I know this is a very specific question, but in the mid to late 18th century, flaxseed was the second largest export from the middle colonies (according to McCusker and Menard, The Economy of British North America, 1607-1789), albeit far behind what and gran products, and all of it was going to Ireland. I understand that linen (which is made from Flax) was one of Ireland's major industries at the time. I also get why Americans would want to grow flax, which can be used to make linen and also linseed oil. But what I don't understand is why would the Irish need to purchase flax seed from abroad? It seems like the Irish were actually growing the flax in Ireland, so wouldn't they be able to just use the seeds from last years crop? I know it's a long shot that anyone will be able to answer this question, but I can't figure it out!
The Irish harvest their flax while the seeds were still green and unusable, therefore producing a softer and finer fiber. Thus, a good use of our large expanse of land were crops like flax, which could be left to mature fully since we did not have the industry set up here to weave any large quantity of linen.