310 ON FLAX, ITS VALUE AS 



tlie most profitable part of the crop is the fibre of the flax. 

 I have taken some pains in endeavouring- to ascertain the 

 expenses of rearing- and preparing- a crop of flax ; and I find 

 that the profits thereon are generally m\;ch greater than 

 upon ordinary crops of corn ; and, from the information I 

 liave g-ot, I am led to believe that 40 stones per acre is 

 certainly not above an average crop, but which, without 

 reckoning- anything for the seed produced, would yield a 

 profit of about 71. per acre. The expenses of cultivating an 

 acre of flax, and preparing- it for sale, will be about as 

 follows : — 



£ s. d. 



To rent of one acre of land 1 10 



To rates and taxes 10 



To ploughing, harrowing, &c 1 5 



To seed, 2i bushels 1 10 



To weeding 12 



To pulling 12 



To saving and dressing seed 10 



To watering and grassing 1 5 



To carting home 10 



To scutching 40 stones 2 



Total expenses per acre ^£"10 4 



By 40 stones of flax, at 7.9 £14 



By 18 bushels of seed, at 7* 6 



Total produce per acre £20 G 



Deduct expenses, as above 10 4 



Profit per acre £10 2 



I must beg of you, gentlemen, to pardon me for thus di- 

 gressing from the question at issue ; but I have done so to 

 show that it is desirable that each farm should produce its 

 own linseed for feeding, and that it is profitable to do so ; 

 and also to show that it would not be fair to take the whole 

 six acres, which I have before named, into account for the 

 feeding of four beasts for twelve months, but that five acres 

 are sufficient, as follows : — 



First, for the summer twenty-six weeks, 



A. R. P. 



Land to grow corn for meal 2 20 



,, linseed for steaming 2 20 



,f clover, tares, and rape .... 1 2 



Total quantity for summer 2 3 



