ON THE MANAGEMENT OF FLAX. 



299 



Art. LXX.— on THE CULTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT 

 OF FLAX. 



By Mr. Glover. 



I SHALL now proceed to describe tlie plant, the soils best 

 adaj)ted to its g-rowtli, and the manag'ement of the crop. 

 Flax belongs to the genus Linum, of which there are several 

 species ; the most important and the only one that is culti- 

 vated is L'lmim usitatlssimum — common flax. Root annual, 

 fibrous; stalks uprig-ht, 2 or 3 feet high or more, round, 

 smooth, leafy, branching- only at the top ; leaves lanceolate, 

 sessile, at the lower part of the stem g-rowing thickly 

 tog-ether, without any order, on the upper part of the stem 

 more distant and alternate ; flowers larg-e, of a delicate pur- 

 plish-blue colour; petals fine, wedg'e shaped, deciduous, 

 streaked with veins of a deeper colour, the tips notched as 

 if eaten by insects, the claws white. According- to the ana- 

 h'sis of Leo Mayer, the seed contains 11-265 of fixed oil, 

 0-140 of wax, 2*488 of soft resin, 0*550 of resinous colouring- 

 matter, 0*926 of a yellow matter analog-ous to tannin, 1*48 

 of amidine, 6*154 of gum, 15*12 of veg*etable mucilag'e, 

 2*921 of g-luten, 2*712 of albumen, 10*884 of sweet extrac- 

 tive, 44*383 of husks containing- mucilag-e. Although the 

 soils best adapted to the g-rowth of flax are deep and friable 

 loams, and such as contain a larg-e proportion of vegetable 

 matter in their compositions, yet it is g•ro^v^l in inferior soils 

 in Belgium and Holland, rendered rich b}' manui-e, and 

 upon mere bog-s in Ireland. In truth, the plant will floui'ish 

 upon most soils not absolutely barren. The diseases of flax 

 are few, consisting- chiefly of the mildew and the rust. The 

 young- plants are sometimes attacked by the fly, but these 

 casualties rai-ely occur in this country. With respect to the 

 management of flax, I shall be able to state more clearly by 

 taking- each part under a separate head. 



Botation. — The place for flax in the rotation is after lea 

 or corn crop, and as soon as possible after the land has been 

 broken up from grass ; it will therefore succeed, with pro- 

 priety, oats or wheat after lea, and this may be regarded as 

 the proper place for flax in the rotation. It should not by 

 any means come after turnips or potatoes, as the fibre would 

 be invariably coarse, and the stalks uneven, from the manure 

 not being- properly incorporated with the soil. It must not 



