other crops, which ensures them an abundant crop 
of the produce they desire—that is, the seed-—which is large and 
plump; while the stems remain short, branch much, flower 
freely, and become loaded with bolls filled with the seeds, which 
abound both in mucilage and in oil. 
But before proceeding to a description of the plant, the 
modes of culture, or the preparation of the fibre, we may 
briefly notice the importance of these products to the countries 
producing or importing them, and how beneficial they may 
probably become to other countries which possess a suitable 
soil and climate, and no more profitable object of culture or of 
export. 
Several. able writers, as Messrs. M‘Adam, Nichols, and 
Wilson, having, within the last few years, drawn attention to 
the importance of the culture of Flax, we may make use of the 
facts which they have collected, and apply them to India. 
Mr. M‘Culloch has observed with regard to this country, that 
“ the legislature has paid more attention to framing laws regard- 
ing the husbandry of Flax than to any other branch of rural 
economy;” but not with much success, “as the culture of Flax 
is, on the whole, found to be less profitable than the culture of 
corn.” It has, moreover, always “ been considered one of the 
most severe crops.” This, however, we shall see is not necessarily 
the case, according to the improved methods of culture and of 
preparation of fibre. But even in the present day, £1000 per 
annum has been granted since 1847 to the Royal Flax Im- 
provement Society, for the culture of Flax in Ireland, according 
