Flax for Paper-making. 
469 
upon which his flax is laid ; he has a rich supply of seed to feed 
his cattle ; he has abundance of labour for the poor, and at last 
has from a good crop from 10/. to 15Z. per acre to put into his 
purse to enable him to be a good tenant, and to give both land 
and landlord every satisfaction required.' " 
Belgium grows flax largely, and sends her fibres here in large 
quantities ; in fact, flax is to Belgium what wheat was formerly 
to England, viz. her most valuable crop — -the crop for which 
the Belgians particularly farm, 140,000 acres being grown 
annually, for much of which, as Mr. Jenkins shows, the " flax- 
farmer " is content to pay a rent of from 8/. to IIZ. per acre, find 
seed and manure, and bear all cost of harvesting the crop. 
All nations grow flax excepting England : — 
statute Acres. 
Austria 218,042 
Belgium 140,901 
France 162,099 
Germany 329,363 
Hungary 27,048 
Holland 44,114 
Italy 200,356 
Ireland 159,534 
Eussia 2,000,000 
Sweden 33,639 
United States (about) 400,000 
Great Britain (m 1880) 8,985 
And last year only 6,410 
For many years England has been paying the foreigner large 
sums of money for fibres, linseed, and cake that might equally 
well be grown at home ; and it seems strange that the Briton, 
so sorely in need of agricultural prosperity, should allow the 
foreigner to supply us with productions which to him are found 
about the most profitable he can produce^ Even in that part of 
Ireland where flax is grown and manufactured, peace and 
prosperity are to be found. Surely English farmers can grow 
flax, and manage it as economically as the Irish ; and I see 
no reason why we should not be a match for the Belgian, or 
any other farmer, in this matter. 
The following table shows the extent of the foreign fibre 
trade : — 
Imports in 1880. Value. 
Flax dressed and undressed £3,544,214 
Tow aud codilla of flax and hemp .. 643,647 
Hemp, &c., dressed and undressed .. 1,781,730 
Jute 4,018,800 
Esparto, and other like materials .. 1,642,903 
Eags 451,782 
£12,083,076 
