The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-15
CULTIVATION OF PLAXOEED
The Crop Reporter Announces Some
Surprising Statistics.

Only Four Countries Engage in This
Industry to Amy Extcnt-The Amer
lean Crop Valued ut About Thirty
Millions of Dollars Each Year
The more important Governments that
compile statistics o. their agricultural pro-
ducts says the latest issue OF the Crop
Reporter issued by the Department Of
Agriculture make known the annual
yield of their principal crops Is soon as the
figures are available, but estimates of
minor crops are deferred by many cOun-
tries until later period. To colate fig
ures from official sources upon many of
the minor crops for the entire world is,
therefore, impossible until a year or more
after harvest, Flax and faxseed are pro
ducts of agriculture that are cultivated
in but few countries as other than a sub
sidiary crop, and an estimate of the
worlds production from official sources
is possible for no later period than 1899
The worlds production of fiaXseed for
1899 amounted approximately to 6S,553 90
bushels a decrease of 1856 600 bushels
from the crop of the preceding year, and
an increase of I0, 956, SO bushels over that
of 1897. As may be seen from a statement
of the worlds flax and fiaXseed crop, 1897
to 1899, published in this number of the
crop Reporter, the production of flax
seed on an important commercial scale is
confined almost exclusively to four cOun-
tries-RUssia, British India. the United
States and Argentina Russia in average
years produces from 40 to 30 per cent of
the worlds crop, British India from l. 70
. per cent, the United States from 10
TO % per cent, and Argentina about 10
per cent
one striking change in the relative po-
: sitiOn OF these four countries as produc-
ers Is apparent in 1889. In that year the
United States rose to the first rank as
q producer of this seed, with 4 crop of
20.GS6,900 bushels, against 1S,022, 900 bush
els for Russia, Il, 81 900 bushels for Brit
ish India, and 5000 900 bushels for Ar
gentina- or, about % per cent OF the total
world crO3 IN 1888 was the product of
the United States. against 20 per cent in
Russia, Il per cent in British India, and
Is per cent in Argentina.
The maximum price made upon the
1888 crop was the highest that has been
made IN many years IN August and
September 1899, faXseed sold in the Chi
cago market at from S51z cents to 1921
per bUShel- From that point the highest
price for each succeeding month rose
steadily until May. 1890, when faXseed
touched $3.50 per busheI. a fair average
price for the year from August. 1899 20
August, 1860, seems to be about Sl.49 per
Z bushel, and at this price the 1899 crop of
! fiaxseed in the United States should have
I been worth about $50 000, 000-
of the haXSeed crop of the United
States in 1893, having q total value of
about $4,000 600, about 20 per cent was re
tanned for domestic needs AS to eX-
ports, IL may be noted that the utility Of
flaNseed depends. aside from that used
for seeding purposes entirely upon its
cOnN erSiOn into manufactured products:
and, Il is significant Of the enterprise of
the domestic oil industry, that a heavy
proportion of the exports were in these
forms. OF the s.. 059 S95 worth Of fiaXseed
and It's products exported in the fiscal
year 1S99-1900. over g per cent was in the
form of oil, Oil-cake, and oii-meal; IS per
cent only of the value of the total exports
was in Unmanufactured form
The exports Of haxseed amounted TO
?, T42. 256 bushels, valued at $3,415,4II- or,
/ in bulk less than a per cent of the total
/ 1893 crop The exports Of the products
manufactured from fdXSeed aggregate in
/ value S5,5s2.449. almost this entire amount
: being represented by the exports Of oil
I cake and oilmeal. the exports Of oil
( amounting TO only $54,I4S-
The cultivation OF fax for the hrbTe
I on noteworthy scale IS confined entirely
I TO Europe. The total production of that
/ continent in 1893. amounted 70 1.l23. S43. 600
( pounds. against l, $50, 693, go pounds IN the
preceding year Russia IS the leading
{ country of the world in the production
( Of flax fibre. and Of the four great flax
seed producing nations, IS the only one
/ that gives attention TO this phase OF the
/ industry. The Russian production Ia 1873
amounted to over q per cent OF the total
! production Of the world. the remaining
proportions in the nine minor faN-pro-
/ ducinS countries OF Europe