53 



which require constant care. To cultivate 100 hectares 

 in Flanders about a 100 labourers are employed as 

 compared with 3o in England, 40 i n France forty and 

 60 in Ireland (i). The population is extremely dense in that 

 part of the country. The parcelling out of the land has 

 some inconveniences, but happily education and coope- 

 ration which have had such a large extension under the 

 influence of the Agricultural Department, partially 

 remedy these unfavourable conditions. 



* 

 * * 



Special mention may be made to the cultivation of 

 flax and turnips as catch crops, because they form the 

 principal crops of Flanders. 



The production of flax has always been very much 

 appreciated in Flanders. It is one of those characte- 

 ristic crops which suit advanced regions : it needs a rich 

 soil as well as great care; it is only possible on farms dis- 

 posing of a considerable amount of labour, especially as 

 until just lately the farmer used to undertake the whole of 

 the preparation of the flax himself, which was a very 

 lucrative operation giving occupation to himself and his 

 family daring the winter time. Now the preparation and 

 stripping of flax are no longer done on the farm. Never- 

 theless, in many cases, the farmer still does the retting. 



The best Belgian flax and much foreign flax is retted 

 in the waters of the Lys, which is called the golden river 

 on account of the precious qualities of its waters. The 

 flax steeped in the Lys is rich to the touch and the fiber 

 has such lustre and such suppleness that it has gained 

 a universal reputation. 



For retting, the flax is placed in bunches formed 

 of two bundles joined end to end. These bunches are 

 placed vertically in perforated wooden cases of rectan- 

 gular form, called ballons 1.25 metres to i.5o metres deep 

 and 3.5o metres to 4-35 metres long. There are various 

 ways of constructing these ballons. Before closing the 

 ballons a cloth is laid over the opening and a coating 

 of straw is spread against the sides to preserve the flax 



(i) The Belgian Agriculture, by Emile de Laveleye. 



