218 



SMALL GRAINS 



is intended for fibre the plants are usually pulled by hand in order 

 to secure the lower portion of the stem and upper part of the root. 

 They are tied by hand in small bundles and allowed to cure in 

 shocks before delivery to the fibre works. The grower may re- 

 move the heads before selling the stems. When the crop is grown 

 for flaxseed harvesting is done with self-binders and the thrashing 

 may follow after the stems are well dried. Yields are about ten 

 or fifteen bushels per acre. 



The seeds are small, smooth and brown in color. They are of 



a flattened lens shape. 

 Two important products 

 are obtained from the 

 seeds: (a) Linseed oil, 

 used in painting because 

 of its drying properties, 

 (b) Linseed meal used for 

 feeding livestock because 

 of its richness in protein. 

 The structure of the seed 

 is shown in figure 158. 

 The old process was to 

 simply remove the oil by 

 heavy pressure. This is 

 applied by means of hy- 

 draulic presses. Most of 

 the oil is thus extracted. 

 The new process is to fol- 

 low the preceding method 

 by removing most of the 

 of the oil bv 



FIG. 158. Cross-section of flaxseed showing the 

 different layers of cells: c, cuticle; q. mucilage cells; s. 

 stone cells- pi, pigment cells; p. protoplasm and oil; dissolving it with ether 

 a, aleurone (protein) grains; when soaked in water the 



mucilage cells swell and form the peculiar flaxseed or gasoline 1 he nCW DrO~ 

 jelly. (Productive Feeding.) , 



cess leaves a less propor- 

 tion of the oil in the linseed meal, and feeders find it necessary to 

 determine by which process the oil has been extracted from the meal. 

 Tests for the two meals are shown in figure 159. Whole flaxseed 

 is sometimes used either in the ground or unground condition in 

 feeding calves and some other stock. It also constitutes a part 

 of some health foods, or breakfast foods. 



See chapter on Minor Fibre Crops for the treatment of flax 

 as a fibre crop. 



