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In this article we will discuss about:- 1. Distribution of Flax 2. Geographical Requirements for Flax Fibre Production 3. World Production.
Distribution of Flax:
Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is a plant of the cool temperate latitudes, which has been used to make fibre and cloth from prehistoric times. The fibre is obtained from the stem of the plant and is very strong and durable. It is superior to cotton in durability and smoothness and has many advantages for making clothing and household goods.
Flax is harvested by hand, by pulling up the stem. This is preferred to cutting as it ensures the maximum fibre-length. It is dried and rippled or stripped of unwanted leaves and shoots and is then put in water and allowed to rot. This process, known as retting, was once done by putting the flax into ponds and streams but is now done in special tanks. Chemical additives speed up the retting operation.
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The fleshy part of the stem is eventually decomposed and the fibres are then scraped or scutched to remove any remaining pieces of the soft vegetable matter. After drying, the longer fibres (called line) are separated from the shorter ones (called tow). Only the long fibres, which may be anything from 25 to 40 cm (10 to 15 inches) in length are used for textile manufacture, the shorter tow being used in rope-making.
It will be seen that the processing of flax is long, complicated and rather unpleasant (the retting operation producing a particularly unpleasant smell) so that it is not surprising that farmers in the more affluent countries should have given up growing the crop. The world total production has remained fairly steady during the last 10 years. Linen textiles are made by the same spinning and weaving processes as other textiles.
The textiles made from flax are called linen, and are now usually used for high-quality sheets and table linen, though in the past linen was much used for clothing. Production of flax has declined because it is more difficult to process and therefore more costly than cotton.
Flax may also be grown for the production of linseed oil but the same plant cannot be used for both oil and fibre, and the flax grown for oil-seeds requires different climatic conditions from flax grown for fibre.
Geographical Requirements for Flax Fibre Production:
1. Temperature:
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Flax grown for fibre does best in rather cool, temperate conditions. Summer temperatures should be around 16°C to 18°C (60°F to 65°F) and a great range of temperature is not ideal.
A growing period of about 80 to 100 days is required and temperatures during this period must be fairly even. Very hot, dry weather results in the growth of very coarse fibres.
2. Rainfall:
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About 510 mm to 760 mm (20 to 30 inches) of rain are needed and this should be fairly evenly distributed. A relatively high atmospheric humidity is also an advantage.
3. Soil:
Flax is exhaustive of soil fertility and must be grown in rotation with other crops. It is usually only grown on the same plot of land once in about 8 to 10 years. A clayey or loamy soil is needed to give good support to the plants. The land should be well-drained.
4. Labour:
A large, cheap labour force is required for hand-picking and processing the flax. Labour is now the main geographical factor in flax cultivation and the lack of labour has led to the decline of the crop in many traditional growing areas such as Ireland.
World Production and Trade in Flax:
World production of flax is only one-twentieth of the world’s cotton output. By far the most important producer of flax fibre is the U.S.S.R. The U.S.S.R.’s annual crop of around 500,000 tonnes is 75 per cent of the world total. The main areas of production are in the North European Plain.
The U.S.S.R. has both good geographical conditions and fairly cheap labour costs and has the added advantage of a large domestic market. Poland, the second largest producer 7 per cent of the total also grows flax in the North European Plain.
In Western Europe the largest producer is France (5 per cent), where flax is grown in the north-east of the country. Production in Belgium and the Netherlands, long famous for their high-quality linen production, has declined, but some flax is still exported to Northern Ireland and elsewhere.
Northern Ireland is a traditional linen manufacturing area, and though flax is no longer grown the industry continues to operate with imported flax. Other flax producers are Czechoslovakia, Romania and Egypt.