L 8 ] 



On the Flax Husbandry of Ireland^ from the Farmer'' s 



Magazine, printed at Edinburgh. Vol. 7. — 1806. 

 *S?r, 



Having for several years been engaged in the cul- 

 ture of flax, I devoted a part of last summer, to a tour 

 through the manufacturing districts of Ireland. Here 

 that branch of husbandry, has long been established 

 over a large extent of the country, and conducted with 

 considerable success. 



During my progress through Irelandj the several 

 processes of steeping, dr}'ing, and skutching were" in 

 hand, and I think I found a peculiarity of management 

 in these, sufficient to affect the success of the whole 

 business, and to confer a decided superiority on the 

 produce of an acre of flax in Ireland over that in Scot- 

 land, both in quantity and value. It is no uncommon 

 thing for a farmer, to sell a part of his lint on the foot, 

 as it is termed, and for this he will commonly receive 

 from thirty to forty guineas per acre. 



1. The method of steeping. As soon as the crop has 

 attained the proper degree of ripeness, the flax is pul- 

 led, and caiTied to a stagnant pool, dug for the purpose 

 moderately deep. It is allowed to remain there only 

 from five to seven days, according to the temperature 

 of the weather. After the fermentation in the steeping 

 process has been carried to a degree sufficient to pro- 

 duce the requisite laxity of fibre, the flax is taken out 

 of the pool, and spread very thinly, on the stubble of the 

 hay meadow. There, instead of remaining till it is 

 merely dried, it is continued for three or four weeks, 



