I^O On the Culture^ ts'c, of Flax. April 



fore it ought to be recommended with caution. For we 

 find, that even bad feed, if not altogether damnified, 

 will vegetate, and make a promifing appearance in a 

 hot-bed. 



2<//y, — Method of covering the Seedy and utility of laying the 

 Land in fix feet Beds. 



We are humbly of opinion, that the mode here recom- 

 mended, may certainly be of great utility in wet boggy 

 ground, for draining it and bringing it into tillage : But 

 we cannot by any means approve of it for land on which 

 flax is to be raifed in general ; becaufe, in Scotland, 

 and, as far as we know, in England too, the lands are 

 generally laid out in ridges, from 12 to 18 feet wide; 

 which method is much lefs expenfive than the making 

 of narrow ridges, and is better calculated for crops of 

 every kind. It is alfo to be obferved, that the frequency 

 of drains, occafioned by thefe narrow ridges, muft de- 

 prive the land too much of its proper moifture. 



And as to the covering of the feed, we would recom- 

 mend brufh harrowing, followed by a complete rolling, 

 in preference to the mode fuggefled in the paper, which 

 we are afraid would be found much too expenfive. 



^//jA,j — jijiy part of the Flax not under Water ivill he 



flaincdy ^c. 



We have fome difficulty in agreeing to the rule here 

 fuggefted, that the root-ends fnould ftand the higheft ; 

 for this reafon, tliat the crop end of the flax being com- 

 pofed of the fm.alleft fibres, require more watering than 

 the other ends; and it is well known, that as the water 

 is warmefl and fofteft near the furface, it operates the 

 more forcibly. The general practice in ScotUnd is, tOj 

 place the root ends undermoit. 



Lafllyy—The more Sun the Flax getSy the lefs Fire neceffary 

 ^ before Beetling. 



In preference to the method here fuggeUed, of drying 

 the flax on hurdles, or any other way of applying fire to. 

 it, in order to prepare it for flcutching, we would recom- 

 mend 



