ANALYSIS OF FORMER EXPERIMENTS. 173 
Nunnoa Factory, giving an account of the sale in London, on 17th July, 
1838, of some Flax grown by him. “The Flax, per Windsor, is landed 
sound, No.1 sold for £28 per ton, and No.2 for £14 per ton—nine months’ 
credit. They are described as harsh, and without the softness characteristic 
of Russian Flax. Prices of the latter being lower than usual, P.T.R. selling 
here at this time at £40 per ton.” 
Mr. Leyburn states that he prepared his first sample of Flax in the com- 
mon way, from plants which had borne seed. He sent them to Messrs. 
Truman and Cook, who reported that any quantity of a similar article would 
find a ready sale, at £35 a ton. In the following year, Mr. Leyburn entered 
on the cultivation rather extensively, and succeeded in producing an article 
of lengthened staple, and of a quality vieing with the Flax of Russia. A 
portion of the cultivation was carried on in the bed of the Soane River, and 
part in the uplands of the district: some of it was prepared before the 
seeds were ripe. He calculates the probable profits of the culture to be: 
PER BEGAH :! Produce. 
Rs. A. P. Rs. A. P. 
Rent of land . : - 1 8 0O | Linseed, 53 mds. . 3 - 5 8 0 
Ploughing : ; 8 0 | Flax,4 mds., at (say) £35 per 
Seed . . ‘ 2 - 1 8 0 ton. 3 ‘ - 4610 8 
Pulling, beating seed off, _— 
watering . : . » 59 8 2 8 
Packing, cartage, preparation Deduct expense of cultivation, 
(nearly all hand-labour) .16 0 0 as per contra . : -25 1 3 
Rs.25 1 3 | Profit on one begah of land . 27 1 5 
With a factory in full play and effective machinery, Mr. Leyburn considers 
that the manufacturing price of the article would be three to four rupees a 
maund, which is equal to about £9 or £12 a ton. But to give effect to the 
production of this article, the aid of European enterprise is necessary. (It is 
particularly deserving the attention of indigo-planters). He failed in over- 
coming the deep-rooted prejudices of the native cultivators, and could not 
induce them to enter on a cultivation which held out to them a prospect of 
more than ordinary profit for their labour? 
Experiments of the Flax Society. 
We may now proceed to notice the efforts of the London 
Flax Experimental Society. Mr. Woollaston, in presenting, 
on their behalf, some specimens of Flax grown in Bengal, and 
prepared in Calcutta, observed that— 
“ The object of the Society is not at this time to produce a large quantity, 
but to ascertain how good a quality can be readily obtained, the growth of 
India, and such as shall readily compete with the Russian and Belgian Flax 
in the Home market.. This object has been already attained to a con- 
1 The begah of land in Shahabad is something more than the Bengal begah, which 
is 1600 square yards, or the third of an English acre. f 
* M. Bonnevie, indigo-planter at Rungpore, writes: “Having great difficulty to 
prevail on these ignorant cultivators to plant it—owing to a superstitious belief that 
the vengeance of an evil spirit will befall them for introducing the cultivation of a 
new article. Flax grows remarkably well here, and I have no doubt would succeed 
well in this district. The Zemindars now commence to show an inclination to 
improve agriculture in general.” — 
