ON FLAX, ITS VALUE, ETC. 307 



for many more sheep at a far less cost, as well as keeping 

 them in a much hig'her state of condition. In short, the 

 farm will bear comparison with the rich lands of the neigh- 

 bourhood considered of twice the value." 



When a iiax crop is to be taken, the following- course may 

 be recommended : — Flax on the lea ; if pulled in the white, 

 a crop of turnips taken the same year, fed oif, followed by 

 potatoes (if left for seed, wheat next); wheat after potatoes; 

 clover, hay, pasture, potatoes, tares, and rape, and pasture 

 seeds. In this course, as well as all those preceding-ly 

 related, ])otatoes can be replaced by Swedes if desirable. 



Journal of Agriculture, Oct. 1846. 



Art. LXXIII.— ox FLAX, ITS VALUE AS A STOCK-FEEDING 

 AND REMUNERATIVE CROP. 



By ]Mr. Thomas Dixox, Agricultural Engineer. 



[At the December meeting of the Darlington Farmers' Club, Mr. 

 Dixon spoke on the subject of " the quantity and kind of stock that can be 

 kept upon a clay-soil farm, half arable and half grass, compared with when 

 it is nearly all arable.'' He impressed upon the meeting that the greater 

 the number of cattle fed and kept upon a farm, the greater the profit that 

 farm is likely to yield ; he enforced the necessity of proper drainage and 

 efficient cultivation; he reminded them that, on a former occasion, they 

 had come to a resolution that it was more economical to keep all heavy 

 cattle in the house upon green cut food during summer, than to turn them 

 out upon the pastures, and that by doing so a greater number of cattle 

 could be kept with advantage. From all these premises, he considered it 

 quite evident that a farm nearly all in tillage could carry a much greater 

 number of cattle to advantage than a farm half arable and half grass would 

 do. He then proceeded to the consideration of the value of linseed as 

 food for stock.] 



Old ])rejudices are fast wearing- away, and therefore you 

 will not be surprised when I tell you, that if I live a few 

 years long-er, I expect to see linseed used as a general ingre- 

 dient for feeding cattle on almost every farm ; and not only 

 this, but I also expect to see ever}^ farmer grow his own lin- 

 seed for that purpose. It is true tliat flax has from time 

 immemorial been condemned as a scoiirging and injurious 

 crop to produce on a farm, and therefore it has been in many 

 farm leases and agreements prohibited from being grown ; 



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