196 Flax- Cultivation in the County of Suffolk. 



young, that to guard against their ravages it is found best in all 

 cases where practicable to drill it in rows six inches apart on 

 the flat, using every endeavour to get the land perfectly level 

 before drilling, in order that the seed may all be deposited at 

 the same depth, and may germinate all at the same time, so as 

 to prevent the two growths which may frequently be seen. It 

 has been found much easier and cheaper to keep the flax-crop 

 clean when in rows than by the broadcast system. The time of 

 planting ranges from the third week in March till the end of the 

 first week in April. 



Harvesting. — The best time to commence pulling is when the 

 stems begin to present a golden colour halfway up, and the small 

 leaves brush off; the seed is then beginning to turn brown. The 

 cost of pulling varies from Ss. to IDs. per acre ; if the sheaves 

 are tied up in a uniform size, and the weather fine, they do not 

 require many days' groundage before they are fit to be put on 

 narrow stacks ; a long groundage and exposure to wet after 

 pulling is very injurious to both grower and consumer. The 

 farmer suffers by the loss of weight, the manufacturer by that of 

 strength and colour. 



Ripplimi. — In Ireland a process is adopted called rippling, 

 which detaches the seed-bolls from the stalk in a half-green state, 

 thus rendering the grain in man}' cases unfit to be used as seed 

 or even stored. In Suffolk we find it best to stack the crop for a 

 time before taking the seed off; it has then a value of from G/. to 

 11. per acre — no inconsiderable addition to the return made by the 

 flax-crop. The chief part of our seed goes to Ireland for sowing, 

 and the buyers there at all times request us not to send them 

 seed thrashed immediately after the harvest. I believe it is the 

 general opinion in Ireland that if the seed is allowed to ripen in 

 the straw it will greatly injure the quality of the fibre. In this 

 county experience has shown us that such is not the case, a con- 

 clusion which is fully borne out by the ' Belfast Linen Circular,' 

 which reports that the price of Irish flax ranges from 325. to 80^. 

 per cwt., while the present value of English flax is from 58^. to 

 80.?. per cwt., none being worth less than 58^. per cwt., and that 

 is what is called drawings, or rather the loose refuse-flax. 



Steeping. — The Irish plan of steeping flax in cold water has 

 been found after a thorough trial to be quite unsuited to this 

 country ; it was in some instances a signal failure where farmers 

 have undertaken to steep their own straw — a dry and hard 

 fibre was produced, with very little spinning quality. If the 

 same straw had been steeped in tepid water of even temperature, 

 according to the practice of the largest rettories in the county of 

 Suffolk, there is no doubt that the quality would have been such 

 as to bear an improved value of from 10/. to 15/. per ton. The 



