PREFACE 



FLAX, its cultivation and preparation, though ranking amongst 

 the oldest of the World's industries, is nevertheless very 

 imperfectly supplied with any publications which present in 

 seriatim a complete description of the essential and possible 

 methods connected with the selection of seed, suitability of 

 land and its preparation, harvesting and handling of flax 

 crops, including retting, scutching, preparing the flax for the 

 market and the saving of seed for subsequent sowings or 

 feeding purposes. 



It was with a view of neutralizing to some extent this 

 deficiency, that I consented to prepare for publication in book 

 form the results of a long and enthusiastic study of the pro- 

 blems associated with the cultivation and preparation of this 

 national, essential and commercial commodity. 



Speaking generally, I have long been ardently interested, 

 theoretically and practically, in flax cultivation and prepara- 

 tion. As a result of much study, numerous discussions with 

 producers and experimenters, observations and tabulated 

 experiences, I have naturally formed some definite conclusions, 

 even on such a subject as Flax, in any branch of which, every 

 experimenter and observer has a different opinion to offer. 

 The substance of these experiences I have embodied in my 

 lectures to the students at the Municipal Technical Institute, 

 Belfast. These classes have recently been particularly well 

 attended by successive groups of demobilized officers and men 

 and farmers' sons who have gone, or are going out to British 

 East Africa to grow flax, among other crops, for the mother 

 country. 



This volume embodies not only the ' above-mentioned 

 lectures, but also includes an exhaustive description of the 

 usual methods practised and the recent developments and 

 modern methods of handling flax and the possibilities 

 connected with flax cultivation from seed, to seed and fibre. 



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