4 DICKSON ON THE 



first place, the Barley or Wheat are good paying crops, and 

 after that, they find the stubble when ploughed down and 

 managed in autumn, as I shall afterwards remark, produces 

 them Flax of much finer quality than what they formerly 

 grew on Potatoe ground. 



Although Flax requires rich and deep soil, experience has 

 taught the Flax growers in Ulster, that it is not on the large 

 quantity of the common fresh Farm -yard manure being used, 

 that they must depend when they calculate on having a 

 luxuriant crop and fine quality of Flax, as chemical investi- 

 gations have shown, that the fibre of Flax abstracts certain 

 matter from tho soil more largely than other cultivated crops ; 

 and if the common fresh Farm-yard manure does not possess 

 these ingredients, because of the poor feeding of the cattle or 

 otherwise, an over quantity of manure of this sort will 

 unquestionably be detrimental to the crop, inasmuch as it will 

 force up strong, coarse bone of Flax Straw, and as a conse- 

 quence coarse fibre must be the result. I therefore assert from 

 the experiments I have seen made, and the result I have 

 watched of Flax after Potatoes, and Flax after Barley or 

 Wheat, that the latter crops should be produced after the 

 ground has been manured for Potatoes 01 Turnips before 

 Flax be cultivated, as either crops will take up the over 

 quantum of matter which would, if left in the soil, completely 

 spoil all hope of the Flax plant being produced either in 

 quantity or fine quality. The Wheat or Barley stubble when 

 turned clown by the plough in October serves as manure for 

 the Flax the year following. 



PROFITS REALISED BY GROWING FINE FLAX. 



Having so strongly recommended the extension of Flax 

 cultivation to the notice of the British Farmers, they are 

 likely to ask Yfhat are we to expect from adding a new article 

 of produce into our present course of rotation in Farming ? and 

 how does it appear that Flax can be made to leave so large a 

 profit over Wheat, Barley, or any other crop after paying 



