236 FIELD CROPS 



duction of better grades of straw for the mills which utilize 

 it in the manufacture of twine and other articles. The farmer 

 thus gets a double return for his crop in the sale of both the 

 seed and the straw. Selection of plants that have the long- 

 est straw combined with a good yield of seed will greatly 

 improve the quality of the straw for fiber purposes. On the 

 other hand, the selection of heavy-yielding plants and their 

 increase into sufficient quantities for field planting can be 

 carried out along the lines recommended for the improve- 

 ment of the small grains (See index) . The greatest improve- 

 ment, however, can be made by developing wilt-resistant 

 strains. Excellent work has already been done in this 

 direction, but much remains to be accomplished. The best 

 results come from selection of resistant strains in the local- 

 ity in which they are to be grown. The plants which mature 

 in a field attacked by flax wilt should be harvested and 

 the seed carefully saved. Only by growing these resistant 

 plants can strains not subject to the disease be developed. 



LABORATORY AND FIELD EXERCISES 



1. Mount specimens of the plant and the fiber and thread made 

 from it. Add also a piece of fabric. 



2. Press some seeds and watch for traces of oil, or boil some and 

 see whether oil rises to the surface. 



3. Samples of seed may be judged on the size and uniformity of 

 the grain, freedom from green and shriveled seed, and freedom from 

 other grains, weed seeds, and trash. 



REFERENCES' 



Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Vol. II, Bailey. 



The Small Grains, Carleton. 



Forage and Fiber Crops in America, Hunt. 



Field Crop Production, Livingston. 



Productive Farm Crops, Montgomery, 



Farmers' Cyclopedia of Agriculture, Wilcox and Smith. 



Farmers' Bulletins: 



669. Fiber Flax. 



785. Seed Flax Production. 



