loo FLAX CULTIVATION 



the highest quality should be used for sowing ; either 

 Riga (Russian) or Dutch seed is generally employed. 



The seed should not be sown until all danger from 

 frost is past, since frost has the effect of causing the 

 young plants to branch and thus become of little 

 value for fibre production. The seed is sown broad- 

 cast and is sometimes mixed with dry earth to facilitate 

 its even distribution. After sowing, the land is lightly 

 harrowed and rolled. The amount of seed sown per 

 acre should be sufficient to ensure the production of 

 plants so close to one another as to yield tall, slender, 

 unbranched stems. The usual quantity is about 

 3 bushels per acre, but sometimes as much as 5 bushels 

 is used. The ground must be kept well weeded. 



Harvesting is effected when the lower portions of 

 the stems begin to turn yellow, the leaves commence 

 to fall and the uppermost capsules become pale 

 brown. The crop is usually pulled by hand, the stems 

 being grasped just below the capsules and jerked up- 

 wards ; any bending or twisting of the stems should 

 be avoided. The stalks should be sorted to some 

 extent as they are pulled, and any coarse or branched 

 stems should be put aside to be used for tying the 

 stems into small bundles. The bundles of stems 

 are stood on end in shocks to dry. In countries 

 where labour is scarce, the stems are cut with a 

 reaping machine, but this method is open to the 

 objection that the fibre is shorter and is said to be 

 inferior in spinning quality to that from the hand- 

 pulled stalks. Moreover, sorting is impracticable 

 in this case, and the fibre is therefore of irregular 

 quality. It is also stated that the stems do not keep 

 so well when stacked as the cut ends admit moisture. 



The yield of fibre is usually about 4 5 cwts. per 

 acre, but larger crops are sometimes obtained. 



DISEASES AND PESTS 



The principal pests by which the flax plant is 

 attacked are the flax yellowing and flax-wilt fungi, 

 flax-rust, and the flax dodder. 



" Flax yellowing " is the most formidable disease 



