FLAX 63 



hand-scutching process, the peasants dried the straw in the 

 smoke of the chimney, which gave the flax a smoky smell, and 

 an appearance not unlike Riga flax. 



It is only in the vicinity of Yale, in Eastern Michigan, at 

 Northfield and Heron Lake, Minnesota, and at Salem and Scio, 

 Oregon, that flax is cultivated in America for fibre. In all 

 these localities the seed is also saved, and it is doubtful if 

 the industry would yield sufficient profits from the production 

 of fibre alone to warrant its continuance under present con- 

 ditions. In the State of Oregon, U.S.A., the valley of the 

 Willamette river, along the river bank and railway, for a 

 distance of 150 miles, is particularly well suited for the culti- 

 vation of flax for fibre. As regards climate, the temperature 

 is very regular all the year round ; it is rare to have a fall of 

 snow or hail, storm of rain, or tempest to lay the flax. The 

 mean rainfall is 46 in. Rain seldom falls from June 15 to 

 September i. Flax has been cultivated for a long time for 

 seed, and the Oil Trust has a large crushing mill at Portland. 

 Mr. Bosse, Belgian flax expert, has shown that the flax straw 

 will give a good spinning fibre. Sowing is generally done at 

 the beginning of April, but sometimes in March. Winter 

 flax may be sown in November. The stems are often 4 ft. in 

 length. Flax sown in March is ripe in one hundred days, 

 sown in April in ninety to ninety-five days ; sown in May in 

 eighty to eighty-five days. At the time of pulling or cutting 

 the weather is dry. Pulling costs 2gs. per acre. Cutting with 

 reaping machine, 2s. per acre. Cutting and binding with 

 self-binder, 45. per acre. Rippling the pulled straw, 2s. per 

 acre. Rippling the cut straw with a threshing machine, 35. 

 per acre. Cartage, 2s. per mile. Dew-retting and stacking 

 2 is. per acre. Mill scutching, 2d. per Ib. Sown for fibre 

 each hectare yields 5 tons of dried straw with the seed on. 

 Sown for seed and cut the yield is 3^ tons per hectare. The 

 pulled straw may be bought from the farmer at ^"3 per ton, 

 and the cut straw in square sheaves at ^2 per ton. Seed may 



