Cultivation of Arable Land. Flax Pulling of Crops of. 297 



cafes, however, the rows mufl be cleaned by means of hand- weeding, which is ac 

 compli (lied with much lefs difficulty and harm to the crops, from the room that 

 is afforded by the intervals. 



No other fort of plant mould ever be grown with that of flax, though fuch 

 methods may have been in feme Lnflances practifed, as the crops in fuch cafes 

 mufl always be in danger of being greatly injured. 



The young flax plants are fometimcs liable to be deflroyed or greatly injured in 

 their growth by the attacks of infects; where this is the cafe, it has been found 

 ufeful to fow foot or wood afhes thinly over the crops, as from the vegetation 

 of the plants being in this way promoted, they become improper for the food of 

 fuch animals. 



As crops of this kind, from the tallnefs of their growth, are apt to fall down 

 and lodge upon the ground, by which the flaxy fubftance is liable to be injured 

 in its colour and other properties, it has been propofed to fupport and keep them 

 up by means of long flender poles, or fmall cords, pafTed in different directions of 

 the ground, and fixed at the angles by flakes. Thefe methods are, however, 

 troublefome ; and when the crops are not fown too thick, will feldom or ever be 

 neceffary. 



The cultivators of flax crops are not yet fully decided in refpect to the degree 

 of ripenefs at which they may be pulled with the greatefl benefit; forne con 

 tending that it ought to be done before the greennefs of the flems wholly dif- 

 appears, in order that the fibres of the flax may be finer and have a greater de 

 gree of foftnefs. Others with fimilar intentions maintain, that it mould be pulled 

 before the feeds are perfectly formed ; while others again infifl that the opera 

 tion mould not be performed until fome of the capfules containing the feed begin 

 to open, afferting that the fibres of green flax are not only tender b ut run too 

 much to tow. But, notwithflanding this, experience has fliewn that the fibres 

 of over- ripened flax are conflantly harfh,and poflefs too great a degree of fliffnefs; 

 and befides, feparate from the reed with more difficulty, and are more tedious in 

 the operation of bleaching. Hence it would feem that both extremes ought to 

 be carefully avoided, and that the mofl proper period for accompli fhing the bufi- 

 nefs is immediately on the flem or reed beginning to change from green to a 

 yellowifh cafl, and the lower leaves to fall off, the feed afTuming a brownifh 

 colour. 



Where the feed is the principal object of the grower, the crop fliould, however, 

 befufFered to remain upon the ground until it becomes perfectly ripened, which 

 is eafily known by the feed-pods turning hard and (harp in the points, and the 



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