230 PRICES, ETC., OF FLAX. 
tons from all countries, against 74,418 in the same period of 
1852-53.” 
With regard to the cultivation in Ireland, the same Society 
observes : 
From the returns which had been obtained, by order of the Lord- 
Lieutenant, it appears that the entire area under Flax in Ireland, in the 
ser year, has been 150,972 acres, against 174,579 acres, in 1853. There 
as thus been a diminution, on the year, of 23,607 acres, or about 14 per 
cent. 
The average annual growth from 1847 to 1853 inclusive, was 101,939, so 
that the crop of 1854 is about 50 per cent. above the average of the previous 
seven years.—From the very indifferent yield of the crop of 1853, there is 
reason to believe that the quantity of marketable fibre this year will be 
equal to that of the previous crop; and its value may be roughly estimated 
at about two millions sterling. 
So late as 1850, the export of Irish Flax and Tow was but 3166 tons. Of 
the crop of 1853, the large amount of 7486 tons of Flax and 2763 of Tow— 
in all 10,249 tons, value £505,989—were shipped from Ireland to England, 
Scotland, and France. 
A very important consideration is the price at which Flax 
sells. In the year 1840, fine French Flax sold for £90, and 
ordinary at £80 a ton; Flemish at £80; Friezland at £60; 
and varieties of Riga at about £48 a ton; at the same time 
that Jute was selling for £15. At present (Dec., 1854) the 
prices of Riga Flax vary, according to different marks, from 
£39 to £48; St. Petersburgh, 12 heads, £51; 9 heads, 
£45 10s.; 6 heads, £40 10s.; Archangel crown, from £54 to 
£59 ; and the cheaper kinds of Russian and Memel, from £31 
to £45 ; Jute being at the same time sold at Dundee for from 
£19 10s. to £23 10s. Egyptian Flax sells for from £33 to £44. 
The seed is generally sold by the bushel, which weighs from 
52 Ib. to 541b., usually sent from Odessa in bulk, from Italy 
in sacks; the Riga and Dutch in barrels. 
The marks by which several of these Flaxes are distinguished 
in M‘Culloch’s ‘ Dictionary,’ are thus explained : 
The best Marienburg is called simply Marienburg (m) or Marienburg 
clean; the second quality, cut (@¢ m); and the third, Risten Dreyband (Rp). 
Of the three other provinces, the first quality bears the name of rakztzer ; 
as Druania rakitzer (p R), Thiesenhausen rakitzer (rr), and Lithuania 
rakitzer (uk). The cut Flax of these three provinces is the second quality, 
and to the third quality belong the badstub and badstub cut (B and B «), the 
paternoster (PN), and hafs three band (1p), Badstub and paternoster are 
the refuse of the rakitzer Flax, and the three band again the refuse of the 
former sorts, and consequently very ordinary. The Revel and Pernau con- 
sist of Marienburg, cut, risten, hafs three band, and three band. The 
Liebau and Memel growths are distinguished by the denomination of four 
and three band. These two sorts, as well as the Oberland Flax, come from 
K@nisberg, Elbing, &c., and are little esteemed in the British markets. 
