PROJECTED REVIVAL OF THE FLAX INDUSTRY 609 



It is possible for those who collect Dutch-grown seed for 

 export to ascertain what the seed has done in the past and to 

 collect only the best for distribution to flax-growers ; and as 

 not more than 10 per cent, of the Dutch crop is grown from 

 seed other than that freshly imported from Riga, one can be 

 fairly certain that the seed is Dutch-Riga-Child when offered in 

 Holland under that name. In Russia, this is not yet possible; 

 seed merchants have mostly to buy in small quantities from 

 agents or middlemen who collect smaller quantities from 

 peasant farmers. The Russian merchant has therefore to deal 

 with a great variety of types and is only able to grade his seed 

 according to general appearance, colour, shape, size, etc. and to 

 take care that " Steppe" seed does not enter into his mixtures. 

 By long experience merchants have found that seed from a 

 region where there are certain conditions of climate is better 

 suited for exportation to one country than to another ; for 

 example, seed from a very wet district does better in the drier 

 climate of Holland than in Ireland, whilst seed from a drier 

 region is better suited to the damp climate of the north of 

 Ireland. This kind of practical information stands the export 

 merchants in good stead and the accuracy of their judgment is 

 quite remarkable. 



Sowing and After-Cultivation 



In some quarters it is said to be an advantageous practice 

 to defer sowing flax seed until as late in the season as possible, 

 so as to allow the land to be cleaned of weed seedlings. 

 However true this may be in the case of certain lands where 

 weeds are plentiful, it must be questioned first whether flax is 

 a suitable crop in such cases ; moreover the advantages of this 

 practice are far outweighed by those attending early sowing. 

 The best advice is to sow as early as possible, as early as the 

 soil and weather will permit, so that the seed may germinate 

 slowly and have a good start while moisture is in the top soil. 



Usually it is possible to sow on light soils at the commence- 

 ment of April, whereas the end of April is generally sufficiently 

 early for the heavier land such as occurs in Friesland but 

 varying influences have to be taken into account and only the 

 farmer can properly say when his land is in suitable condition. 

 The seed bed must be of fine tilth and it is best to sow on a 

 harrowed rather than on a rolled surface. 



