FLAX 297 stimulated the cultivation for a few years from 18G2 onwards. The following are periodical returns from the registrar-general s statements since 1853 : Table showing gross product", of Flax, yield per acre, and acreage under crop in Ireland, from tlic year 1853 to 1877 inclusive, according to the llcf/istrar-GcncraVs Jicturns. have been extracted from the carefully compiled reports of Mr Michael Andrews for the Irish Flax Supply Association. The following statement embodies the latest available ro- turns regarding the acreage and produce of flax in all thy countries where the plant is cultivated on account of its fibre : Year. Acreage under Flax. Gross Produce. Yield per Acre. Tons. Stones. Lbs. 1853 174,579 43,862 40 3 1854 150,972 35,606 37 10 1855 97,106 23,428 38 9 1856 106,826 18,791 28 2 1857 98,074 14,475 23 9 1858 91,646 17,583 30 9 1 859 136,282 21,576 25 5 1860 128,595 23,760 29 8 1861 147,866 22,568 24 6 18(32 150,070 24,258 26 3 1863 214,099 42,646 31 12 1864 301,693 64,506 34 1865 251,534 39,561 25 1866 263,507 40,991 24 12 1867 253,257 35,392 22 5 1868 206,446 24,987 19 5 1869 229,178 29,569 20 8 1870 194,893 30,771 25 10 1871 156,883 12,929 13 3 1872 122,003 17,089 22 6 1873 129,432 19,843 24 8 1874 106,886 18,037 27 1875 101,248 22,464 35 7 1876 132,938 27,181 32 10 1877 123,362 No official return. Area under Flax and Gross Produce of various Countries. "Acres Stones. Tons. Austria 178,397 Jochs 253 323 a* 91 -as i,m- <:< <u nno Belgium 57,045 Hectares ... 140*901 33-59 29*,580 Denmark 17686 20 00 2 211 Egypt (estimated) 1 5 000 20 00 1*875 France 78,774 Hectares ... 194,571 34-84 42 368 Germany 214,835 ,, ... 530,642 22-50 74*621 Great Britain 7,481 28 50 1 333 Greece . . 957 20-00 119 Holland 19,444 Hectares.... 48,027 31-77 9,536 Hungary 14,017 Jochs 19,903 20-00 2,488 Ireland 123,362 28 74 22,159 Italy 81,386 Hectares ... 201,023 18-14 22,791 Russia 1,928,568 20 00 241*071 Sweden . .. 37,500 20 00 4,688 3,518,944 488,849 It thus appears that the breadth of lands under flax in Russia alone is little less than four-sevenths of the entire acreage devoted to the production of the fibre, and that it alone produces practically one half of the total produce of the world. The large extent to which the British manufac turers are dependent on Russia is shown in the following table : The foregoing table, and also the statistics given below, Imports and Exports of flax, dressed and undressed, and Tow or Codilla, to and from the United Kingdom. IMPORTS. From 1866. 1807. 1SG8. 1SC9. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1874. 1875. 187fi. 1877. Belgium Tons. 7,429 915 3,121 3,424 62,275 215 Tons 8,460 678 5,021 4,453 53,182 239 Tons. 10,933 606 6,780 6,961 64,755 798 Tons 8,389 596 5,086 5,930 54,392 2,717 Tons. 10,617 1,972 11,588 8,979 80,535 4,985 Tons. 16,905 831 12,197 8,794 86,164 4,462 Tens. 15,872 584 9,656 6,696 66,401 1,839 Tons. 16,546 563 10,922 8,356 72,394 990 Tons. 14,388 732 7,160 12,876 82,702 846 Tons. 13,818 645 4,893 8,768 60,097 476 Tons. 11,576 427 2,164 4,944 50,944 237 Tons. 15,940 8,509 7,315 77,917 1,132 France Germany Holland". . . . Russia Other countries ... Total 77,379 72,033 90,833 77,110 118,676 12*9,353 101,048 109,771 118,704 88,697 70,292 110,813 EXPORTS. To 1S66. 18G7. 1868. 1869. 1870. 1871. 1872. 1873. 1S74. 1875. 187C. 1877. Belgium Tons. 575 Tons. 551 Tons. QKQ Tons. IfiQ Tons. 71 i Tons. 1 OA Tons. 1 flQ^ Tons. 1 ^ QA Tons. 1 901 Tons. CQ7 Tons. 980 o France 1 442 1 587 1 ^75 1 47^ QK7 9 flfiT KK9 fil 7 ^ rC 9 Ofi4 7fiQ United States Other countries ... 713 277 424 410 582 376 512 439 1,659 843 689 1,797 1,608 538 1,073 349 1,395 481 1,115 332 740 444
Total 3 007 9 972 3 672 9 FJ09 4 i 7<? K i 7r. K 7Q1 Q OQQ 4 fi07 A 940 2 9 4?
The total value of the imports was 3,539,501 in 1876, and in 1877 it was 5,054,555, the increase in quantity bong 57 -G per cent., and in value 42 8 per cent. Messrs George Armitstead & Co. of Dundee have court eously placed at our disposal their flax list for the week ended 14th May 1878, which not only shows the sources and varieties of flax found in the British market, but also gives an idea of the relative value of the various staples. For the substance of the remarks on the commerce which follow we have also to express obligation to that firm. The names and letters attached to the various brands arc thus explained, commencing with Riga flax : K means Crown flax. HK ,, Light crown flax. PK ,, Picked crown flax. HPK ,, Light picked crown flax. PK .. Superior picked crown ilax. Light superior picked crown Ilax. ISI K It will be observed that the "H" stands for "light" coloured flaxes ; but besides being bracked as above, any of the Riga crown flaxes which are of a "white" or "grey" colour are laid aside and shipped from Riga as under (mostly, however, to France and Belgium), viz. : GK or WK, Grey crown, or white crown. GPK or WPK, Grey picked crown, or white picked crown. GSPK or WSPK, Grey or white superior picked crown. These are the principal marks of Riga crown sorts. Of other qualities shipped from Riga there are " Hoffs" flaxes (drawn from the Livonian district) : TID means HofTs Dreiband flax. WHD ,, White Iloffs Dreiband flax. PHD ,, Picked white Hoffs Dreiband flax. WPHD ,, White picked HofFs Dreiband flax. FPHD ., Fine picked Hoffs Dreiband flax. WFPHD ,, White fine picked Hoffs Dreiband flax SFPHD ,, Superior fine picked Hoffs Dreiband Iliix. WSFPHD White superior fine picked Hofls Dreiband ilax. IX. 38
