5;-?r^!o^ 



98 



THE ILLI^'OIS FAEMEK. 



April 



otlier object. A farm house is notliing 

 without a surrounding of trees ; h e 

 Summer meals are insipid v/ithont the 

 summer fruits, the connings are cheer- 

 less •without the breath of flowers and 

 the whispering of the foliage of beauti- 

 ful trees and shrubs. It is impossible 

 to make a home in the country without 

 trees and shrubs, misers and narrow- 

 minded farmers often make the attempt, 

 but it is a souless home, from which the 

 vounger members flee on the first oc- 

 casion. The white willow fever will re- 

 sult in good, and till the land with belts 

 of waving green — ^it will do more — it 

 will tend to a more correct taste in tliis 

 department, and lead to more general 

 tree planting. These belts will lay the 

 foundation for orchards on the prairies, 

 for they will demonstrate that plenty of 

 good fruit can be grown under their 

 protecting shelter. 



Cabbage seed is now to be sown for 

 the late crop. To be successful cover 

 the bed with small brush about two feet 

 deep, to be removed gradually as the 

 plants grow and need more heat and 

 light ; all small garden and flower seeds 

 should thus be covered to ensure suc- 

 cess. If our lady friends will make a 

 note of this they will tind a less num- 

 ber of rascally seedsmen than now. 



-**^ 



Flax Culture. 



The cultivation of flax is now attract- 

 ing no inconsiderable attention, not 

 only from the high price of oil but for 

 the new value attaching to the lint. 

 The high price of cotton, which of late 

 years has been largely used for the 

 making of rope, canvass and other 

 heavy fabrics, has impelled this change 

 and hence flax is again in demand. 

 Aside from this, the new machinery 

 for its preparation which has vastly 



cheapened its production, and cannot 

 tail of maintaining it against cotton, for 

 these and other uses, however cheap it 

 may become hereafter. We may there- 

 to I'e consider flax as a crop for its lint, 

 again y>laced among the great farm 

 staples. The increasing demand for 

 oil and the high price of European ex- 

 change has practically cut off" the supply 

 of English and Dutch oils, and thus will 

 give i:)ur farmers the monopoly of this 

 produe!", nor do we see any prospect of' 

 a change in this direction, prejudicial 

 to tlie interest. WhaL further value 

 may be attached to it in consequence 

 of chemical processes-, preparing it for 

 spinning on cotton machinery, is as yet 

 uncertain, but from present indications 

 we have hopes of at least a partial suc- 

 cess. Under these conditions of tiiinirs 

 we have no hesitation in recommendins: 

 its more extensive cultivation to the 

 farmers on the prairies. 



SOIL. 



Any of our dry pi-airie soils are most 

 admirabl}^ adapted to this crop. The 

 black mucky prairie must be avoided, 

 unless underdrained, v/lien it will be 

 found among the most valuable of soils. 

 A too dry soil is not so well adapted to 

 the crop as a deep rather moist one, but 

 in no case must it be liable to standing 

 water, Sandy soils are to be avoided 

 as also gravelly ridges. When the land 

 is rather flat it should be thrown into 

 narrow ridges, say of two rods, this will 

 give fair drainage, and will often save 

 the crop. < J 



Sward land, such as clover, Hurd's 

 grass, or prairie land that has been pas- 

 tured will bring a good crop of seed, 

 though not profitable for lint. 



PREPARATION OF SOIL. 



Potatoes, beets, or any of the root 

 crops precede flax to the best advan- 





,^=i.:.-X. 



