A transverse section of a flax-stem is shown in Fig. 684 : a, bark ; b, woody fibre; e, epidermis; f, bast fibres, coloured distinctly blue by test H; mag., 100. The individual fibres are seen in Fig. 685 : a, sections of the fibres, isolated and in groups ; b, the fibres viewed loogitudinally ; one of them shows the creases produced by repeated bending ; e, ends ; a', sections of fibres situated near the butt of the plant ; mag., 300. Under test F, the fibres assume a transparent blue colour, the X-like creases taking a much deeper tint. The interior channel appears as a yellow Hue, which, in the centre of the transparent blue stem, is eharacteristic of flax. The dimensions of the fibres are as follow :—length, 0.157 in.-2•598 in. ; mean, about 1 in. ; diameter, in. ; mean, about in. The chief characteristics of flax are its length, fineness, sol idity, and suppleness. Its remarkable tenacity is due to the fibrous texture, and the thickness of the walls ; its suppleness permits it to be bent sharply ; its length is invaluable in spinning ; and the nature of the sur face prevents the fibres from slipping on each other, and contributes to the durability of fabrics made with them. Flax may be made lustrous, like silk, by washing in warm water, slightly acidu lated with sulphuric acid, then passing through biohre mate of potash vapour, and gently washing in _cold water. Samples of flax exposed for 2 hours to steam at 2 atmos., boiled in water for 3 hours, and again steamed for 4 hours, lest only 3.5 per cent. of their 'weight, while Manilla hemp lost 6.07 ; hemp, ; jute, 21.39. The conversion of flax into textile fabrics is a large and distinct industry (see Linen Manufactures).
Brands, Prices, and Imports.—Flax is sorted and bracked differently at the various ports where it is ohiefly shipped. Ordinary Riga brands are as follows :—K, crown ; H K, light crown ; P K, picked crown ; H P K, light pinked crown ; S P K, superior picked crown ; I S P K, light superior picked crown. Crown flexes of " grey " or " white " colour are shipped from Riga, mostly to France 3 it and Belgium, as K or W K, grey crown or white crown ; G P K or W P K, grey or white picked crown ; G S P K or W S P K, grey or white superior picked crown. The Livonian or Hoffe flexes shipped from Riga are D, hoffs dreiband ; W H D, white hoffs dreiband ; P H D, picked hoffa dreiband ; W P H D, white picked hoffs dreiband ; F P H D, fine picked hoffs drei band ; W F P H D, white fine picked hoffs dreiband ; SFPH D, superior fine picked hoffs drei band ; WSF PH D, white superior fine picked hoffs dreiband. The lower Riga flaxea are wrack ; W P W, white picked wrack ; P W, picked wrack ; G P W, grey picked wrack ; D, drei band ; L D, Livonian dreiband ; S D, Slanitz dreiband ; P D, picked dreiband ; P L D, picked Livonian dreiband ; P S D, picked Slanitz dreiband. The S D and P S D qualities are distinguished as Lithuanian Slanitz, Welliah Slanitz, and Wiasma Slanitz, there being differences in the produce of the several districts. The Archangel flexes are known as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th crown ; and 1st and 2nd Zabrack. St. Petersburg ships :—Pscow 12 heads, Longa 12 heads, Staro Ruse 12 beads, Saletsky 12 heads, 9 heads, and 6 heads, all of which are white, or water-retted ; also Rjeff, let, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th crown, and Zabrack, all brown or dew-retted ; many other minor dew-retted flaxes come from St. Petersburg, bearing the names of the locality of production, as
Melinki, Bejetsky, Ouglitcb, Kostroma, Jarealav, Vologda, Wiasma. Flax shipped from Pernau is distinguished as Fcllin and Livonian, the former being the better, under the following marks: Marienburg ; G, cut ; R, risten ; H D, light dreiband ; D, dreiband ; 0 D, ordinary drei band; L 0 D, low ordinary dreiband. Inconsiderable shipments are made from the ports of Narva (as No. V. and No. VI.), tibau (as crown ; and 4 brand), Memel (as 4 brand and N B), and Revel. Tow is classed as Archangel, No. 1 and No. 2; and Petersburg, No. 1 and No. 2. Codilla, as Archangel, No. 2 and No. 3 ; Petersburg ; and Riga.
The approximate relative market values of the chief brands are :—Archangel, 3rd crown, 521.-50.
a ton ; Zabrack, 391.-481. ; Petersburg, 12 head, 25/. 10s.-36/.; 9 head, 22/. 10s.-251. ; Egypt, govern ment dressed, 451.-501.; common to good, 191.-35/. French flexes of exceptional quality bring as much as 1801.-2001. a ton.
The exports from Riga in 1877 were 33,292 tone of flax (excluding tow and codilla); and in 1878, 29,682 tons. Archangel, in 1877, shipped 10,361 tons ; and in 1878, 8059 tons ; about to Great Britain, and I to France. Kiinigaberg, in 1878, exported 135,854 cwt. ; and in 1879, 135,600 cwt. Dunkirk, in 1877, shipped 518,399 kilo.
The imports of flax into the United Kingdom in 1879 were as follows :—Dressed : from Holland, 13,921 cwt., 52,888/. ; Russia, 6178 cwt., 15,047/. ; Belgium, 991 cwt., 3730/. ; other countries, 2179 cwt., 5695/. ; Rough or undressed: Russia, 1,046,687 cwt., 1,857,324/. ; Belgium, 185,112 cwt., 814,393/. ; Hol land, 107,944 cwt., 365,931/. ; Germany, 52,221 cwt., 86,426/. ; France, 12,453 cwt., 30,444/. ; other countries, 5362 cwt., 10,577/. ; Tow or Codilla: Russia, 141,885 cwt., 209,539/. ; Belgium, 98,933 cwt., 110,094/. ; Holland, 16,581 cwt., 16,858/. ; other countries, 4641 cwt., 5715/.
Lygeum Spartum — Esparto (Fn., Sparte). — Endogen ; perennial grass, of creeping habit, and with the leaf-sheaths internally glabrous. A native of the Mediterranean regions, but chiefly abundant in N. Spain ; selected for culture in Victoria. It grows in similar soils and situations to those frequented by Macrochloa tenacis sima, and in many respects closely re sembles that plant. A section of the leaf is shown in Fig. 686: e e', the epidermis of each aide of the leaf; f, fibro - vascular bundles,, situated in circles, coloured yellow by test H ; f', fibres scattered throughout the paren chyma of the lead coloured blue by the same teat ; mag., 100. The dimensions of the filaments are : —length : max., in. ; 0.04 in. ; mean, 0.1 in. ; diameter: max., 0.0008 in. ; min., 0 . 00048 in. ; mean, 0.0006 in. The fibre is tough, and said to have been used for rope-making by the Romans. It is commonly supposed to contribute largely to the esparto grass of commerce, so largely employed by paper-makers ; but W. H. Richardson asserts positively that the commercial article, from whatever locality, is the produce solely of lifacrochloa tenacissima (q.v.).