14 FLAX. 



case of a few plants that are accidentally prevented from 

 bearing seed, either from being too much crowded, or any 

 other cause. The one is sown in the month of September 

 or October, the other in March ; both should be sown 

 ' with a waning moon. [This last agricultural rule is not 

 yet obsolete on the continent.] Most people hold that 

 there are particular races of flax, which have each their 

 special season, as is the case with wheat; but others 

 declare that all flax submits to be sown both in autumn 

 and in spring. If the w r eather is very severe, the winter 

 flax will suffer greatly, being tormented even to death by 

 the excessive cold ; the first remedy against which is to 

 lodge it in a spot that is sheltered from the north-cast 

 wind, and also to sow it early, in order that having gained 

 strength before the arrival of winter, it may be able by 

 its innate vigour to resist in some degree the injuries of 

 the season. Another mode is to cover the flax during 

 the continuance of sharp frost ; by means of which 

 nursing it will fear neither cold nor frost, but will come 

 out of the winter gaily. The covering is made of lattice- 

 work, over which a slight sprinkling of straw is thrown. 

 Pern answers the purpose even better." 



The practice of protecting flax by covering it during 

 winter is never employed at the present day, because no 

 one in France or Belgium now thinks of sowing that 

 crop before the spring. The passage is merely quoted, 

 in the first place to show that all flax is probably the 

 same flax, and secondly to warn the experimental agricul- 

 turist against the objectionable plan of autumnal sowing. 

 In all countries, therefore, where the winters are not 

 either extremely mild or as good as nominal (in such a 

 climate, for instance, as the north of Prance, and still 

 more in such as England), the wintering of a young flax 

 crop should never be hazarded. The extreme limits of 

 the sowing season as at present usually practised in 

 Prance, namely, from the middle of Pebruary till the 

 middle of May, added to the variety of soils so cultivated, 

 are found to produce a great variety of sample. Thus 

 in Brittany, and in many other provinces also, it is ob- 



