K means Crown and is usually the base mark.
H " Light and represents a rise of about L1
P " Picked " " " L3
G " Grey " " " L3
S " Superior " " " L4
W " White " " " L4
Z " Zins " " " L10
Each additional mark means a rise in the price, but it must be
understood that it is quite possible for a quality denoted by two
letters to be more valuable than one indicated by three or more, since
every mark has not the same value.
If we take L25 as the value of the base mark, the value per ton for
the different groups would be:--
K L25 HSPK L33
HK L26 GSPK L35
PK L28 WSPK L36
HPK L29 ZK L35
GPK L31 HZK L36
SPK L32 GZK L38, &c.
The Hoffs flaxes are reckoned in a similar way. Here H is for Hoffs, D
for Drieband, P for picked, F for fine, S for superior, and R for
Risten. In addition to these marks, an X may appear before, after or
in both places. With L20 as base mark we have:--
HD L20 per ton.
PHD L23 " "
FPHD L26 " "
SFPHD L29 " "
XHDX L32 " "
XRX L35 " "
Of the lower qualities of Riga flax the following may be named;
W, Wrack flax. PD, Picked Dreiband flax.
PW, Picked wrack flax. LD, Livonian Dreiband.
WPW, White picked wrack. PLD, Picked Livonian Dreiband.
GPW, Grey picked wrack flax. SD, Slanitz Dreiband.
D, Dreiband (Threeband). PSD, Picked Slanitz Dreiband.
The last-named (SD and PSD) are dew-retted qualities shipped from Riga
either as Lithuanian Slanitz, Wellish Slanitz or Wiasma Slanitz,
showing from what district they come, as there are differences in the
quality of the produce of each district. The lowest quality of Riga
flax is marked DW, meaning Dreiband Wrack.
Another Russian port from which a large quantity of flax is imported
is Pernau, where the marks in use are comparatively few. The leading
marks are:--
LOD, indicating Low Ordinary Dreiband (Threeband).
OD, " Ordinary Dreiband.
D, " Dreiband.
HD, " Light Dreiband.
R, " Risten.
G, " Cut.
M, " Marienburg.
Pernau flax is shipped as Livonian and Fellin sorts, the latter being
the best.
Both dew-retted and water-retted flax are exported from St Petersburg,
the dew-retted or Slanitz flax being marked 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Crown, also Zebrack No. 1 and Zebrack No. 2, while all the Archangel
flax is dew-retted.
Some idea of the extent of the Russian flax trade may be gathered from
the fact that 233,000 tons were exported in 1905. Out of this quantity
a little over 53,000 tons came to the United Kingdom. The Chief
British ports for the landing of flax are:--Belfast, Dundee, Leith,
Montrose, London and Arbroath, the two former being the chief centres
of the flax industry.
The following table, taken from the annual report of the Belfast Flax
Supply Association, shows the quantities received from all sources
into the different parts of the United Kingdom:--
+-------+------------+------------+-------------+
| | Imports to | Imports to | Imports to |
| Year. | the United | Ireland. | England and |
| | Kingdom. | | Scotland. |
+-------+------------+------------+-------------+
| | Tons. | Tons. | Tons. |
| 1895 | 102,622 | 33,506 | 67,116 |
| 1896 | 95,199 | 36,650 | 58,549 |
| 1897 | 98,802 | 37,715 | 61,087 |
| 1898 | 97,253 | 34,440 | 62,813 |
| 1899 | 99,052 | 40,145 | 58,907 |
| 1900 | 71,586 | 31,563 | 40,023 |
| 1901 | 75,565 | 28,785 | 46,780 |
| 1902 | 73,611 | 29,727 | 43,884 |
| 1903 | 94,701 | 38,168 | 56,533 |
| 1904 | 74,917 | 33,024 | 41,893 |
| 1905 | 90,098 | 40,063 | 50,035 |
+-------+------------+------------+-------------+
The extent of flax cultivation in Ireland is considerable, but the
acreage has been gradually diminishing during late years. In 1864 it
reached the maximum, 301,693 acres; next year it fell to 251,433.
After 1869 it declined, there being 229,252 acres in flax crop that
year, and only 122,003 in 1872. From this year to 1889 it fluctuated
considerably, reaching 157,534 acres in 1880 and dropping to 89,225
acres in 1884. Then for five successive years the acreage was above
108,000. From 1890 to 1905 it only once reached 100,000, while the
average in 1903, 1904 and 1905 was a little over 45,000 acres.
(T. Wo.)