ENGLISH REPORTS ON INDIAN FLAX. 181 
These expenses consist of rent of land, R.1 8 to Rs.2 per begah. If the 
ryut uses his land in the other months, then four annas less than the above 
rates. Coolies obtainable at 14 annas per day for rippling, steeping, or 
carrying to the factory; or one rupee for fourteen bundles of 33 cubits in 
irth, tightly compressed. It is steeped in a vat, and taken out when the 
bre will separate easily from the wood, and then dried in the sun. It is 
crushed by being passed under large iron rollers, and then placed on the 
edge of a board, where the fibre is separated from the wood by striking it 
with a wooden sword. The expense is Rs. 3 per bazar maund, and the con- 
veyance to Calcutta, Rs.20 per 100 maunds. Notwithstanding the small 
cost (£12 to £15) for a ton of Flax laid down at Calcutta, which was 
pronounced of good quality, and probably similar to the other Indian Flaxes, 
which were valued in England at various prices, varying from £35 to £45 ; 
also stating that the amount realised on the sale of the seed is calculated to 
have more than covered the expenses of cultivation, rippling, and steeping 
(Report in ‘ Agric. Soc. Proc.,’ Nov., 1841, pp. 38 and 95): the speculation 
did not succeed. For we find in the ‘ Proceedings’ of the same Society for 
February, 1844, pp. 45 and 165, Mr. Wallace, intimating, in reference to 
his operations for several years past with a view to establish the cultivation 
of Flax at Monghyr, that he was afraid, from the serious drawbacks he had 
experienced, that he should be compelled to abandon the speculation unless 
some encouragement was afforded by Government. The Society having 
referred all the papers and samples of Flax received from Mr. Wallace to 
their Hemp and Flax Committee for report, it is stated that one of the 
members was in favour of an appeal to Government, while the other three 
were opposed to such a step; but as neither the facts nor reasons for either 
side are given, we are unable to draw any other general conclusions. 
The foregoing rather detailed account of the experiments 
culture, preparation, and cost of Flax grown in different parts 
of India, may appear to the reader to have occupied more 
attention than their importance entitles them to. But without 
going through this labour, it would be impossible to draw any 
satisfactory conclusions for the prosecution of any future experi- 
ments in the same or in other parts of the country, if such 
should be thought necessary. But it is first desirable to know 
what was thought of these fibres when sent to the markets of 
this country. This we are fortunately able to do, from some of 
the results having been published, and from some of the speci- 
mens having been sent to the India House. 
A detailed report is given from Liverpool of the first samples 
grown, and of which a report had also been made by Mr. Deneef. 
But he generally rated them higher than they were valued 
in this country, though we are unable to distinguish exactly the 
respective specimens in the two reports. ; 
The Secretary next submitted an extract of a letter which he had been 
favoured with by Mr. Hodgkinson on some samples of Flax (similar to those 
