286 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



large a proportion as other commonly cultivated crops. 

 To supply to the soil all the matters which the entire plant 

 requires, so as to leave the land in the same state of fer- 

 tility as before, the following compound has been proposed 

 by Professor Hodges, as a manure which may be sown 

 broad-cast on the land, prior to the last harrowing, before 

 sowing the flax seed : 



For a Statute Acre of Land s. d. 



Muriate of potash, 30 lb., cost about, . . 00 



Chloride of Sodium, . . . .30 



(Common Salt), 28 lb., . . . 03 



Burned gypsum, powdered, 24 lb., . (5 



Bone dust, 54 lb., . . . . 33 



Sulphate of Magnesia, (Epsom Salts,) 56 lb., . 40 



11 



The growth of weeds will be much prevented if attention 

 is paid to the cleaning of the soil; those that make their 

 appearance must be carefully pulled. In Belgium this is 

 effected by women and children passing over the ground 

 on all fours, having coarse cloths round their knees. This 

 plan is found to be better than walking over, injuring the 

 plants less ; where walked over, heavily nailed shoes 

 should not be used. To assist the plants to regain their 

 erect position after being pressed down, the weeding should 

 be done face to the wind. Pressed in one direction, the 

 tender plant soon recovers ; seldom so, if twisted or care- 

 lessly flattened. 



85. The sowing of the crop is the most important opera- 

 tion to be performed in flax cultivation, as the marketable 

 value of the straw depends altogether on the manner in 

 which it has been saved ; hence all information of a 

 sound practical nature derived from experience is of high 

 value. 



86. When the flax plant is pulled too early, the fibre is 

 fine, but much loss is incurred by the processes of scratch- 

 ing and hackling ; pulled late, the increased coarseness of 

 the fibre is not compensated for by the extra weight ; hence 



