Flax health of linseed oil. Eventually, Flanders became the major center of the linen industry in the European Middle Ages. In North America, flax was introduced by the colonists and it flourished there, but by the early 20th century, cheap cotton and rising farm wages had caused production of flax to become concentrated in northern Russia, which came to provide 90% of the world's output. Since then, flax has lost its importance as a commercial crop, due to the easy availability of more durable fibres. Flax is grown for its seeds, which can be ground into a meal or turned into
Flax or pesticides. Within eight weeks of sowing, the plant can reach in height and grows several centimeters per day under its optimal growth conditions, reaching within 50 days. In 2014, world production of flax (linseed) was 2.65 million tonnes, led by Canada with 33% of the global total. Other major producers were Kazakhstan, China, and Russia (table). Flax is harvested for fiber production after about 100 days, or a month after the plants flower and two weeks after the seed capsules form. The bases of the plants begin to turn yellow. If the plants are still green, the seed will