Cultivation and Proper Management of Flax. 193 



weight they may earn the more wages. Competition, however, 

 rectifies this abuse ; for the mill-proprietor knows full well that 

 if he fail in discharging his duty faithfully, honestly, and satis- 

 factorily to the public, the public will soon hand over its custom 

 to others. 



It has long been the opinion of machinists and scientific men 

 that our common old-fashioned scutch-mills might be improved, 

 and ought to be improved. Several patents have been taken out 

 within the last few yeai's for flax-cleaning machines on a new 

 principle. The North of Ireland has not been behind in these 

 laudable efforts ; none of the new patents, however, has yet had 

 complete success. What their ingenious and enterprising in- 

 ventors (who deserve to succeed) may bring them to in the end it is 

 hard to say ; but up to the present time the old simple " scutching 

 handles " seem to be in the highest favour both with millers and 

 farmers, and even with the merchants themselves. 



Owing to the extra growth of flax in Ireland during the last 

 two or three years, many new mills were erected. These had in 

 some instances to be " manned " with inexperienced hands. 

 Hence the outcry that has been raised among the merchants in 

 some districts about ill-cleaned flax ; and hence the losses that 

 farmers have met with in many cases from poor prices and from 

 inferior yield. 



The yield of flax to the acre is very variable, according 

 to circumstances. The Riga barrel of seed (the safest for all 

 but very stroiig land), which is sufficient to sow an Irish acre,* 

 will commonly give a return of from 5 cwt. to 10 cwt. on 

 ground well cleaned and cultivated. Such weight at IQs. or 

 8O5. per cwt., the present range of prices for good scutched flax, 

 pays well, and forms a sufficiently strong inducement not only 

 to the farmers of the south and west of Ireland, but also to 

 the farmers of England and Scotland, to review their systems 

 and rotations, and consider whether (like the men of Ulster) 

 they could not, with profit to themselves and to the com- 

 munity, introduce a crop in its order, that is easy upon the 

 soil, thoroughly adapted to our variable climate, and is more 

 remunerative by 100 per cent, than any other crop that the 

 Irish farmer can raise. 



Fairy Fort, Limavady, Derry. 



* 3 Irish = 5 English acres nearly. 



VOL. I. — S. S. 



