4 BULLETIX 322, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
Table II. — Area devoted to flax in certain States in 1899, 1909, and 1913. 
showing the migration of the crop. 
State. 
1899 
1909 
1913 
State. 
1899 1909 1913 
Ohio 
Acres. 
3,092 
394 
192, 167 
7,652 
883 
11,263 
Acres. 
552 
115 
45, 014 
2,934 
261 
9,423 
Acres. 
Acres. 
126, 453 
566,800 
774,000 
302,010 
16 
Acres. 
15, 549 
358, 426 
1,068,049 
518, 566 
37,647 
Acres. 
28 000 
Illinois 
■Nfinnpsntfi 
350.000 
60,000 
9,000 
North Dakota 
South Dakota 
Montana 
1,000.000 
425 000 
Michigan 
400,000 
9,000 
In 1879 Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana were the leading flax States. 
From present indications Montana is forging ahead very rapidly as 
a leading flax State, and Kansas and Xebraska also are becoming 
larger producers. 
Since Xorth Dakota is the largest flax State, the effect of migration 
in that State since 1902 has been determined. A north and south line 
of counties in the extreme eastern end of the State and a similar 
line of counties in the extreme western end have been chosen for 
comparison (Table III), to show the effect of migration. 
Table III. — Area devoted to flax in the eastern and western sections of Xorth 
Dakota, in certain years, showing the westward migration of the crop. 
Year. 
Number of acres in 
flax. 
Percentage of total 
flax acreage of the 
State. 
1 
Eastern Western 
counties, counties. 
Eastern 
counties. 
Western 
counties. 
1902 
892.000 
498, 800 
267,000 
188,240 
145, 400 
208.090 
404.200 
325, 700 
47.0 
42.3 
23.6 
26.7 
7.6 
1905 . 
17.6 
1910 
35. 7 
1914. . 
46. 2 
The figures in Table III show very clearly that the crop has mi- 
grated westward across the State and that in twelve years the eastern 
and western sections have changed places in relation to the total flax 
crop of the State. It naturally might be inferred that the crop will 
migrate eventually entirely out of the State, but, because of the short 
distance to the Rocky Mountain region and the Canadian line and 
because of increased knowledge of successful flax raising, it seems 
very probable that flax will continue to be an important crop in this 
State and region for a considerable period. 
FLAX STRAW IX THE PAPER AND FIBER-BOARD INDUSTRY. 
UTILIZATION OF FLAX STRAW IX THE PAPER INDUSTRY. 
There is a great diversity of opinion as to the possibility of 
economically manufacturing paper from flax straw, but there is an 
almost unanimous agreement that it contains a certain proportion of 
