The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-06-16
SEEDS FROM FOREIGN LANDS

/ 0EEO0 nOM TOhGi0AN GFAtNG0s
A high record importation of 20 mil
lion dollars worth of fiaxseed in the
fiscal year 1911 is indicated by the
records of the bureau of statistics, de-
partment of commerce and labor now
completed for the 10 months ending
with April, 1911. During that period
the imports of flaxseed or linseed, ag-
gregated eight and one-fourth million
bushels, compared with a little over
three million bushels last year and
$4,000 bushels in the corresponding
period of 1909. The growth in value
is even greater, the 10 months figures
of the current fiscal year being sixteen
and three-fourths dollars, against five
million in 1910 and but $73,625 in 1909.
The estimated Importation of twenty
million dollars worth of fiaxseed in
the fiscal year which ends with the
present month exceeds by more than
ten million dollars the value imported
in 1909, is nearly eighteen million dol
lars above the record of 1901, and is by
far larger tha nthat of any other year.
During the ten years. 1901 to 1910, in
elusive, total of thirteen million dol
lars, or an average annual importation
of $1,300,000 is shown, as against $780,
100000 for the single year 1911 now
drawing to a close.
Flaxseed furnishes the bulk of the
2S million dollars worth of seeds of
various kinds imported during the
year. The other leading classes in
clude sugar beet, clover, and castor
beans. OF these, the imports of clover
seed during the year will be about
three million dollars, and those of
sugar beet and castor seed, each about
100000 The remaining three and
three-fourths million dollars worth of
seeds imported includes grass, mus
tard, beet, cabbage, poppy, and flower
seeds, also a large number of seeds
valued by reason of the volatile oils
and perfumes contained, such as anise,
caraway, coriander, and fennel
The price of imported fiaxseed tends
ito increase from year to year. In 1897
the average price per bushel was $103;
in 1901, $1.27; in 1908, $1.5O; in 19O9
$140; in 1910, $I.70; and in 1911, $204,
for the high record importation of
eight and one-fourth million bushels
in the ten motnhs ending with April
Argentina is the chief source of the
flaxseed imported into the United
States, about go per cent of the i'm
ports during 1910 having been from
that country. compared with about 25
per cent from Canada and about four
per cent each from the British East
Indies and Belgium. Nearly all the
sugar beet seed imported is from Ger
many, while clover seed is imported
chiefly from Germany, Canada and
France.
The very large increase in importa-
tions of f1axseed during 1911 is due to
the partial failure of the crop last
year. The fiaxseed crop of the United
States is, according to figures of the
bureau of statistics of the department
of agriculture, chiefly produced in Min
nesota and North and South Dakota.
The crop in North Dakota last year
was to large extent a failure, reduc-
ing the domestic production by nearly
one-half, and the amount available for
market purposes, aside from seed, fully
one-half, hence the large importations
in the current year from foreign coun-
tries.
The shortage in the domestic crop of
flaxseed and presumably in the pro-
duction of linseed oil is reflected in
the large imports of oil of that char
acter during the current fiscal year
During the nine months ending with
March, 1911, the imports for consump-
tion of linseed oil aggregated 3,207,425
gallons, valued at $2,193,679 compared
with 467, ,664 gallons, valued at $685.
$50 in the entire fiscal year 1910 and
but 2S,102 gallons valued at $13,249 in
10