COMPARATIVE DRAFT on the Soil by an average acre of Fibre Flax, one of Wheat, 



and one of Oats. 



TABLE B. 



The variations in the above figures, chiefly in respect to the potash, are, in our 

 opinion, to be attributed to two causes: 



(a) The straw of the seed flax, as gathered by Professor Bolley, formed a smaller 

 proportion of the total weight examined than was the case with the fibre flax tested in 

 table B. Though Professor Bolley does not give the various weights of straw, we 

 presume that, .as usually happens, the proportion of seed flax straw to total weight in 

 hi*> experiments was less than in the case of the wheat, oats, barley, etc. The straw 

 of flax, it will be noted, requires more plant food than the seed. 



(&) Fibre flax, at the period of harvesting, i.e., before full maturity, is in 

 possession of more potash and nitrogen (though less phosphoric acid) than when fully 

 matured. Prof. Harry Snyder, of the University of Minnesota, investigated this ques- 

 tion about twenty years ago, and prepared the following table of results : 



TABLE showing Rate of Absorption of the Food Elements from the Soil by Flax, and 

 the Formation of Organic Matter. 



