CROPS. 541 



privies. This makes a strong dressing ; the land is then har 

 rowed ; the seed sown, and lightly brushed in with a bush- 

 harrow, as there is always danger of covering the seed too 

 deeply. Horse manure must not be used for this crop. The 

 effect of marl used as a manure for flax is to injure the color. 

 Pigeons dung, or what is called columbine, and which includes 

 also the manure of the poultry yard, is pronounced an excellent 

 manure. It is plain that these manures do not favor the produc 

 tion of weeds, as is commonly the case with barn-yard manure, 

 and consequently is much to be preferred. In the neighborhood 

 of Courtray, where much the best flax is grown, they use great 

 quantities of the liquid manure, with the rape cakes freely inter 

 mixed. A thousand gallons of this liquid manure, with a thou 

 sand rape cakes dissolved in it, are sometimes applied to an acre. 

 Besides other crops, flax is said to follow to great advantage a 

 crop of hemp, which is always highly manured, and kept per 

 fectly clean. The dung of sheep is much valued for the flax 

 crop ; and especially where sheep have been folded on the 

 land. The general opinion is, that high manuring produces a 

 coarse flax ; light manuring produces a flax of a fine fibre. It 

 requires a deep culture, as the roots are supposed to penetrate to 

 a depth equal to half the height : the flax root has been traced 

 much farther than this. 



The best flax is produced at Courtray ; and it is said that the 

 same pains or manuring will not produce nearly as good in other 

 places : this seems to imply some unascertained quality in the 

 soil, peculiarly favorable to its growth. 



The time of sowing flax must be somewhat regulated by the 

 climate or position of the place. It is sown in March, and some 

 times as late as May. The earlier sowing is advised, though in 

 the countries of a high northern latitude the rapidity of vegeta 

 tion compensates to a degree for the shortness of the season. 

 Ordinarily in fifteen days after the sowing of the seed the field 

 will require to be weeded. This cannot be too thoroughly per 

 formed, and is done by women and children, on their knees, 

 working against the wind, that it may raise the plants which 

 have been pressed down. 



Flax is often liable to be lodged, especially if the growth be 

 rapid. Great pains are sometimes taken to prevent this, by 

 placing stakes in line in different parts of the field, and laying 

 VOL. ii. 46 



