Cultivation of Flax in Belgium. 169 



Three sorts of seeds are employed in Belgium — those of Riga 

 and Zealand, and that of the country, called " Apres-tonne." 



The seed grown in the country is generally considered to be 

 inferior to that of Riga, unless cultivated with especial care and 

 gathered from plants of a superior quality. 



That bearing the name of Zealand is nothing more than seed 

 gathered in Holland from plants produced from Riga seed. Its 

 plants are sometimes w^eak, but oftener full and flexible, the 

 stalks retaining a green hue when ripe ; the filament is also very 

 fine and flexible. This seed is much used in the Western 

 Flanders, and chiefly in the district of Courtrai, where the land 

 is heavy. 



The seed of Pernau (situated on the Gulf of Riga) is also much 

 used: the plants produced by it are vigorous and healthy, and 

 the filament long, fine, heavy, silky, and of a silvery colour. 

 Experiments have shown that it gives one-fifteenth more filament 

 than the seed of Riga. 



Climate. — Flax can only be raised in a temperate climate, 

 neither too Avet nor too dry. Heavy winds, storms, hail, heavy 

 rain, &c,, are extremely prejudicial to it. The best aspect for it 

 is to the north and east. If there be too much shade or the 

 atmospheric influences of warm, damp, heavy weather, the 

 filament becomes light and weak from the forced growth of 

 the stalk. 



Quality of soil required. — The finest flax is grown on loamy 

 land, but many varieties of soil will bear a crop, provided they 

 are properly prepared by deep tillage and manure. On a sandy 

 soil, the filament, albeit long and fine, will be far less strong than 

 that grown in a richer soil. In heavy wet land it will grow (in 

 good seasons) to a great length, but the filament is never fine. 

 Light fertile land gives a shorter crop, but a finer and silkier 

 filament. The " Pays de Waiis " bears an European reputation 

 for its flax, though the soil is sandy ; it is, however, extensively 

 manured. 



Of manures the principal are : ordinary yard-dung, cakes made of 

 the seed of rape, poppy, hemp, and cameline (or gold of pleasure), 

 guano, Dutch ashes, lime, and liquid manure. For light land 

 the ordinary stable-manure is found to be the best. In the 

 Western Flanders the cakes of rape and poppy are found to 

 accelerate the growth and to give a finer texture to the filament. 

 These cakes are also much used in Hainault, and mixed with 

 cameline, which imparts a beautiful colour to the flax. 



According to a calculation made by M. de Gasparin, 100 

 kilogrammes of dried flax contain 1 kilogramme 12 grammes of 

 azote taken out of tlie land. 



Preparation of the soil. — The preparation of the soil in Belgium, 



