<P> Flax fibers taken from the stem of the plant are two to three times as strong as cotton fibers . Additionally, flax fibers are naturally smooth and straight . Europe and North America both depended on flax for plant - based cloth until the nineteenth century, when cotton overtook flax as the most common plant for making rag - based paper . Flax is grown on the Canadian prairies for linseed oil, which is used as a drying oil in paints and varnishes and in products such as linoleum and printing inks . </P> <P> Linseed meal, the byproduct of producing linseed oil from flax seeds, is used to feed livestock . It is a protein - rich feed for ruminants, rabbits and fish . </P> <P> Flaxseeds occur in two basic varieties / colors: brown and yellow (golden linseeds). Most types of these basic varieties have similar nutritional characteristics and equal numbers of short - chain omega - 3 fatty acids . The exception is a type of yellow flax called solin (trade name "Linola"), which has a completely different oil profile and is very low in omega - 3's . </P> <P> Flaxseeds produce a vegetable oil known as flaxseed oil or linseed oil, which is one of the oldest commercial oils . It is an edible oil obtained by expeller pressing and sometimes followed by solvent extraction . Solvent - processed flaxseed oil has been used for many centuries as a drying oil in painting and varnishing . </P>

What does flax look like in the field