36 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



From the Massachusetts Agricultural Repository. 



ESSAYS OiNT FLAX HUSBANDRY. 



BY S. W. rOMKROY, ES(i. 



First Vice President of the Massachusetts Society for 

 Promoting Agriculture. 



No. II. 



Notwithstanding- it is an opinion well estab- 

 lished among experienced Flax growers in this 

 country, that a change of seed is advantageous, 

 it is a|)prehended that they are not aware of the 

 extent of the benefit to be derived liy selectuig- 

 seed from a soil or climate essentially dilferent; 

 and it may be owing to a want of attention in 

 this particular that the llax crops are so un- 

 certain and the qualily inferior, however per- 

 fect in other respects the system may be con- 

 ducted. Mr. Young observes that foreign llax 

 seed was universally used in Ireland, when it 

 eould be obtained, otherwise they were careful 

 to procure seed which grew upon soil of an op- 

 posite quality from that which was to be sown, 

 that Anvrican seed was to be preferred, and 

 produced finer llax than any other. Baltic seed 

 produced more but of a coarser quality. It is 

 \vell known that American seed always bears the 

 highest price in the Irish market. 



We next look to Flanders, where tlax was 

 cultivated at a period as early as the com- 

 mencement of the christian era.''' Fortunately 

 we are furnished with " directions for cultiva- 

 ting flax after the Flanders method" published 

 by commissioners and trustees appointed by the 

 British government to promote the linen trade 

 in Scotland, at the head of whom was the cele- 

 brated Lord Kaims ; from this high authority 

 we learn Ihnt it was the practice " to sow seed 

 imported from Riga, if it could he obtained, 

 otherwise the produce of Riga seed sown in 

 Holland, and if that could not be had, thai 

 ^vhich Riga seed had produced in their own 

 country, being careful to choose that which 

 had giown on soil of a dilferent texture and 

 quality. What is the practice in Germany, 

 where the cultivation is very extensive ? By a 

 respectable British [)ub!ication, now before me,f 

 in which an account is given of the trade ol 

 Stettin, a city of Prussian Pomcrania, situated 

 near the mouth of the river Oder, it appears 

 that the extent of the linen trade is estimated 

 by the quantity of Flax-seed ini[)orled; and it 

 is stated that on an average of ten years pre- 

 ceding 1796, twenty-one thousand, six hundred 

 and forty-five tons of Flax-seed were annually 

 imported into that port, to be sent up the Oder 

 and the waters connected with it, winch, at for- 

 ty bushels to the ton, amounted to upwards of 

 eight hundred thousand bushels ! suliicient for 

 half a million of acres at the rate it is sown in 

 this country ! and it is not iinprot)able that large 

 quantities are im[)or(ed into other ports connec- 

 ted with the German rivers. 



Foreign Flaxseed was sought after even in 

 the remote vallies of Switzerland, as appears 

 by the following extract from a treatise on the 

 culture of Flax by Mr. Tschiffeli, president of 

 the economical society of Berne. " In general 

 the best llax-seed is produced on strong soils, 

 and in cold climates. Experience has long con- 

 vinced us that what is brought from Livonia" 

 (Riga seed) " is to be prelerred to all others, 



* Pliny's Natural History, book 19. 



t Commercial Agricultural Magazine, vol. iii. 1800. 



but when this cannot be procured, we must 

 make use of that which grows on our own 

 mountains, for instance Gessenai, Jura," &,c. 



A Flemish colony first settled the island of 

 Fayal, and introduced Flax. They have be-| 

 come amalgamated with the Portuguese, but! 

 the culture, and manuiacture of linen in fam- , 

 ilies, has continued to an extent nearly equal to 

 the clothing and general consumption of a 

 very dense population. The soil is mostly in [ 

 tillage, and from its elevation admits of a vari-j 

 ety of aspect and temperature, and a great 

 care is bestowed on the culture of tlax. 1 have 1 

 been informed by ]>lr. Dabney, the United [ 

 States consul for tlie Azores, who has resided I 

 fifteen years at Fayal, that American seed, ob- 

 tained from ships bound to Ireland, arriving in I 

 distress, has been sown ; and the product, in I 

 tlax and seed, has been fifty per cent, more I 

 than from that of native growth by the side of| 

 it! We have no information to this point from 

 Russia or Italy ; but it is believed that exam- 

 ples enough have been cited to shew the im- 

 portance attached to this branch of the system 

 111 Europe, and to justify the conclusion that in 

 this country a continued, judicious change of 

 seed will be indispensable to the successful pro- 

 secution o.'' tlax husbandry ; and a further infer- 

 ence may be drawn, that experiments on vari- 

 ous soils with seed the growth of different cli- 

 mates, are requisite to direct the farmer to the 

 quarter from whence his best seed may be ob- 

 tained. Here opens a legitimate field for our 

 numerous agricultural societies to labor in ; on 

 their exertions the farmer must depend in the 

 outset ; but let it once be ascertained thai Riga 

 seed is best in one section, Dutch or German 

 in others, and mercantile interest, if not patri- 

 otism, will soon distribute them. 



Should it be objected to importing seed on 

 account of the expense, we reply, that large 

 quantities of linseed oil are constantly impor- 

 ted, and the difference of price between our 

 own seed and that imported, will not much ex- 

 ceed what is now [laid for good clean seed for 

 sowing or export, and that which is suld for 

 crushing; but if it is tifty cents per bushel, or 

 more, it can be no object, compared with the 

 advantages that may be reasonably expected 

 to result, and the farmer need not be told, that 

 " in all his operations, parsimony is never so ill 

 judged, as when exercised in the selection of 

 his seed." It is not pretended, however, but 

 that, from the great variety of soil and climate 

 in the United States, the object in view might 

 be obtained without im|)ortations ; j'et, it may 

 be important to have a good stock to begin with, 

 when trials could be instituted with its pro- 

 duce ; at any rate it cannot be expected that 

 individuals will embark in such a course of ex- 

 periments, oilher with foreign or domestic seed, 

 unless encouraged by agricultural societies or 

 other public bodies. 



SOILS. 



The subject presents a character of such na- 

 tional importance, that a wider range must be 

 taken than views of mere local interests re- 

 ()iiire ; we shall therefore first examine, under 

 the present head, Ihe dift'eront sections of our 

 country. New soils .we found most favorable 

 to the growth of the tlax plant ; and it is 

 scarcely necessary to mention the vast fertile 

 Iracls on ihe western waters, as capable of pro- 

 ducing imiUCQSC quantities. 



The State of Maine has a soil and climal 

 that appears highly congenial to flax cultui 

 The extensive tracts ol strong carbonaceo 

 soils, particularly those denominated " bla 

 lands," and the almost total absence of drougi 

 will enable that state to possess a staple in tl 

 article, not inferior in value to any, exce 

 grazing, whenever the energies of her popu 

 tion shall be directed to it. The rest of Ne 

 England, that part of New York not included 

 the first description, and New Jersey, ha 

 bodies of land suitable for flax, quite sufl^cic 

 to be einbr.Tced in the system of agricultu 

 best adapted to their situation. Pennsylvat 

 probably grows more flax than all the off 

 states in the union.* The Atlantic sections 

 the slates, south of the Delaware to the cott 

 latitude, possess considerable tracts of alluv 

 soiN, hordenng on the numerous rivers, b; 

 and inlet", with which they are intersected- 

 portion o!' them, besides swamps, may be i 

 claimed wit.hout great exjiense; they have 

 so bodies of strong clays. Should these be t 

 much exhausted by severe cropping, they m 

 soon be restored by the admirable clover s- 

 tern adopted by Col. Taylor of \'irginia, a 

 made to produce good fiax ; as it is probab 

 from the early period .the ground may be sov 

 that the cro|> would be seldom injured by t 

 droughts to which the climale is subject. 



'Fhe soils which rank first in this counl 

 are the flat bottom^, that are covered by (' 

 fall and spring floods wlitch subside early i 

 ough in the season to get in a crop ; those r 

 er fl.its on the second banks, that have a de| 

 of strong alluvial soil ; Ihe reclaimed marsi 

 and swamps with a black unctuous soil, not 

 peaty, with as much clay in the composition 

 will permit its being rendered soon dry i 

 mellow, and not retain water on or near ' 

 surlace ; if it stands two feet below, so rai 

 Ihe better, but must be well guarded by ditc I 

 and dykes against sudden freshets. Such is 

 soil of the province of Zealand, where m 

 flax is raised and of better qualily, than in 

 other part of Holland. The next in estimat 

 are the strong black loams on clay, or hard [ i 

 that will retain moisture. Yellow loams, w 

 a holding subsoil, may be rendered suitable 

 flax by proper cultivation ; and since the 

 covery that plaster of' Paris is an excellent i 

 nure for it, a crop may be obtained with m< 

 more certainty on lighter land than formerlj 

 Perliaps the characleristic of best garden mc 

 may be applied to a flax soil, viz. retainin; 

 ficient moisture, and all that falls, without » 

 being saturated ; but on any soils the surt 

 should be completely pulverized, and nil 

 worked when wet. 



.MANURES. 1 



No dung should be ap[ilied to the land W)' 

 the llax is sown, but may be put on bounlift 

 with the previous crop. The objection is,'<. 

 iliing forces the growth so rajiidly that the [M 

 draw weak, have a thin harle, and are if 

 liable to lodge. Lime, marie, shells, leac 

 aslies, &c. do not produce such effects. ' 

 dressings, soon after Ihe plant-i appear, of 

 ter, ashes, soot, &c. are highly beneficii 



* liy the returns of the JTarshals in lolO, thei 

 manufaclnrcil in the United States $&,' .000 wJ 

 l.inseed Oil; $500,000 of which was mnde inj 

 sylvania, and $200,000 iu New England.— Sei 

 Ulalement, 



