FLAX. 285 



has been extracted from the soil in the refuse of crops of 

 every kind." It is considered generally unadvisable to 

 grow flax more frequently on the same land than once in 

 ten years. In Belgium it is made invariably to follow a 

 corn crop, generally oats. In this country where this 

 crop is usually grown, the same syste'm may be adopted ; 

 but it should be carefully borne in mind that it is only 

 after oats follow a green crop on old lea, never to be 

 adopted after two or three successive crops of oats. An- 

 other general error to be pointed out is the making of flax 

 follow a potato crop. With the exception of very poor 

 soils, a better crop will be produced by fallowing after 

 grain, and the double profit of the grain and flax secured. 

 A very fine crop of flax may be produced by working up 

 old lea, and planting potatoes ; this crop to be followed by 

 a grain crop ; the flax to follow this. A gentleman of 

 much practical experience recommends the following as a 

 most profitable system of rotation: "1. Oats after the 

 grass and the clover. 2. Flax pulled in August, then 

 ploughed and harrowed in with 2 cwt. guano and 2 cwt. 

 gypsum, then sown with rape. 3. Potatoes or turnips 

 well manured. 4. Wheat sown in spring with clover or 

 rye grass. 5. Hay and clover. 6. Grazing. 7. Oats. 



8. Flax and winter vetches ; guano as before mentioned. 



9. Turnips well manured. 10. Barley sown with rye 

 grass and clover. 11. Clover and hay. 12. Grazing. 

 13. Oats." A rotation which would bring flax once in ten 

 years has been proposed, and is as follows : First year, 

 potatoes ; second, barley laid down with grasses ; third 

 year, out for soiling ; fourth year, pasture ; fifth year, flax, 

 or the one-half might be better in flax and the other in 

 oats, so that, with the return of the rotation, which would 

 be in five years, the flax could be put in the ground, which 

 in the last rotatory course was under corn, showing a range 

 of ten years betwixt the flax crops coming into the same 

 ground. The result of recent investigations has proved 

 that flax does withdraw from the soil certain matters, al- 

 though not in the proportion generally received, or in so 



