EOTATION OE CHOPS. 27 



allowing the seed to ripen, it does not exhaust the soil ; 

 though it is by many thought a bad preparation for 

 wheat, and perhaps would be better followed by spring 

 corn or peas. In Flanders, however, where the cultivation 

 of flax is as well understood as perhaps in any part of 

 Europe, wheat is generally made to succeed it, and it 

 is there very properly manured with night soil ; it is also 

 generally preceded by turnips, though many intelligent 

 farmers disapprove of sowing it after tliem ; and in Scot- 

 land, the best plan that has yet been discovered, is to 

 sow oats as a ley crop, and flax after it. Upon much 

 land in England and Ireland it is, however, sown upon 

 one ploughing after a clover ley, which is better for the 

 purpose, if it has lain two years. The land is in this case 

 broken up about Candlemas, after which it gets three or 

 four harrowings, and is rolled previous to the sowing. 

 The seed is then lightly harrowed in, and rolled rather 

 heavily if the ground be dry, but, if it be very tenacious 

 or moist, this may be omitted. Clover-seed is v also some- 

 times sown along with that of flax, to form a succeeding 

 crop ; but, in that case, it is better to defer the sowing 

 of the former until the time when the flax is weeded, 

 when it may be effectually loosened, or, at all events, they 

 should be sown separately." 



Mr. J. B. Edmonds, of Stonehouse, Plymouth, a cul- 

 tivator of flax to a large extent and for a long period, 

 advises thus : " From a slight knowledge I have of the 

 Norfolk soil, I am of opinion that it is admirably cal- 

 culated for the growth of flax, if proper attention be 

 given to it ; but it is a very precarious crop, aiid a sandy 

 soil is the most certain for it, but when a good crop can 

 be obtained from strong land, it is best in quality. The 

 first essential point to be observed is, that due care be 

 taken to procure good seed; and to prevent disappoint- 

 ment in this instance, the most certain way is to get a 

 barrel direct from Riga, through a merchant at London, 

 where it is annually imported, generally about Christmas. 

 "When a superior sort of seed is obtained, it may be pre- 

 served a few years, by sowing yearly a quantity (in change 



