602 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



county there is some grown still, which is dew-retted and 

 sold locally. 



Agricultural Requirements 



There is considerable diversity of opinion expressed as to 

 the particular soil which is best suited for the production of flax 

 as a fibre crop. It is frequently stated that a well-drained loam 

 gives the best results and rich loamy clays are considered to be 

 very suitable. Whilst on the one hand it is maintained that 

 good flax can only be raised on good rich soil, it is not in- 

 frequently asserted that the nature of the soil is of small 

 importance. From a general examination of the soil in the 

 principal European flax-growing areas the writer has formed 

 the opinion that there is much truth in all these statements : 

 apparently good flax can be raised on a great variety of soils 

 provided their texture be suitable. Very heavy clay is not 

 favourable for flax, neither is chalk and there is good evidence 

 for saying that soil which is very rich in humus is unfavourable, 

 also peaty moorland ; but almost any other " clean " land which is 

 capable of producing good crops of grain will produce good 

 crops of flax. 



The flax plant grows very rapidly, sending down a fine 

 filamentous root system as far beneath the surface of the soil as 

 the stem rises above it. The subsoil therefore must be of a 

 kind which will allow of root development to the full extent 

 and at the same time be sufficiently compact to offer a firm hold 

 for the plant : in fact, conditions which are most favourable to 

 the growth of wheat. It is of great importance to the production 

 of good uniform fibre that the plant should develop at a steady 

 rate and receive no check during growth — indeed, these con- 

 ditions are of paramount importance when flax is grown for 

 high quality fibre. Although rich land will produce what 

 appears to be a splendid crop of healthy tall plants, when they 

 are examined they are found to yield an amount of fibre not at 

 all in proportion to the luxuriance of growth and at the same 

 time to be of a lower value for spinning purposes. Although 

 stress is frequently laid upon the advisability of sowing flax on 

 rich soil, on strong deep loam, it is a singular circumstance that 

 most of the good flax grown is produced on very light soil, 

 often on sand. 



Generally speaking, it may be said that in Ireland the best 



