106 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



it into ridges to secure the amolionxtion of freezing, witli surface drains to let 

 off the water ; and then phnigh and liarrow early in the spring, and again 

 heforc sowing if possible. It should be rolled to give consistency and an even 

 surface. While such preparation is necessary, in most instances, the actual 

 fact is that many American farmers only plough once in the fall and harrow 

 in the spring. 



MANURES. 



The principal reliance for manures is in the application for the previous 

 crop ; yet many apply well comjwsted manures directly, and special fertilizers, 

 such as ashes, plaster, and salt, and sometimes phosphates. One bushel each 

 of plaster, salt, and ashes per acre has given satisfactory results. These in- 

 gredients, with somewhat larger quantities of bone-dust and sulphate of mag- 

 nesia, constitute the formula of Dr. Ure. These special manures are often 

 given as a top dressing after the flax is up. 



SERD. 



Riga seed is best. Ours is apt to make coarse and bushy plants. We sow 

 in rich soil, and do not use seed enough. It will be a long time before we 

 outgrow this habit of producing heavy seed and worthless fibre. It should be 

 plump, bright, and glossy, and be thoroughly screened free of all weed-seeds. 

 Instead of a half bushel to a bushel, as in the west, or a bushel to a bushel 

 and a half, as in New York, it will be necessary, for the production of such 

 fibre as is produced in Holland, if we ever make it, to seed still more liber- 

 ally. To produce such fibre as our manufactories are now working, the New 

 York measure is quite small enough. 



SOWING. 



The seed should be put in as soon as the soil is dry enough to work well, 

 unless danger is apprehended from frosts. In compact soils, the seed, evenly 

 sown, may be harrow^ed in ; if prairie, it may be rolled in ; in loose soils in 

 New England it is bushed in. The seed should not be placed more than an 

 inch in depth. 



OTHER FIBRES. 



Few people not engaged in the trade or manufacture of fibres are aware of 

 the immense quantity of coarse fibrous material now used for cordage, for 

 bagging, for various heavy fabrics, and even for admixture with silks and the 

 4ner class of goods. Of the different kinds of raw material from wdiich cloths 

 have been manufactured, only a few of the most common will here be indicated. 



HEMP. 



Cannahis saliva, known popularly as hemp, is, next to flax, the most exten- 

 sively used of this class of fibres for cordage, ba,gging, sail-duck, and coarse 

 goods. 



Our product of hemp in 1850 was 34,871 tons; in 1860, 104,480 tons. Our 

 imports of "hemp" — not exclusively hemp proper, but "Manilla" and other 

 substitutes — have recently been as follows : ' 



