RESTORATIVE, NOT AN EXHAUSTING CROP. Ill 



three I had on the other, which I think is a very good proof 

 of the advantages to be reaped from furrow-draining and sub- 

 soiling. The drained portion was also the sooner ripe. This 

 field has been lately ploughed, and any one who recollects 

 what it was before will now find both its colour and nature 

 completely changed, verifying exactly what Mr. Blacker has 

 just explained." 



In addition to Mr. Herd's observations, I have no 

 hesitation in saying, from many years experience in Flax 

 growing, and observations that I have been enabled to 

 make upon the practice pursued by several Flax-growing 

 farmers, that the statement or advice Mr. Stephen pre- 

 tends to be competent to give on Flax-culture, cannot be 

 founded upon practical results. On the contrary, it appears 

 to me to be founded altogether on erroneous ideas. 

 I have sown Flax in April, and before it came up, I have 

 sown clover and grass-seed, and caused a man to walk up and 

 down the ridges with a large thorn bush after him, as a sort 

 of harrow, and after that caused the field to be rolled, and 

 I found I could calculate with confidence on having an excellent 

 crop of clover with less seed than if I had sown it with any 

 other crop. I always thought the pulling of the Flax moulded 

 the plants of clover from the luxuriant appearance the field 

 would have in one month after the Flax was carted away ; and 

 like Mr. Herd I have had most abundant crops of oats after 

 Flax, and therefore I can confidently deny the truth of Mr. 

 Stephen's assertions. 



Mr. Beamish asserts (his authority being Mr. Stephen's 

 work), that to raise Flax without manure (that is to take a 

 crop of Flax after barley, the ground being well manured 

 previous for turnips or potatoes), it will materially deteriorate 

 the soil, no species of crop being more scourging to the soil 

 than Flax, not even a crop of turnip-seed. Now, I will not 

 stop here to show what additional profit a good crop of Flax 



