FLAX CULTIVATED IX THE EARLIEST AGES. 



23 



mcctino: at Belfast, in Nov. last, and heard Mr. S. R. Mul- 

 hoUand state as an instance of the beneficial effects of the 

 improved system, that the Firm with which he was connected 

 had sent no less than 40,000/. of ready cash out of the country 

 annually for the purchase of flax, but that in the present year 

 they had not expended as many pence. In the emphatic 

 words of this gentleman, I venture again to call upon my 

 countrymen ^^to take advantage of what God and nature 

 had done for our soil," and promote the growth of this im- 

 portant plant in England. 



The cultivation of flax has engaged the attention of man- 

 kind, from the earliest ages, in almost every part of the globe ; 

 and has continued, up to the present time, a source of profit to 

 the cultivator, and of employment to the people. Several 

 lively allusions occur in the Sacred Scriptures. " The flax 

 and the barley were smitten ; for the barley was in the ear, and 

 the flax was boiled. But the wheat and the rye were not 

 smitten, for they were not grown up." From this simple 

 statement we discover the accuracy of the Mosaic account, for 

 in England also flax ripens before wheat. Rahab hid the spies 

 with the stalks of flax that were laid in order on the roof of 

 her house. Now as a nice regard is paid to the order in which 

 flax is laid to dry at the present time preparatory to scutching 

 and spinning, doubtless hers was placed upon the roof for 

 similar purposes. Many cottiers in Ireland grow small patches 

 of flax in their gardens, which they prepare and spin for their 

 own private uses. 



Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn ; 

 the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price. Job 

 complained that his days were swifter than a v^^eaver's shuttle. 

 From these quotations Ave learn that flax was cultivated, pre- 

 pared, spun into yarn, woven into linen, and considered an 

 important article of merchandise in those remote ages. 

 Indeed fine linen is frequently mentioned amongst the orna- 

 ments of the Temple at Jerusalem. The Egyptians," says 

 Belzoni, "were certainly well acquainted with linen manu- 

 factures equal to our own, for in many of their figures we 

 observe their garments quite transparent ;" and among the 

 foldings of the mummies he observed " some cloth quite as fine 



