46 



THE author's speech 



crops; but no calculation can be made of its worth when 

 converted into cattle-food, both as respects the return in the 

 shape of meat, and the productiveness of the land on which the 

 manure is spread. With respect to the intrinsic value of the 

 fibre, I am not prepared from experience to offer so decided an 

 opinion. I have, however, taken some pains to obtain the best 

 information upon the subject during the past two years. For 

 this purpose, I lately went to Ireland, where every possible 

 facility was offered me of examining the soil, the farmers' 

 method of preparing flax for market, and every other process. 

 From all that I saw, and from all that I heard, I cannot doubt 

 our ability to grow flax of a quality equal to that of any part 

 of the world. You have all inspected the numerous specimens 

 of linseed and flax placed upon the table. The seed grown 

 by ourselves is justly acknowledged to be superior to the fo- 

 reign. Mr. Demann, of Belgium, now present, is quite sur- 

 prised at some of the specimens which he has seen. Under 

 proper tillage and preparation, his opinion is that we shall 

 ultimately excel. I have placed before you the most ordinary 

 as well as the most costly manufactured flax : though by no 

 means in such variety as might be produced, yet sufficient, 

 I trust, to convince you of the demand there always must be 

 for the raw material. And when we consider that six millions 

 are annuallj^ sent out of this countr}' by our manufacturers to 

 purchase flax, and millions b}^ our farmers to purchase oil- cake, 

 at ?ai enormous profit to the foreign farmer, I think we need be 

 under no apprehension about a market for our flax, or con- 

 sumption for our linseed. The consumption of cord and twine 

 in this city, merety to tie up parcels and [packages, amounts to 

 many hundreds a yesLV ; and from inquiries at some of the 

 shops, I think that I might have said thousands. To supply 

 this demand a large breadth of land would be required every 

 j^ear to be cultivated for flax. If so much be required for 

 Norwich, I leave you to imagine how many acres would be 

 needed for the great city of London, without taking into calcu- 

 lation the consumption of these articles in the rest of the 

 kingdom. Some employment in this line may be found for 

 our people ; but instead of spinning twine, I trust the time is 

 not far distant when the citizens of Norwich, famed for their 



