16 DICKSON ON THE 



crop in such cases must become a failure. He who grows 

 Flax, if his object be profit, must decide on sparing neither 

 labour nor expense in preparing the ground in the way I have 

 described, if he would be ranked among those who produce 

 large quantity and fine quality ; for if the soil be left free, and 

 clean of weeds, and be well pulverized, dry and open, so that 

 the roots may penetrate downwards in search of food, as it is 

 known that they do, often to the extent of three-fourths of the 

 length of the straw or stem of the plant above ground ; he is 

 certain to have such Flax, both as to length and quality, as 

 will be prized by spinners, for spinners prefer Flax long, that 

 they may cut or break it by their machinery into three lengths ; 

 the fine yarns being obtained from the middle, and the coarser 

 numbers from the ends. Farmers should never be satisfied 

 with their labour until they can produce Flax fully three feet 

 in length, as that is the sortelwhich will command the market, 

 and, as a consequence, realize a good profit on their labour ; 

 but if, on the contrary, they neglect the draining of the land 

 the cleaning of the soil, and other requisite courses of prepara- 

 tion, and in the work of Flax culture follow the example of 

 the careless sower who may be seen to scatter a sack of seed 

 oats on the land, after scratching it over in a most slovenly 

 manner, leaving all to be done by the great provider, a 

 bountiful Providence, whilst they fail to act the part of faithful 

 stewards, they are, by such a course of mismanagement, 

 certain to come out of the attempt to cultivate Flax, minus 

 profit. 



FALLACY, AS TO THE EXHAUSTING EFFECTS 

 OF FLAX ON THE 'SOIL. 



On this part of the subject the careful analysis of the plant 

 by professional men, Dr. Sir R. KANE, Dr. Hoggins and 

 others have left me but little more to say than that, they 

 establish the fact, that Flax, like all other plants, produced 



