Flax Cultivation in Ireland and its Lessons 



441 



if followed out in the more favourable por- 

 tions, on even the same scale, would give 

 to all Ireland 500,000 acres per annum. 

 Several other counties in Ulster followed this 

 example, and grew flax largely, and until 

 lately seemed to like it. But while Sir R. 

 Peel's subsidy was being given — ^^2000 

 some years, ^3000 others, and ;;/^40oo in 

 1868 — our famous flax culture became less 

 popular. The fact was never considered, 

 that unless a flax crop pays at least 50 per 

 cent, more than any other crop, the County 

 Down farmers cry out against it. Its usual 

 average profit in excess of grain is from 80 

 to 100 per cent. Besides, the people of the 

 other provinces grow flax mostly because 

 they are covered, and the granting of the 

 subsidy did much to mislead them, as doesalso 

 the " cap in hand " policy of the Flax Ex- 

 tension Association, whose labours are yearly 

 becoming almost valueless. 



The true remedy for this violence and 

 avarice which stultify the Irish amongst agri- 

 culturists, is to make flax-growing an im- 

 perial question. For all practical purposes 

 flax has been a stolen crop, in Ulster. No 

 less grain, not a beast less was raised in that 

 province than was produced in Leinster, Con- 

 naught, and Munster, according to acreage, 

 soil, and climate, while little or no flax was 



grown. Therefore Ulster had all the advan- 

 tages of other crops, and the millions per 

 annum besides raised by flax-growing. It is 

 no wonder, then, her people are better fed, 

 more suitably, and often more fashionably^ 

 clothed, than the people of other parts of Ire- 

 land, the upper classes, which are alike every- 

 where, of course excepted. When one looks 

 at flax statistics in the light of other facts, 

 social and agricultural, no longer does any 

 astonishment exist as to the readiness with 

 which landlords collect their rents in Ulster, 

 as compared with other parts of Ireland. 



But taking the whole case summarily, 

 ignorance of facts which led even a wise 

 statesman to grant a most misleading sub- 

 sidy, indolence which holds the Connaught, 

 Leinster, and Munster farmer in the "free 

 and easy " rut of past ages, and avarice 

 which blinds the eyes of the prospering Ulster 

 flax-grower, have reigned already so long, that 

 we trust their baneful effects will no longer 

 be allowed to operate. On the contrary, we 

 trust that as flax is wanted for our textile 

 trade, and as it may be largely raised at 

 home most profitably, and especially as in 

 good farming it is almost a stolen crop, 

 British agriculturists will open their eyes to 

 facts, and give flax culture a fair considera- 

 tion. 



HARVESTING AND CLEANING SEED. 



By Professor Buckman. 



I PROPOSE devoting this paper to an 

 examination of the more practical points 

 concerning the preparation of seed for the 

 market, in which it is purposed to give an 

 account of the varied results of the analyses 

 of seeds of almost every class of crop. It 

 must be understood at the outset that these 

 remarks will have reference to the prepara- 

 tion of crop seeds for the seed market, and 

 not of corn and grain as food, two matters to 

 * Paper read before the Maidstone Farmers' Club. 



be kept distinct, because the growths for the 

 one purpose will off'er very diff"erent con- 

 siderations from those of the other. Crop 

 seeds may, for our present purpose be very 

 conveniently divided as follows : — 



1. Cereal grasses, corn or grain seeds, 

 wheat, barley, rye, oats, &c. 



2. Fodder grasses, as rye grasses, timothy- 

 grass, &c. 



3. Clovers, sometimes termed " artificial 

 grass," &c. 



