325 
Not long after the introduction of this useful plant, the city of London 
petitioned parliament against two “ anusancies,” and these were Newcastle 
coals and hops; the latter, as it would spoil the taste of drink, and endanger 
the peoples’ health. And in Queen Elizabeth’s time there is an edict against 
the use of that “ pernicious weed ” the Hop, whose culture now employs 
thousands, and brings a great revenue to the state. 
The Flax (Linxjm Usatissimum) is supposed to be originally from 
those parts of Egypt* which are exposed to the inundations of the Nile. 
Upon record we have (Exodus, chap. ix. ver. 31), flax mentioned as a 
plant cultivated in that country; for which reason antiquaries have been 
surprised to find the vestment of the mummies made of cotton. It need 
not be told the reader that the fibres of this plant are manufactured into 
linen,« and this linen, when worn out into rags, produces paper, which 
must be contemplated, with the art of printing, as an amazing discovery. Its 
seeds are the linseed, whose oil is made into cakes for the fattening of cattle, 
and as a manure for the earth. 
Most of the flax cultivated in Ireland is from seed imported from 
America. But for heavy or clay lands they sow Riga, Dutch, or Flanders 
seed. This is an annual, and produces the finest linen. But the Siberian 
Flax has been tried, which is perennial, and it answers very well for making 
common strong linen, but the thread is not so fine or white as that which is 
produced from the common. But as the roots of this will continue many 
years, it will require little other culture but to keep it clean of weeds, which 
cannot well be done, unless the seeds be sown in drills, that the ground 
may be constantly kept hoed to destroy the seeds. This sort must have the 
stalks cut off close to the ground when ripe, and then managed in the same 
way as the common sort. 
Mr. Miller mentions, in his Dictionary, another kind, which he names 
Linum bienne. He received it from Istria , and says it produced the finest 
thread of all the sorts which he tried. It mows taller than the common 
o 
flax, and in gardens lives through the winter without receiving the least 
injury from frost. Mr. Miller gave a parcel of the stalks of this, with the 
Spanish and Siberian perennial sorts, to a person well skilled in watering, 
* The Egyptians make an useful coarse cloth of the Common Nettle (Urtica), and pray for an 
abundant harvest of Nettles. With us the Nettle is, with the Thistle, the chief food of the Ass, the 
horse refusing to eat either. 
4 N 
