246 



DICKSON ON FLAX- CULTURE IN INDIA 



the effect of arousing attention in the minds of her philan- 

 thropic sons, and must result in the cultivation of a larger 

 breadth of Flax than has yet been sown. 



London, November 13th, 1864. 

 As this article on Flax-culture in India was compiled 

 in 1859, when Flax got up to all but double the price 

 it was in 1855, because of the falling off in Ireland from 

 that time for three or four years, in consequence of the war 

 with Russia, wet seasons, and other causes that I shall 

 name, it will be seen I continued to hold fast to my opinion, 

 as to the necessity for Great Britain and Ireland extending 

 their acres to Flax cultivation at home, and I must now, in 

 November 1864, respectfully ask the reader to turn back to 

 page 89 or Letter II. in this work, addressed to the <c Editor 

 of Eddoiue's Journal, May 31st, 1845," where I plainly tell 

 the landowners that a time will come when the Manchester 

 cotton-mill owners may be found in the same position as the 

 cotton-mill owners were at one time in Belfast; obliged to 

 turn out their old cotton machinery, and turn to Flax- 

 spinning. Fortunately for Ireland, the American war must 

 put an end to slavery, and cotton will never in our dav 

 be sold below 7 one shilling per lb., therefore, ' ' England's w^ant 

 of cotton," is Ireland's opportunity for gaining an addi- 

 tional market for her Flax, if she will not spin it, and 

 as Flax can be grown and sold at 6d. per lb., or £56 per 

 ton, and will pay the grower better than oats, now is their 

 time to place the ancient linen-trade of Ireland in the high 

 position it held previous to the peace in 1815, when cotton 

 crept in at a figure, (Is. 6d. per lb.) that soon cut out 

 linen fabric, unless for shirt-fronts, collars, and wristbands, 

 from the English as well as the continental markets, and 

 as I have evidence of the fact that it can be spun, 

 and has been slivered for me, and spun as well as cotton, 

 on the existing cotton machine^, by spinners who could not 



