PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 263 



■which will save a gi-eat deal of after trouble when the crop is 

 growing. This may be done by farmers, and through a wire 

 sieve, twelve bars to the inch. Home-saved seed has produced 

 excellent crops, yet it will be best, in most cases, to use the seed 

 which is saved at home for feeding, or to sell it for the oil mills. 

 The proportion of seed may be stated at one Riga barrel, or three 

 and a half imperial bushels to the Irish or plantation acre; and 

 so on in proportion to the Scotch or Cunningham, and the English 

 or Statute acre. It is better to sow rather too thick than too 

 thin, as, with thick sowing, the stem grows tall and straight, with 

 only one or two seed capsules at the top ; and the fibre is found 

 greatly superior in fineness and length to that produced from 

 thin-sown flax, which grows coarse and branches out, producing 

 much seed, but a very inferior quality of fibre. The ground 

 being pulverized and well cleaned, roll and sow. If it has been 

 laid ofi' without ridges, it should be marked off in divisions, oiuht 

 to ten feet broad, in order to give an equable supply of seed. 

 After sowing, which should he done by a very skillful person, as 

 the seed is exceedingly slippery, and apt to glide unevenly from 

 the hand, cover with a seed harrow, going twuce over it— once 

 up and down, and once across or anglewise, as this makes it more 

 equally spread, and avoids the small drills made by the teeth of 

 the harrow. Finish with the roller, wliich u'ill leave the seed 

 covered about an inch — the proper depth. The ridges should be 

 very little raised in the centre, when the ground is ready for the 

 seed, otherwise the crop will not ripen evenly; and when land is 

 properly drained there should be no ridges. Rolling the ground 

 after sowing is very advisable, care being taken not to roll when 

 the ground is so wet that the earth adheres to the roller. 



Weeding. 



If attention has been paid to cleaning the seed and the soil, few 

 weeds will appear ; but if there be any, they must be carefully 

 pulled. It is done in Belgium by women and children, who, with 

 coarse cloths round their knees, creep along on all-fours. This 

 injures the young plant less than walking over it (which, if done, 

 should be by persons whose shoes are not filled with nails). They 

 should work, also, facing the wind, so that the plants laid flat by 

 the pressure may be blown up again, or thus be assisted to regain 

 their upright position. The tender plant, pressed one way, soon 

 recovers ; but, if twisted or flattened by careless weeders, it sel- 



