Lee Moreau, age 13, of Lynn, Mass., for his question:
HOW IS FLAX USED?
Flax is a plant. There are about 100 species of flax and they grow mainly in temperate and subtropical climates. Flax is raised for its fiber and seeds.
The fiber of flax can be spun and woven into such things as coarse rope, linen fabric or delicate laces. The seeds contain linseed oil which is used in the manufacture of paints, varnishes, linoleum and oilcloth. A meal made from the seeds after the oil has been pressed out provides feed for farm animals.
One of the world's oldest crops is flax. The ancient Egyptians wove linen from flax more than 5,000 years ago. Egyptian mummies have been found wrapped in linen cloth that is as well made as that produced today.
The ancient Greeks wore linen clothing and the Romans made linen paper as well as cloth.
Early American settlers often planted seed flax as their first crop as they moved west. But the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 made cotton yarn more economical than linen yarn made from flax. For this reason, the United States never produced large amounts of fiber flax.
Flax grown for seed is an important crop in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. It is also grown extensively in the provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Seed flax can be reaped and thrashed with the same machines farmers use to harvest such grain crops as wheat. The seeds are then shipped to mills for processing into linseed oil and meal.
Much of the flax straw left in the field after harvesting is made into high strength specialty paper. Such paper is often used for Bibles, certificates and diplomas. Paper mills also make much of the cigarette paper used in the United States from flaxseed plants.
In recent years, the seed flax acreage has declined as a result of the increasing popularity of latex paints over oil based paints.
Today, Canada is the world's leading flaxseed producer and is followed in order by Russia, India, the United States and Argentina. Leading fiber flax producers are Russia, Poland, France, Romania and Czechoslovakia.
Before flax can be processed for its fiber, the seeds must be removed. This is usually done by a process called rippling where the plants are pulled through coarse combs.
Flax plants are small herbs with green leaves and bright red, yellow, white or blue flowers. Many people raise them for their beauty.
Plants used for seeds stand from one to four feet high and have small branching stems near the top. They usually have blue flowers, though some varieties have white or pink flowers.