FLAX (AS. &ex, 01-1G. flans. Ger. Flachs; probably convected with Goal. flahta, hair plait, Ger. ficchten. to Nvea ye, Lat. plicare, to fold). An annual plant of the genus Lintim (order Lina ceas), of which there are more than one hundred known species, Mostly annual and perennial herbs, scattered over the globe. They are most abundant in Europe and northern Africa. The common (lax (Linnet usitatissimem) is an annual indig enous to the Mediterranean region of Europe and Africa and to some parts of Asia, but new dis tributed over both hemispheres. This most com mon species of flax has a very slender, erect stem, two to throe feet tall, hranehing, only near the top, which bears beautiful blue, or sometimes white, flowers. The seeds are dark brown, glossy, flattened, with acute edges.
No plant not yielding food to man is more useful than the flax-plant. it is highly valuable both fur the fibres of its inner bark and for its seeds. Flax•libres fire characterized by length, fineness, solidify, and suppleness. Their length is invaluable in spinning, and the nature of their surfaces prevents them from slipping on each other, thus contributing to the durability of fab rics made with them. When separated from both the bark and the inner woody portion of the stem they constitute the well-known material from which linen thread and cloth are made, and they arc used for manufaeturing the finest and the coarsest fabrics, the most delicate and exquisite lace, linens, shillings, and handkerchiefs, twines for shoemakers and harness-makers, cords for the warp of carpet and the body of oilcloth, sailcloth, rope, and cordage. The seeds yield by expression
the drying fixed oil called linseed oil (q.v.). used for mixing paints, varnishes, etc. The remaining crushed mass is linseed cake, or oileake, esteemed for feeding cattle, and which, when finely ground, becomes linseed meal. Linseed is sometimes used in medicine as an emollient and demulcent in irritations of the mucous membranes generally, but especially of the pulmonary and urinary or gans. Flax has the advantage of giving employ ment not only to an agricultural but to a manu facturing population. In no European country is it more successfully cultivated than in Belgium, where it. is employed in the manufacture of the famous Brussels lace. the crop when prepared for market sometimes exceeding in value the land on which it was produced. The excellence of Bel gium flax must be ascribed largely to the great care bestowed on its cultivation.