88 STATISTICAL SURVEY 



the firft making of meal after harvefl j formerly oats, 

 defigned for meal, were dried on kilns, with wooden 

 ribs, covered with ftraw to prevent the grain from 

 falling through^hem ; at prefent, there are kilns at 

 molt of the mills, covered with tiles or thin iron plates, 

 which do the bufmefs more fpeedily: but the meal of 

 oats, previoufly dried on the old wooden kilns, is 

 reckoned fweeter j being more gradually dried probably 

 has that effect. 



FLAX. 



i ft. Preparation* Some years ago the prevalent idea 

 refpefting flax was, the impoffibility of obtaining a good 

 crop, without fowing it after potatoes ; in confequence 

 of which, a portion of ground, according to the extent 

 f the farm, or the demands of the family, was always 

 fet apart on the potatoe ground, as it is termed, for fow- 

 ing their lint upon; amongft many, efpecially fmall far- 

 mers, this is ftill the practice; but others, who faw 

 farther, found it was abfurd to dedicate theii beft pre- 

 pared ground to a crop, that would be nearly as good 

 upon land not fo well conditioned for the production 

 of grain j in confequence of which, much flax is' now 

 jaifed upon ftubbles, that have fuffered much by re- 

 peated crops of grain ; for an additional ploughing or 

 two will, on fuch land, fecure at lead a tolerable pro- 

 duce i and when it is iuteaded to refreih it by a fallow 



crop, 



