142 DICKSON ON THE 



and their co-partners, who disgrace a profession that should 

 be respectable and respected — they will find many, like 

 myself, ready to give instructions gratuitously to their tenants. 



"As some Irish landowners may not be aware of the 

 large sums of money that are annually taken out of this 

 country and Great Britain by foreign farmers, who purchase 

 no productions of ours in exchange, for Flax, Oil-cake, and 

 Flax-seed, I subjoin the following statistics, which, having 

 been made up from government returns, may be relied 

 upon* A glance at this table must convince any unpre- 

 judiced person that it is most desirable to stop so great a 

 drain ; and it is obvious that that must and can only 

 be done by ploughing up the green and all but useless 

 acres, sowing Flax, and giving profitable and permanent 

 employment to the people. Let such work be commenced 

 (as has been done by Mr. Sotheron) in earnest ; and not 

 only will thousands who are now in want outside the 

 union workhouse earn an honest livelihood in preparing the 

 ground for the sowing of Flax, and in the processes of 

 weeding, pulling and watering the plant, &c, but those 

 within the workhouse, who are consumers, and who pro- 

 duce nothing, could be made to scutch and prepare it for 

 market, without being a burden or tax on the owners and 

 occupiers of land in the parishes in which they were 

 born ; and farmers and their sons, who are now ignorant 

 of Flax management, will learn the art, and also the 

 manufacturing of linens, &c. 



The total Importations of Flax in 1840 were 62,662 Tons, 



1841 „ 67,368 „ 

 „ „ 1842 „ 55,113 „ 



1843 „ 71,857 „ 



1844 „ 79,174 „ 



1845 „ 70,921 „ 



Total ... 407,095 Tons. 



