34 FLAX. 



wherever they have the means of doing so. In Zealand, 

 where the soil is strong, and where they grow a great 

 deal both of flax and of madder, it is usual to make the 

 former follow the latter, because the ground has been 

 well cleaned of weeds daring the three years that the 

 madder has remained therein, and has been well worked 

 by the mattockings and the diggings, which necessarily 

 accompany the taking up the roots of that plant. This 

 rotation is perfectly good, but can only be employed in 

 few localities, from the circumscribed extent to which 

 madder is cultivated. 



Flax has been introduced successfully into every rota- 

 tion upon the farm of Mr. Warnes, of Trimingham, 

 Norfolk, and in the year 1850 was cultivated in the fol- 

 lowing order, viz. wheat, flax, turnips, barley, grass. The 

 refuse wheat and barley, with the whole of the turnips, 

 grass, hay, chaff, straw, and linseed, with the broken 

 bolls, stalks, &c, were all to be consumed upon the 

 farm. 



SOWING. THE TIMES ; THE MODE ; AND THE QUANTITY 

 OE SEED. 



The principal object in sowing a crop of flax may be 

 threefold ; and according to the object which the farmer 

 has in view, will be the greater or less quantity of seed 

 which the land will have to receive and support. If a long 

 and fine quality of fibre be the point that is aimed at, it is 

 absolutely necessary that the seed should be sown ex- 

 tremely thick. If, on the contrary, it is desired that the 

 fibre should be strong rather than long and fine, the 

 sowing ought to be thinner. And finally, when the main 

 object is the quantity and quality of the seed, rather 

 than of the fibre (which is almost always considered as the 

 staple produce of the crop), the sowings must be made 

 even thinner still. 



The first and second of these cases, or perhaps some- 

 thing between the two, will have to be regarded as the 

 average practice. "British Husbandry" says, "The 



