FIBRE CROPS. 277 



There are three varieties of flax: petenniai, winter 

 and summer flax. Of summer flax thepe are two 

 types. In one the seed bolls burst open and scatter 

 the seed, in the other they do not. Only the latter is 

 cultivated to any considerable extent. Of course there 

 are varieties of this type. 



The culture of flax for seed is not essentially differ- 

 ent from that of spring wheat.. As the seeds are 

 much smaller rather more care is needed in preparing 

 the seed-bed and in distributing and covering the 

 seed. It may all be done with ordinary machinery, 

 however. 



It is a pleasant crop to harvest with the self-bind- 

 er. It is not readily damaged while standing in the 

 shock. It may be thrashed with the ordinary thrash- 

 ing machine. 



When cultivated for its fibre, weeds growing in the 

 crop reduce the value of fibre by their presence. It 

 is essential that previous cultivation of the land be 

 such as to free the land as much as may be from 

 weed seeds. Where fine fibre is raised the crop is 

 frequently weeded by hand. Sometimes sheep are 

 employed, as they will eat the weeds and not the flax. 



The harvesting, which is usually done by pulling 

 the plants; the retting, or rotting, which is done in a 

 running stream or stagnant pool, and the scutching 

 to remove the shives or the parts of the plant not 

 fibre, will depend upon the demands of the market 

 for which the crop is grown and need not be described 

 here. 



HEMP. 



Hemp (Cannabis sativa) a plant closely related to 

 the hop and ramie^is a native of Western and Central 



