202 AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF chap. F/1V 



qnent change of seed than almost any other 

 plant. Flax seed propagated at home, in con- 

 tinuation will soon degenerate, and a failure of 

 crop, in respect both of quantity and quality, 

 must be the consequence. To prevent this, and 

 at the same time to save the expence of seed, as 

 far as it can. be done with safety, the best me- 

 thod, perhaps, would be to sow foreign seed and 

 its produce alternately ; or, if home seed should 

 be sown for a number of years in succession, let 

 it always be the produce of .foreign seed. 



3^/, 'Time of Sowing and Quantity of Seed. The 

 time of sowing is from the beginning to the end 

 of April : but by far the greatest quantity is 

 sown about the middle, and from that to the 

 end of the month. Ten pecks Linlithgow mea- 

 sure is the usual quantity allowed to an acre ; 

 though, if the land be of inferior quality, or not 

 in the best order, 1 1 , or 12 pecks are sown. A 

 calm day, when the ground is dry, is chosen for 

 sowing : after which it pets a double stroke of 

 a light harrow. If, in the harrowing, any large 

 stones, or quick weeds, are turned up, they are 

 immediately gathered and carried oft: and then 

 the ground is smoothed with a roller. 



4//6, Culture wbik Growing. If the flax stands- 

 in need of weeding, this is usually performed 

 when it is about four inches long. If done soon- 

 er, sufficient time is not allowed for the spring- 

 ing of the weeds, and their coming to a proper 

 length for pulling, , and consequently many will 

 escape, and the crop will be foul; If delayed 

 longer, the stalks will be in danger of being bro- 

 ken, or bended so as not to recover their straight- 

 n-ess again. This operation is usually perform-- 



