156 



ENGLISH AND IRISH FLAX. 



able value of flax in Belgium ranges from 19/. to 25/., averaging 

 22/. 10s. per acre, which I expect does not include the seed. 



Mr. Trask, of Brimpton Yeovil, Somersetshire, observes, 

 that at the present day flax is only worth about 5/. lOs. a pack 

 of 240 lbs. ; that three packs are grown to the acre, or 51 stone 

 6 lbs.: this gives 16/. IO5. per acre exclusive of the seed, which 

 at only 5/. would make the crop worth 21/. lOs. per acre. Mr. 

 Trask adds, that probably the neighbourhood in which I live, 

 or at least the county of Somerset, grows more flax and manu- 

 factures more canvass than all England besides." I therefore 

 conclude, from their growing flax to make such coarse material 

 as canvass, that its quality is far from fine, but that under the 

 improved cultivation, and modern system of preparing for 

 market, it would be worth several pounds per acre more. 



Mr. Wolstenholme, of Ireland, had, according to the account 

 in my tract on the Advantages of growing Linseed, 15 acres of 

 flax, which produced 1050 stone of fibre, and 345 bushels of 

 seed, the amount of which was 523/. 2^. 6d. ; or for seed 

 129/. 7s. 6d., and 393/. 15s. for the flax; or 34/. 17s. 6d. per 

 Irish acre, which, being a fifth more than the English, would 

 give us 27/. 18s. per acre. 



Taking therefore the average of the English, Irish, and 

 Belgian accounts, the amount per acre will be 24/., including 

 all expenses. 



The crops in England and Ireland this year are extremely 

 fine, of which I have now before me very many specimens sent 

 by post and otherwise ; and I cannot doubt but that the most 

 remunerative flax will produce from 40 to 50 stone per acre, 

 and be worth from 8s. to 12s., and perhaps 15s. per stone; 

 now taking the medium weight of 45 stone, at 10s. per stone, 

 the crop would amount to 22/. 10s. per acre, exclusive of the 

 seed 



I invited the three Belgian flax-dressers employed in this 

 neighbourhood to examine my own crops, which they said were 

 "good, very good," ^'fine, very fine " They were astonished 

 at the size of my fields, having never seen any so large, entirely 

 with flax, in their own country. We were accompanied by 

 Mr. Watteyne, the son of an opulent flax-merchant in Belgium. 

 While looking over my best piece of six acres, I asked him what 



