FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 103 



FLAX (Linum.) Such crops of flax as are usually 

 raised do not pay tor the labor bestowed on them. This 

 must be owing to bad management. As this is a crop that 

 the Farmer must raise, if he has any regard to Domestic 

 Economy, the means of raising it to advantage should be 

 duly attended to. 



A good method of raising a great crop of flax is as fol- 

 lows : Summer- fallow a piece of ground of suitable soil, 

 and give it six or eight ploughings and harrowings, during 

 the Summer, so as as to destroy all the seeds of weeds. 

 Apply your manures during the first ploughings, unless 

 they be composts, or top-dressings; at all events, let the 

 soil be eventually made rich enough for hemp. 



The next Spring, mellow the ground well again by two 

 or three ploughings, harrow it, and sow, of well-cleaned 

 seed, at the rate of about three bushels to the acre, and 

 harrow it in lightly. Give the ground a top-dressing, of 

 about four bushels of fine salt to the acre, and also some 

 gypsum, if the soil be suitable. Let the crop be sown 

 about the first of May, or as soon as the ground can be 

 effectually prepared, after vegetation has commenced. By 

 five or six hundred pounds of flax may be expected from 

 this method of culture, and with a proper change of seed, 

 the acre, of a fine quality. 



This is probably about the best culture ; and all devia- 

 tions from it, by less expensive methods in preparing the 

 ground, will, generally, be so much for the worse. Ground 

 may, however, be pretty well prepared for a good crop by 

 previous hoed crops, which have been well manured, parti- 

 cularly if pains be taken to prevent any weeds going to 

 seed in the Fall. Weeds are the enemy of flax; and no 

 good crops can be raised on ground that is full of their 

 seeds, even though it be sufficiently rich and well prepared. 



See further, FOLDING OF LAND, for a proper method of 

 preparing the ground for flax. 



In addition to the requisites of a rich earth, free of the 

 seeds of weeds and well mellowed, for obtaining a good 

 crop of flax, another requisite is, that the ground shall not 

 have borne flax, for as much as seven years previous to the 

 time it is to be sown with this crop. Almost every soil, 

 that is sufficiently dry for a proper degree of fermentation, 

 may, by being well prepared, as above directed, be made 

 to yield good crops of flax, unless the soil has too little 

 moisture, as may be the case with dry gravelly and light 

 sandy earths. 



But a very essential point, in raising great crops of flax> 

 is to have frequent change of the seed. 

 See CHANGE OF SEEDS. 



