The sun., 1919-10-07
DOMINION TURNS
TO FLAX CULTURE
Stimulated by War Profits,
Industry Is Growing More
Extensive Every Year.
WEST JOINS MOVEMENT
Fibre Of Good Quality and
Use for Straw Is Also
Sought.
WEST JOINS MOVEMENT
Ky ERNEST GODFREY,

ny
Dominion Bureau of Statistics.
1t is only during the present century
that the growth of fax in Canada hs
| assumed any real Industrial Importance
From the earliest days of the Dominion
fax for fibre has been grown to a small
extent in Ontario; and In Quebec and
the Maritime provinces homespun yarns
| from fax OF local growth have been a
| minor agricultural industry. In 1870
(the first census after confederation in
1850, the production of fiaxseed was
returned as 11S,044 bushels, principally
the produce of Quebec and Ontari2
Acreage statistics of faxseed were first
collected at the census of 1900. when the
area under fax was only 23,0S6 acres,
| Of which 14.404 acres were in Manit5ba.
The total production Of flaxseed in that
year was 172,222 bushels.
With the great development of the
three prairie provinces, which tool; place
during the first decade of the present
century, the growth of flax for seed was
greatly extended; and at the census OF
1910. the total area under fiaxseed had
grown to bS2.374 acres and the produce
tion to 4,245,073 bushels, the area in
Manitoba being 34,6s4 acres. in Sas-
katchewan 506,425 acres and in Alberta
S1,076 acres. Thus the great bulk Of
the fax crop was then grown in Sas-
katchewan and this province, as will be
seen later, still holds the same position
relatively to the other provinces as re-
CARDS the production Of haxseed.
Since 1910 (the last decennial census
year, the fax crop in Canada has still
further expanded and in 1912 the area
exceeded 100000 acres, with an esti-
mated production exceeding 10000. 900
bushels. Owing to seasonal vicissitudes
and low prices this production was not
maintained and the area dropped to less
than 100000 acres in 1915, with a pro-
duction OF little more than 5000, 900
DISTINGUISHING however to 919,500 acres
in 1917 and to 1,o6S,120 acres in 1918,
the latter acreage being also close to the
preliminary estimate for the year 1919.
The years 1917 and 1913 being excep-
tionally poor seasons, owing to drought
in the West, the yields per acre averaged
only 6h and 5& bushels respectively.
representing total yields just under and
just over 100000 bushels-yields less
than those obtained from about half the
acreage in the two previous years.
War Doubles Prices.
bul liit OI ITe WaT 1nITO-
duced another factor by the great In
per bushel received by the farmer. which
was only $3.50 In 1915, was s3.13 in
1918. So that for the last ne med year
The Inferior crop was worth nearly
S19,000.000, as compared with a little
over 100000 in 1915.
Another effect Of the war was to
stimulate greatly the growth of fax for
fibre and OF fax for the production of
fbre seed. The war caused a great de-
mand for fax in connection with the
manufacture of airplanes and other pur-
poses, while supplies formerly available
from Belgium. Russia and other coun-
tries were dimished or altogether cut OFF
To meet these new conditions for Can
ada new Division of Economic Fibre
Production was established at the Cen
trail Experimental Farm, Ottawa, and
under the fostering direction of this
division the growth of fax for fibre has
extended, especially in the
province of Ontario. In 1915 the area
under flax fibre in this province was
1000 acres; the yield of fibre was 500
tons. OF tow 80 tons, and of seed, prin-
cipally for export for the growth OF
fibre, $4,000 bushels In 1918 the area
under fax fibre in Ontario had grown to
SNtOVV hSlSsi LILO cslllHdleu
of fax fibre was 800 tons, the total
yield of seed was 10000 bushels and the
total yield of tow was 900 tons.
In 1918 the total value of flax products
in Ontario, excluding the value of seed
not Of fibre quality, was about s2,2S5,-
$50, as compared with $4,000 In 1915.
In 1918 all Canadian seed OF fibre
variety, amounting to 10000 bushels.
was commandeered and shipped to Ire
land, the price realized being $27.50 per
sack of 1s2 pounds.
Outlook for the Industry.
The recent issue in Great Britain OF an
interim report by the empire flax grow
ing committee, which was appointed in
February. 1918, by the president OF the
Board OF Trade, renders possible
wider outlook and enables those IN
terested in the industry to estimate