88 



DICKSON ON THE 



where its culture is so well understood, it is esteemed the 

 golden crop, and regarded as superior to any other on the farm. 

 The ordinary produce there is from £20 to £30 per acre, in- 

 dependent of the seed, which is worth £5 or £6 more. The 

 seed alone, which has hitherto been entirely neglected in this 

 country, may, at a low calculation, be assumed to repay the 

 cost of the seed sown, with all other charges attending the cul- 

 tivation and manufacture of the crop, leaving the fibre altogether 

 as net proceeds. Here, then, is a splendid field for exertion, 

 and our farmers may take shame to themselves if they rest 

 satisfied with their former returns. There need not be the 

 slightest fear of the supply exceeding the demand, for how- 

 ever great exertion may be made for the extension of the 

 culture of Flax, it will be many years before our spinners can 

 obtain a sufficient supply in the home market.' I beg of those 

 who have read Mr. Sproule's letter in your journal of February, 

 to compare it with this statement taken from his own Essay. 

 He found great fault with me for what he termed ' the un- 

 pardonable omission of the seed.' He valued it then at only 

 c £4 10s. per acre,' although in his Essay he values it at £5 

 or £6 ; and then he adds, 4 it is sufficient to repay the seed 

 sown, with all other expenses attending the crop, leaving the 

 fibre AS NET proceeds.' Now, if we believe this latter state- 

 ment, that the seed will pay all charges on growing an acre of 

 Flax, we must believe it to be worth from £9 to £10, for with rent, 

 seed, and other expenses incurred, an acre cannot be produced at 

 less expense than £9 or £10; therefore, Mr. Sproule's Essay 

 proves that from £20 to £30 per acre net profits can be made, 

 although he condemned my statement of £20 per acre profit, 

 by representing that £15 was a larger sum, or average, than 

 farmers could calculate on obtaining. Having now, as I con- 

 ceive, justified my former statements on this subject, I beg to 

 call the attention of landlords and agriculturists to the pro- 

 ceedings of a monthly meeting of the Belfast Flax Improve- 



