FLA 



FLE 



plied to the treadle, the upper roller 

 descends and presses on the libres ; 

 the flax is next drawn to the right 

 and left until sufficiently broken and 

 cleared of liarl ; the foot is then 

 raised and the libres withdrawn to 

 give place to a new lot. 



Besides the water and dew rotting 

 described, flax is prepared by steam- 

 ing and by boiling in salt water. Boil- 

 ing in lye or in soap and water is 

 also employed, both to prepare the 

 flax and improve the hackled staple. 

 Water and dew rotting together re- I 

 quire about three weeks ; the water j 

 should be free from iron, which stains 

 the staple. 



Diseases. — Flax is not very subject 

 to diseases ; mildew and rust some- 

 times assail it in very damp seasons, 

 and on a badly-drained soil ; it is also 

 _preyed upon by a fly, but weeds, and 

 especially dodder, are most injurious 

 to the cuUivation. 



FLAX, SPECIAL MANURES 

 FOR. Although a troublesome crop, 

 flax is not severe upon the soil when 

 raised for its fibre only, and, when 

 well prepared, commands a good 

 price. The great requisite for the 

 fibre is a soil rich in decaying vege- 

 table matter, but not rank with nitro- 

 gen. When seed is required, bone 

 earth, and especially the soluble phos- 

 phates in urine and guano, or poultry 

 dung, are extremely valuable. 



By Dr. Kanes's analysis, the stems 

 pulled before seeding contained 



Plant?. Seeds, Leuchtweisa. 



. 1960 . . . 26-56 



. 2012 . . . 25-49 



. 10-64 . . . 40-11 



. 2-56 . . . 100 



. 46-68 , . . 6-84 



100~ 100 



From these examinations, the great 

 exhausting power of the seeds, by re- 

 quiring so much phosphoric acid, is 

 explained, as well as the value of the 

 foregoing manures. Gypsum and ash- 

 es are also indicated in the cultiva- 

 tion of the fibre. When the steep- 

 ing is carried on in ponds, the fluid 

 becomes a rich manure for the crop, 

 containing — as has been shown by 

 Dr. Kane — nearly all the nitrogen 

 and most of the saline matters, the 



Potash and soda . 

 Lime and magnesia 

 Phosphoric acid . 

 Sulphuric acid . . 

 Sand and other acids 



prepared flax being nearly pure lig- 

 nin ; the fluid, therefore, as well as 

 alltlie waste from hackling and break- 

 ing, should be preserved and used as 

 manure. The waste of linseed cake, 

 or the dung of cattle fattened there- 

 on, is peculiarly appropriate as a ma- 

 nure for a crop of linseed ; and when 

 the oil is drawn on the farm and sold, 

 the cake left contains all the enrich- 

 ing matters of the soil taken up by 

 the seeds. Most plants of the flax 

 family will yield more or less coarse 

 staple. 



FLAX, NEW ZEALAND. See 

 Nciv Zealand Flax. 



FLAX, OREGON. Mr. Parker, 

 travelling in Oregon, describes fields 

 of a perennial flax precisely resem- 

 bling the L. percHJie (A) ; the roots 

 are so firm that it cannot be pulled, 

 but may be mowed, yielding annual 

 crops. 



FLAX, PURGING. An English 

 weed (L. catharticwm), the root of 

 wliich IS purging. 



FLAXSEED. See Unseed. 



FLAX, FALSE. See Ycilow Seed. 



FLAX, TOAD. A weed. The 

 Thesium uinbellatum. Linaria vulga- 

 ris is also called yellow toad flax. 



FLEAS. A species of the genus 

 Pidex ; they are wingless, but under- 

 go regular transformations. Clean- 

 liness, especially in the removal of 

 old straw and similar bodies in which 

 they harbour, washing the skins of 

 animals, anointing with mixtures of 

 oil and pennyroyal or elder leaves, 

 are effectual means to reduce their 

 numbers. 



FLEABANE. A name given to 

 many weeds, as the erigerons, inu- 

 las, &c. 



FLEA BEETLE. The genus Hal- 

 tica, species of which infest turnips, 

 cucumbers, &.c. 



FLEAM. The knife or lancet used 

 in bleeding cattle and horses. 



FLECKED. Pied, or of mixed col- 

 ours. 



FLEECE. The wool of a sheep. 

 See Sheep and Wool. 



FLEMISH HUSBANDRY. See 

 Flanders Husbandry. 



FLESH. Commonly the mixed 



297 



