166 EXPERIMENTAL CULTURE 
by Mr. Hutchinson, of Mark Lane, to be worth from £40 to 
£45 aton. The experiments were made chiefly near Burdwan, 
Monghyr, and Shahabad ; but the best native seed was obtained 
from the northern station of Saharunpore, and a white Linseed 
from the Saugur and Nerbuddah territories. A little Flax was 
also produced by Mr. Williams, at J ubbulpore, under the 
direction of Mr. Macleod. 
Mr. Leyburn gave as the result of his experiments near 
Shahabad, that the expenses of culture of a bigah of land, and 
the preparation of the fibre, amounted to Rs. 25 1a. 8p.; and the 
profits to Rs. 27 la. 5p., supposing the four maunds of Flax pro- 
duced to be worth £35 a ton. 
In consequence of a communication which had been received 
from the Honorable Court of Directors, Sir T. H. Maddock, 
at that time Secretary to the Government of India, addressed 
a letter to the Agricultural-Horticultural Society. In this the 
Society was requested, in order to assist the Government in 
determining on the measures proper to be adopted for improving 
the cultivation of Flax, to supply such accurate, detailed 
information as they may possess, or as they may be able to 
obtain. 
The Society accordingly prepared a report which contained 
everything that was known at that time on the subject of the 
cultivation of Flax in India. This was forwarded to the 
Government, and also published in their ‘ Proceedings’ for 
Noy., 1841. In this report, the Society took a very favorable 
view of the probabilities of the profitable culture of Flax in 
India. 
The Revenue Secretary to the Indian Government, on this, 
wrote (November 22d, 1841) to the Agricultural Society, that— 
“The cultivation of Flax can no longer be considered a doubt- 
ful experiment, since it appears from your report to have 
proved in many instances successful; and where successful, to 
be very fairly profitable. His Lordship in Council is therefore 
much inclined to doubt whether any bounty or reward from 
Government is necessary, or would be justifiable.” 
Notwithstanding this favorable inference, the Flax Company 
did not go on with the cultivation ; the various individuals who 
had taken up the culture did not proceed with their experiments, 
the several medals offered by the Agricultural Society seem 
