124- AGniCULTURAL MUSEUM 



iExtract from an Essay on the Culture and ManuHicture 

 of Flax ; read befare the Culpcper Society, for th& 

 promotion of Agriculture and Domestic Manufac- 

 tures — by John Strode, Esq. 



I shall, at the present, confine myself solely to a 

 small discourse, VA hich is drawn entirely from my own 

 experience, on the manner of cultivating and manufac- 

 turing that useful article, Flax, and which 1 will endea- 

 vour for perspicuity, to reduce to separate heads. 



First, Of the kind of soil most favourable to its pror 

 duction, and the manner of preparing it. 



2d. The time of seeding, quality and quantity of seed 

 sufficient for an acre of Land. 



3d. Weeding and the proper times of performing it. 



4th, Pulling, curing, drying, and taking off the seed. 



5th Rotting by water, and by dew. 



6th. Breaking, skutching or cleaning. 



7th. Hackling, combing and preparing for the wheel. 



8th. Statement of the common produce and profit of 

 an acre. 



9th. Remarks on it comparative value with Ilemp ancj: 

 Cotton. 



First. T7ie Soil which I have experienced to be most fa- 

 vourable to its production, is stiff clay or loom, rather low 

 land or nearly flat, and inclining to be moist, which if not 

 naturally very rich and strong, will require a large quan- 

 tity of manure, and that to be put on, and worked in, the 

 preceding summer by frequent ploughing and harrowing, 

 or other working to prevent the growth of grass and 

 weeds ; for if thej- are suffered to grow up and seed, that 

 seed will vegetate the ensuing season with the crop of 

 Flax, and injure it much , both in quantity and quality. 

 In preparing the ground, perhaps a crop of 'J'obacco, 

 Corn or Potatoes, might be advantageously taken (;ff; 

 the latter 1 have mostly preferred li^arly in the spring; 

 as soon as the frost is out, and the ground sufficiently 

 dry, it should be ploughed up and in a few days crossed 

 S^gain, in which state it may remain until the day, or the 



