

Crops. 189 - 



rage yield of about 850 pounds of seed and 2000 pounds of straw. 

 Flax requires considerable amounts of phosphoric acid, potash 

 and lime, with sufficient nitrogen to induce vigorous growth. 



Linseed resembles cotton-seed in composition, but contains 

 about one-half as much fiber arid about 10 per cent more fat, 

 having 30 to 40 per cent of the latter ingredient. The oil is 

 obtained as from cotton seed, the ground residue from the crush- 

 ing method being known as "old process" linseed meal, or "oil 

 meal," while that obtained by solvents is known as "new pro- 

 cess" meal. "Old process" meal carried 8 to 12 per cent of fat, 

 while the new process of extraction leaves only 2 to 4 per cent 

 of this constituent. The oil obtained from flax seed of the region 

 about the Baltic Sea in Europe is preferred in the paint industry 

 because of its great absorbing power for oxygen. Linseed meal 

 is a valuable high-protein food for stock. 



Hempseed is obtained from a crop resembling flax in its utility 

 both for fiber and seed. It grows best in a temperate climate 

 and resembles corn in its requirements of the soil. Hemp yields 

 500 to 1500 pounds of fiber and the same range of seed per acre. 

 The seed is used as poultry food and the oil obtained from it 

 is sometimes used to adulterate linseed oil. 



Buckwheat has much the same composition as wheat. It has 

 the advantage of thriving upon comparatively light, poor soils. 

 It finds limited use in animal feeding and as human food. 



Rape seed is sometimes grown for the production of "rape 

 oil" or "colza oil." It yields over 40 per cent of this fat. The 

 residue of the feed is used as manure, because it lacks relish as 

 a cattle food. Rape belongs to the same plant family as the 

 turnip and closely resembles it in manurial requirements. 



The castor bean is the seed of a plant grown in some local- 

 ities as a crop, in others for ornamental purposes, while in some 

 cases it is looked upon as a weed. In the temperate zone it is 

 an annual, but in the tropics it is a perennial tree of considerable 

 size. It is an adaptable plant but thrives best on rich, sandy 

 soils. The seed is valued for oil, which it contains to the extent 



