468 
Flax for Paper-maMng. 
from the 'Agricultural Magazine' of 1806, vol. xiv., signed 
*' W. W., Hants : " — " Pastorius sajs : ' It has been confidently 
asserted that we might raise flax and hemp enough in this 
country for our own consumption ; but if we could, I contend it 
would be very injudicious husbandry, because these articles 
would require land which Avould produce large quantities of corn, 
an article of infinitely greater importance, and one of which we 
cannot raise supplies enough for our necessary consumption.' 
" The above remark is certainly just ; we had infinitely better 
come short of the materials of clothing than of those for eating, 
the first of all our wants, and it is obviously of far greater 
importance to reduce the price of the latter. 
" Why, by whom, and for what special reasons, our culture is 
arbitrarily limited and restrained, and so much of the rich soil 
of Britain, amply sufficient both in point of quantity and quality 
to produce enough of both commodities, not only to supply our 
home demand, but even to make us an exporting instead of an 
importing country, is important matter of inquiry for Britons. 
Under a system of free and general culture, both hemp and flax 
would most beneficially make part of our usual course of crops 
on all well-drained strong lands, and on certain fertile descrip- 
tions of light land. These articles, in fact, make a good prepara- 
tion for wheat, and in times of low price for the latter, which I 
have seen, have been occasionally a very advantageous change of 
crop, bringing me a greater return than I could possibly have 
reaped from the best crop of wheat. Indeed, I am speaking of 
land which I had in hand, although at the same time, by a 
strange incongruity, the tenants of two farms which I let were 
restricted ' from the culture of both hemp and flax,' and from 
paring and burning. These leases were copied in routine from 
the originals under my grandfather, and it is but of late years 
that I have consented to the expunction of the clauses against 
paring and burning, growing hemp and flax, and the obligation 
to summer fallow. 
* * » * 
" I shall conclude this subject, sir, with a short extract from 
the late volume of communications to the Board of Agriculture. 
Page 188 of said volume, Mr. Smith, of Chebness, Oxfordshire, 
gives his opinion as follows on the permission to grow flax : — 
" ' In respect to the course of crops to make the most of 
clayey land, flax should be your first crop ; but this I know by 
experience many, nay, I may say all, landlords will agree against ; 
but 1 have had the pleasure, by experience, to convince them 
they are wrong ; for by sowing flax, and that being well 
attended to, your land is excellently prepared for wheat, your 
tenant has in the flax an excellent manure for all his lattermath, 
