6 



CIRCULAR NO. 114, BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 



When a mixture of flax, wheat, and timothy is thrashed the timo- 

 thy seed is separated by the sieves from the flax and the wheat and 

 conies out beneath the machine. 



The cost of thrashing is determined by the proportion of flax and 

 wheat after the seed has been separated. In this locality the 

 thrashers charge 12^ cents per bushel for thrashing flax and 4 cents 

 per bushel for wheat. 



YIELDS. 



The yield of flax and wheat depends upon several factors. Soil 

 and climatic conditions, as well as the relative thickness of the stand 

 of flax and wheat, are important. 



In Table I are given the yields harvested from several typical 

 fields in 1912. It should be understood that neither the area of the 

 fields nor the yields were measured exactly: the figures are quoted 

 from the statements of the farmers growing the crop and are no 

 doubt approximately correct. 



Table I. — Yields of flax, wheat, and timothy <m several farms near New London, 



Ohio, in 1912. 



The average yield of flax on the eight fields was 7.2 bushels per 

 acre, and of wheat 3.2 bushels. From four of the fields an average 

 yield of 1.3 bushels of timothy seed per acre was also obtained. At 

 the time when most of the crop was sold flaxseed was worth $1.48, 

 wheat $1, and timothy seed $1.25 per bushel. The average total 

 income per acre, therefore, from the eight fields was $14.64. The 

 average value of the flax on the eight fields was $10.65 per acre, and 

 of the wheat $3.20. 



AA 7 hile $14.64 per acre is not a large income, it is much better than 

 would have been obtained from any one of these wheat fields in 1912 

 if the flaxseed had not been sown. 



The yields of both wheat and flax were smaller in 1012 than have 

 been obtained on several farms in this vicinity in former years. The 

 price of flaxseed and timothy seed w 7 as also lower than it has ordi- 

 narily been in recent years. Several farmers have harvested yields 

 of flax and wheat the value of which has been equal to that obtained 

 from a good crop of wheat growing alone. One farmer produced 



[Cir. 114] 



