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SOME MINOR FARM CROPS. I. 
I.— FLAX. 
Line and Linseed. 
The cultivation of flax as part of the agricultural practice of 
England is of great antiquity. It was probably introduced into 
this country by the Romans, who were conversant both with 
the cultivation of the crop and with the preparation of the 
fibre for spinning and weaving long before their occupation 
of Britain. It has been stated, too, on good authority, that 
home-made linen fabrics were common in England as early as 
the eighth century. Little reference to flax cultivation, 
however, .is to be found in any official records until A.D. 1175. 
About this date we find flax included among tithable articles, 
so, presumably, the cultivation of the crop had attained to 
considerable dimensions towards the latter part of the twelfth 
century. 
Some real advance in the management of the flax crop 
seems to have taken place during the reign of King Henry III. 
This was due to the immigration of a number of Flemish 
weavers who were induced to settle down and practice their art 
of weaving in England. It is believed by some writers that 
these people elected to settle in the fertile plain about Selby, 
in Yorkshire, where by their methods and example they im- 
proved the weaving industry and thereby increased the demand 
for better quality fibre. For some considerable period after 
this time the policy of the Government seems to have been to 
encourage this growing industry in every possible way. 
The next noteworthy advance of which we have official 
record occurred in 1535, in which year an Act was passed 
(24 Hen. VIII., c. 4) making the cultivation of flax or hemp 
obligatory. 1 All persons holding tillage land were thereby 
compelled to sow at least one rood of flax or hemp for every 
1 It is worthy of notice that this statute of Henry VIII. enjoined the sowing 
of flax and hemp because of the great increase of idle people in the realm ; an 
increase largely brought about by increasing imports, especially that of linen. 
