SAVING THE FLAX SEED 79 



which are superior to any crops grown from imported seed 

 including Dutch. 



73. Theory of Imported Seed. The fheory has been indus- 

 triously propagated and readily believed that imported seed 

 is much superior to home-saved seed, but the idea is erroneous. 

 British seed, carefully saved and thoroughly cleaned, is as 

 good for sowing as any seed that can be imported. The 

 cleaning is simplified if the grower keeps down the weeds 

 during the cultivation of the flax crop. The soil of the British 

 Isles is equally fertile, and the climate as genial as that of any 

 Continental country celebrated for the saving of flax seed. 

 The only thing wanted is an incentive to justify the effort, 

 combined with the best knowledge of managing crops. 



So long as the foregoing theory is circulated, wholly or 

 partially, for which no satisfactory reason is ever assigned, 

 so long will a complete supply of sowing seed have to be 

 imported each year. 



The foregoing examples demonstrate that it is possible to 

 produce a valuable crop of flax united with the advantages 

 of well-matured seed. 



Some growers have contended that when the flax is allowed 

 to remain in the soil until the seed is more thoroughly matured, 

 the quality of the flax is inferior and the soil more exhausted, 

 as a consequence. If there is any truth in the latter conten- 

 tion, the argument supports the double crop policy, since the 

 object of every crop is to convert the soil into a more suitable 

 and valuable commodity the production of seed is the 

 crowning work of the plant's activity. Experience and 

 results have often proved that the flax can be grown and the 

 seed ripened without detriment to the flax ; in any case the 

 product of the seed is more than equal to any difference in 

 value of flax fibre and extra labour involved. 



74. Experimental Results. Summarizing the results of many 

 experiments and observations, it may be stated, the return 

 in value for the fibre is approximately the same for methods 

 1 or 2 (pages 63 and 64 respectively), and relatively better for 



