98 



DICKSON ON FLAX AS A 



am the humble advocate, the consideration that they would do 



if the same was placed before them by a man of more influence, 

 I must, therefore, endeavour to support my argument by the 

 observations of men whose efforts in agricultural improvements 

 have done much to advance and connect science with the agri- 

 culture of Great Britain. I have already used the names of 

 Flax-spinners, and in order to corroborate my statements I 

 shall now add that of another, Mr. Crosthwaite, of Dublin, 

 who stands in Ireland, as Messrs. Marshall and Co. do in 

 England, at the head of the Flax-spinning trade, and I must 

 couple with this gentleman the name of a professor, whose 

 works are acknowledged to be of national importance. The 

 following is a quotation from Dr. Kane's writings : — 



" 'Mr. Crosthwaite, whose intimate acquaintance with all 

 branches of this industry renders his authority highly 

 valuable, considers that there are about 100,000 acres 

 under Flax in Ireland, and that the produce is about 30,000 

 tons, of an average value of £50 per ton. This is 6s. 3d. 

 per stone, and should give about £12 10s. for the usual 

 produce of the statute acre. The Flax, when it has grown 

 to suitable maturity, according as the design is to allow it to 

 ripen its seed or not, is pulled, and either immediately or in 

 the next spare season, according to the circumstances of the 

 locality, it is subject to the process of retting or watering. 

 In the stem of the Flax there may be recognised three struc- 

 tures — the outer skin or epidermis, covering a close net-work 

 of fibres which enclose the plant as in a sheath, and in the 

 centre a stem, of dense, pithy material. The fibrous net-work 

 is connected together by a glutinous matter, which must be 

 decomposed before the fibres can be separated from the stem, 

 and it is to soften and rot this substance that the plant is 

 steeped. If the steeping be continued too long, the fibre 

 itself may rot, and be weakened and injured in quality ; if the 

 steeping be not continued long enough, the fibres are not 



