WESTERN FARM IXC. 



239 



Flax is destined to be an important crop in the F ia* Culture. 

 West. It can be grown to perfection on newly- 

 plowed prairie sod by the following method: Plow 

 the sod early in spring about four inches deep ; then 

 roll and harrow. In a few days cultivate with a 

 spring-tooth cultivator or disc gang plough. See Ills. 

 47 and ij8. Again harrow to make a fine tilth on 

 the surface. 



139. pulling Flax. 



Flax should be sown the early part of May Seeding, 

 either with a disc drill or a broadcast seeder (see 

 III. 140), at the rate of half a bushel per acre. If 

 sown on the surface with the latter, harrow with the 

 lever spike-tooth harrow to cover the seed. 



The time to harvest flax is when it is quite ripe. Harvesting. 

 It is not necessary to bind flax, but rather cut it 

 with a self-rake reaper (see III. 80) and handle it 

 loose. An average crop of flax seed is from 12 to 20 

 bushels per acre, according to the condition of the 



