124 The GroivliKj of Linseed in England 



"the average, as one would naturally expect in a climate such as ours, 

 must be considerably below what is produced in India, and in countries 

 where the climate is favourable to the production of oil." As the figures 

 quoted below will indicate, such a view is entirely opposed to our own 

 experience. 



In the first place it is necessary to point out that the figures quoted 

 by Voelcker do not constitute a real comparison since he says nothing 

 of the nature or source of the English grown seed : one cannot compare 

 an imported Bombay seed with an Enghsh grown Dutch, and there is 

 no indication that this is not done in the examples quoted. And then, 

 too, different samples of the same variety grown in the same region in 

 different seasons show wide differences in oil content— differences that 

 are often far greater than any there may be between English grown 

 and imported seed. This is well illustrated in the following table : 



The onlv method of obtaining a strict comparison is by comparing 

 samples of the different varieties grown in different parts of the world 

 with the seed produced when the same samples are sown in different 

 parts of England. Such a comparison should be carried out during 

 several successive seasons. This is being done : linseed trials are being 

 conducted in accordance with a scheme drawn up by the British Flax 

 and Hemp Growers" Society, Ltd. on the College farm at Wye ; at 

 Camblesforth Hall farm in Yorkshire ; at the Seale-Hayne Agricultural 

 College in Devonshire: at the Harper- Adams Agricultural College in 

 Shropshire; and at the Holmes Chapel Agricultural College manurial 

 trials are being carried out. Below are given the results for the season 

 1913, and we hope to continue the work over several years so as to make 

 the comparison a stricter one by eliminating the effect of seasonal 

 variations. It is worthy of note when considering the following observa- 

 tions that the season 1913 was an average one as regards weather and 

 was not specially favourable to the linseed crop, either as regards yield 

 or oil-formation. 



» Journal of Farmers' Club, 1897, p. 65. 



- "On the characters of pure nnd mixed Linseed Cakes," Jour. Boy. Agric. Society, 

 1873, pp 1-51. 



* "The Comp. of Oil seeds of India," Mem. of Indian Depl. of Agric. (Chem. Series), 

 Vol. I. (1907), No. 2, pp. 13-38. 



