SECRETARY'S REPORT. 293 



saved at home for feeding, or to sell it for the oil mills. The 

 proportion of seed may be stated at one Riga barrel, or three 

 and a half imperial bushels to the Irish or plantation acre ; and 

 so on, in proportion to the Scotch or Cunningham, and the 

 English or statute acre, viz. : — about two and a half bushels for 

 the Scotch acre, and about two for the statute acre. It is better 

 to sow rather 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 a very 

 inferior quality of fibre. The ground being pulverized and well 

 cleaned, roll, harrow, and sow. If it has been laid off without 

 ridges, it should be marked off in divisions, eight to ten feet 

 broad, in order to give an equable supply of seed. After sow- 

 ing, which should be done by a very skilful person, as the seed 

 is exceedingly slippery, and apt to glide unevenly from the hand, 

 cover with a seed harrow, going twice over it, once up and 

 down, and once across, or anglewise, as this makes it more 

 equally spread, and avoids the small drills made by the teeth of 

 the harrow. Finish with the roller, which will leave the seed 

 covered about an inch, the proper depth. The ridges should be 

 very little raised in the centre, when the ground is ready for 

 the seed, otherwise the crop will not ripen evenly ; and when 

 land is properly drained there should be no ridges. Rolling 

 the ground after sowing is very advisable, care being taken not 

 to roll when the ground is so wet that the earth adheres to the 

 roller. 



Weeding-. — If care has been paid to cleaning the seed and 

 the soil, few weeds will appear ; but if there be any, they must 

 be carefully pulled ; or cut with a knife, when the weeds happen 

 to be large or when potato stalks appear. It is done in Belgium 

 by women and children, who, with coarse cloths round their 

 knees, creep along on all-fours. This injures the young plant 

 less than walking over it, (which, if done, should be by persons 

 whose shoes are not filled with nails.) They should work, also, 

 facing the wind, so that the plants laid flat by the pressure may 

 be blown up again, or thus be assisted to regain their upright 

 position. The tender plant pressed one way soon recovers ; but 

 if twisted or flattened by careless weeders, it seldom rises again. 



