EXHAUSTING EFFECTS OF FLAX. 17 



through the influence of our atmosphere and strength of our 

 soil, must necessarily have, or abstract from it for nourishment 

 a portion of organic and inorganic matter, the fallacy of the 

 more than common exhausting effects of Flax is quite manifest, 

 for in its abstracting a certain quota of the substances of 

 which the soil is charged by the manures it does not leave it 

 like a discharged cannon, cleared of its contents to the 

 bottom, for as the plant bursts forth from the soil in its 

 expanding form, it only draws in its train matter sufficient 

 to make it shine as a light of one colour amongst the many 

 brilliant and valuable productions of our climate., leaving behind 

 it, (like the revolving fire-works in the Surrey Gardens) sufficient 

 'material,' plastic or combustible, to produce many other 

 descriptions and colours of light equally brilliant and valuable 

 to the producer. The question then appears to be very plain, 

 and may be answered in a few words, thus ; I would say, 

 bring back to the soil, next year, the ingredients or substances 

 that the Flax, when on its way to perfection as a brilliant or 

 light amongst our valuable productions, has drawn from it this 

 year, and you have the land as if it had not produced Flax the 

 year previous, and as on this point we have two gentlemen, 

 eminent for their scientific attainments, professors Kane and 

 Johnstone it would be superfluous of me to enlarge, or to do 

 more than simply to refer the sceptical to their speeches at the 

 Agricultural meetings, as well as to their writings on the 

 subject : however, a system of rotation can be followed that 

 will enable Farmers to produce Flax every year, if the 

 substances abstracted by the plant be returned to the soil in a 

 course of regular and judicious farming. The following 

 course of rotation extending through a series of alternating 

 crops, shews a period of ten years, before the Flax crop again 

 comes into the same ground, and which must set at rest all 

 doubts as to its exhaustion. 



B 



