300 ON THE CULTIVATION AND 



be cultivated on land wliicli lias been recently limed, cer- 

 tainly not sooner than the third or fourth year. 



Prejjaratlon. — In jireparing- the land for flax, the objects to 

 be attained are the reduction of the soil to a fine tilth, and 

 the thorough eradication of weeds. The pre]iaration of the 

 land for this crop is even of more importance than the quality 

 of the soil itself The land should receive a deep ploughing- 

 in the autumn, as soon as the previous crop is removed off 

 the land, as this ploughing- facilitates the after pulverization 

 of the soil in the spring. In this state it remains during the 

 winter; and as early in the spring as the state of the soil 

 will admit of the action of the implements of tillage, its fur- 

 ther preparation is to be resumed with a good harrowing, to 

 reduce partially the furrow slices which have stood the 

 winter. After this another ploughing is to be given in a 

 direction crossing the preceding one, after which the har- 

 rowing is to be repeated, and continued as long as it is 

 found to have a beneficial influence in pulverizing the soil. 

 Such weeds as have been brought to the surface by the 

 action of the harrows are then collected over the surftxce^ 

 and removed from the field, as well as all large stones, v/hich 

 in most soils are also disengaged b}' the action of the har- 

 rows. In favourable cases, and in rich and easily-pulverized 

 soils, this preparation may be sufiicient ; but in most cases 

 another ploughing* and harrowing will be requisite. The 

 action of the clod-crusher will be a necessary auxiliary to 

 that of the harrows, especially on adhesive soils, the lumps 

 of which, in dry weather, will resist the action of the har- 

 rows alone. 



Son-imj. — The best seed time is during the latter part of 

 March and beginning of April, the precise period being re- 

 gulated by the weather and consequent state of the land. 

 Plax-seed that is proper for sowing should be fresh, smooth, 

 plump, and so heavy as to sink in water; it should taste 

 sweet, and on being broken it should appear of a bright 

 yellowish-green colour, and oily. The quantity of seed 

 sown is from 6 to 9 pecks, or 3 bushels per acre, or even 

 more when particularly fine flax is requii-ed.. It is better, 

 perhaps, where fibre is the primary object, to sow too thick 

 than too thin; as, with thick sowing, the stem grows tall 

 and straight, with only one or two seed capsules at the top, 

 and the fibre is found greatly superior in fineness and length 

 to that produced from thin-sown flax, which grows coarse, 

 and branches out, producing much seed, but an inferior 



