On the Cultivation of Flax. 



441 



quire him to use it for fattening cattle and increasing his stock of 

 manure. 



Another circumstance which operated to discourage the culti- 

 vation of flax in this country, was the introduction of cotton, and 

 the application of steam-power and machinery to spinning and 

 weaving the cotton fibre, which so greatly reduced the cost of 

 fabrics made of that material, that they in a short time almost en- 

 tirely superseded linen in the ordinary clothing of the people, and 

 flax became less in demand. 



But within the last twenty years, the ingenuity of our mechanics 

 has succeeded in applying steam-power and machinery to the 

 preparation and spinning of flax; and the great difference which 

 before existed between the prices of cotton and linen fabrics has 

 in consequence been so much reduced, that at present the latter 

 may be considered as cheap as the former, having regard to the 

 durability of each. This has led to a more extended use of linen ; 

 and as the home growth has not increased, or at least not at all in 

 proportion, the quantity of foreign flax imported has of late years 

 been very considerable, as appears by the following statement ab- 

 stracted from the Parliamentary Returns : — 



Tons. Cwt. 



1842, Flax imported . . 57,287 19 



1843, „ . . 71,857 10 



1844, „ . . 79,174 14 



1845, „ . . 70,921 3 



Average of four years . 69,810 6J 



If we assume 50Z. per ton to be the average value of the flax 

 imported in the above four years, it will have cost the country 

 3,490,520/., or close upon three millions and a half per annum^ 

 to obtain an article which might have been produced at home 

 with profit to the farmer, with benefit to the labouring population 

 by the increased employment it would have afforded, and with ad- 

 vantage to the whole community.* 



* Mr. Nicholls is a very able advocate, and in this excellent report he 

 brings fully before us all the advantages likely to result from the ex- 

 tended cultivation of flax. It could scarcely be expected that he should 

 also argue the opposite side of the question ; but, whether treated as a ques- 

 tion of grave national import, or merely as one of individual profit and loss 

 to those about to commence flax growing, it appears to me very import- 

 ant that, together with the above startling items of national expenditure, 

 we should also have before us a brief sketch of the set-offs which must be 

 entered in the national ledger, before a balance can be struck for or 

 against this particular crop. 



It would doubtless, at first sight, be considered hyperbolic to state, that 

 by growing in the United Kingdom the amount of flax now imported (va- 



