608 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



when it was possible to say that reputed Pskoff seed came from 

 that province or that Riga seed came from the Baltic provinces. 



It is a very noteworthy and general practice in the best flax 

 areas of Russia to dry the seed finally in an oven at a com- 

 paratively high temperature. Besides ensuring thorough drying, 

 this operation may possibly act beneficially in killing off 

 imperfectly developed and poor seeds, so that only those of a 

 uniform and high vitality remain. Certainly the process of 

 oven drying is beneficial, apart from the fact that it prevents 

 subsequent heating of the seed when in barrels during transit 

 and may account for the fact that Russian seed gives better crops 

 although the percentage of dead seeds is higher than in any other. 

 Not only has oven-heating been found advantageous to the sub- 

 sequent flax crop but if the seed be submitted to several degrees 

 of frost a similar result is observed ; it is no uncommon practice 

 for Russian peasants to expose their seed to the action of frost 

 with the object of improving the flax harvest raised therefrom. 



As already mentioned, the general practice is to rely upon 

 Russia for the supply of flax seed to all countries, the imported 

 seed coming chiefly from the Baltic Provinces by way of Riga. 

 It is then grown in other countries for about three seasons, 

 giving rise to crops bearing seed which is known respectively as 

 "Riga-Child" and "Riga-Grandchild." Where the climate is 

 moist and dull, "original" Russian seed gives the best results; 

 especially is this the case if the soil be light. Where the 

 prevailing atmospheric conditions are dry or the soil is some- 

 what heavy, better results are obtained by using "Child" seed 

 although the crops raised therefrom are less uniform than those 

 from Russian seed. In Belgium, the best practice is to procure 

 11 Dutch-Riga-Child " from some trustworthy source : the par- 

 ticular seed known to come from a good crop of fibre flax 

 grown in Holland the preceding year being the most highly 

 prized. Seed in Holland is ripened naturally in the field better 

 than in other countries and large quantities of " Dutch-Riga- 

 Child " are sown in Holland, Belgium, Ireland and France, 

 where, in many cases, it is sought after in preference to 

 Russian " original " seed. 1 



1 Possibly this may be explained partly by the interesting and quite general 

 observation that whereas Russian " original " seed produces crops richer in fibre, 

 the " Child " seed shows its superiority in producing crops bearing fibre which is 

 finer and of better quality. 



