PRICE OF FLAX IN BELGIUM. 155 



requiring the activity of a practical hand more than the efforts 

 of an ingenious head. 



I remain. Sir, your obedient servant, 



John Warnes, Jun. 



July 2bth, 1843. 



No. II. 



Sir, 



Having concluded my first letter with directions for 

 harvesting flax, I will now proceed to make a few observations 

 upon its value, because at this particular juncture a general 

 inquiry is being made on this point, which of all others is the 

 most important, and respecting which I feel most anxious : 

 for unless a fair profit can be realised, the grower will of course 

 cease to cultivate the plant for the fibre, and the incalculable 

 advantages arising from that part of the crop would be lost to 

 the country. It has been repeatedly shown, that where flax 

 has been cultivated in this neighbourhood, principally with the 

 view of obtaining linseed to fatten cattle, the results have been 

 highly satisfactory, and therefore I entertain no doubt on that 

 head. 



The value of a flax crop is twofold — direct and indirect. 

 The direct is the profit in money which the grower obtains 

 over and above all expenses. There are two ways of disposing 

 of this crop, viz. : — while in its green growing state, to pur- 

 chasers called factors ; and next, after it has been properly 

 prepared, to the agent for the spinning-mills. The latter I 

 conceive to be the most profitable plan ; but the former is the 

 least trouble, and now most practised on the Continent, where 

 the factor pays down the money for the crop before it is pulled, 

 and defrays every after expense. 



From the most authentic sources of information, I gather, 

 that flax in the best cultivated districts sells for 25/. and 

 upwards per acre, Flemish measure, which is something less 

 than ours. The Messrs. Marshall^, of Leeds, inform me that 

 from calculations they have obtained, it appears that the acre- 



