



















I 



91 



1851. 



THE AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE. 



331 



rroed. A crop of Flax should be rather are passed bet \\v en these cylinders while thus re vol v- 



tfcick that) thin on lb ground, as the l atter quality in- ing, and the stalk is by this means completely broken, 

 tail thick stems, which renders coarse the textile without injuring the fibres. The scutching is accoiu- 

 of tfcfl Flaxen reeds. If very tine Flax is denied, pbflfaed by the same mill by means of four arms project- 

 bottom part of the ing from a horizontal axle, arranged so as to strike the 



dates 



crop of stems is pulled when the bottom part c 

 photo begins to get yellow ; but then the seed will be oi 

 little or no value. It is therefore generally left growing 

 ggtil the capsules, which contain the seeds, are carefully 

 pawn, and the 6eeds formed. The pulling then b«\ as, 

 which must be done carefully by small handi'uls at a 



These are laid upon the ground to dry, two or 

 tfcrte obliquely across each other, and line weather is 



to tins part of the operation. Soon after the 

 Jaadfals are collected into larger bundles, which are 



with the root end on the ground, the bundles 

 being s! jtly tied near the seed end ; the other end is 

 spread out that the air may have acc< B, and the rain 

 may not damage the Flax. When sufficiently dry the 

 bundles are tied more firmly in the middle, and built 

 in long narrow stacks on the ground, in width as the 

 bundles are long, and about 8 or 9 feet Inch. These 



i 



process by which Flax is prepared for the spinner, th> 

 « heckling," - the instrument employed (called the 

 "heckle") is a square piece of wood, studded with 

 rows of iron teeth about 4 inches long, and disposed in 

 a quincunx order. The Flax is drawn through between 

 the teeth of the heckle, and repeated till every particle 

 of extraneous matter is removed, and the whole of the 

 filaments are arranged in distinct, even, and parallel 

 fibres. 



The preparation of land for growing Flax is much 

 more heeded than the quality of the soil itself, provided 

 it be at least of the middling class of fertility, and dry 

 and loamy. Accordingly, in Flanders, where the best 

 culture oi Flax has been found, the land is rendered 

 are tnatenea, ana tiie perpendicular ends are mellow and rich by the tillage and liquid manure ; and 

 supported b; rong poles that are fixed in the ground, the seed, which has been carefully selected, is covered 

 In this way the steeping is deferred till next season, by earth spread over it with the spade : it is afterwards 

 The 1 'la* is most generally carried in bundles to a shed, rolled or trod in with the feet. The urine tank supplies 



an excellent stimulant in the early period of growth, 

 especially when the blades are shooting up, after the 



i ure limestones are, However, of wy rare occurrence, 

 and their value depends much upon other constituents 

 they convey to the soil. How much they varv with 

 to one particular, let the following statements of lime- 

 stones employed in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, 

 Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Staffordshire, n^m 



Carbonate of Lime. 



Per cent. 



Aehover 99.89 



Ashover Hockley (light) 98.85 

 , H „ (medium) 94 82 



„ (dark) 96 0<> 



Barrow 76.10 



Bennington J 9.00 



Birchwood 

 Bmnston 

 Breedon 

 Bullbridge 



• » 



n 





■ • ■ 



. »• 



it 



where _, 



in a Nock of wood, which takes off the capsules, and is 

 called "rippling." The Flax is immediately steeped, 

 or in some cases it is lodged in barns till another sea- 

 son, where it must be kept very dry, and if the seed is 

 left on, which is an advantage to it, mice must be 

 guarded against, as they are very fond of linseed, and 

 would soon take away a good share of the profits by 

 their depi lations. 



iecula of the seed is exhausted. After that time it has 

 been found to encourage the growth of leaves rather 

 than of flowers and seed. 



England has never produced a sufficient quantity of 

 Flax for its own use, and the cultivation of it has de- 

 creased as agricultural improvements have advanced. 

 It suits small farming and cottage farming, and hence 



Ut layer 

 2d 

 3d 

 4 th 



Bullbridpe old quarry ■ 



1. Cla>bcds ... 



2. White ones.. 

 S. Two. toots 



4. Crackers 



5. Black ones ... 



6. Shictpotts ... 



7. Soft white ones 



• • • 



• • « 



• ■ > 



• « . 



- ■ - 



• • . 



• • . 



• . . 



. . . 



* • • 



• • • 



98.5'» 

 95.85 

 54 22 



6.00 

 96.00 

 98.00 

 34.90 

 94.0 



89.70 

 9rt.50 

 98.3. » 

 98 

 1.60 



97.5 



07 Si 



»•« 



- . • 



t w • 



• ■ ■ 



• • t 





8, Ironstone beds 



9. Chatts 



10. White ones 



11. Furnace bed 



12. Blue bed 

 Bulwell ... 

 Dark Crich 

 Light Crich 

 Costock ... 



Ct opt* ell top 

 „ middle 

 M bottom 



Glentham ... 

 Hoton 



Hoton flight) 

 Cry? utilised Hoton 

 Dark Hoton 



Mugliington 



Matlock 



Ticknall 



Walsall 



Waghingborough 



Carbonate of Lime. 



Per cent. 



i i . 



■ • • 



• • • 



• * • 





> . . 



• - ■ 



• • . 



■ • • 



• 



■ • • 



. - • 



« • « 



99.90 



95.00 

 97.40 



86.94= 



... 98.00 



... 44.76 



98 S5 



98.85 



91.70 



82.00 



89.20 



81,38 

 83.62 



16.49 



:»3.oo 



97.00 

 94.0O 

 96.45 



99 45 

 88.56 



5.56 



• • • 



• t * 





> . . 



• • • 



■ ■ ■ 



■ . . 



• - ■ 



Now of all these, only Bulwell and Breedon are mag- 

 nesian limes, and yet the quantity of useless constituents 

 in some of them is very great. Amongst the worthless 

 parts of limestones I will include, for the sake of brevity, 

 the oxides of iron and aluminum, under the heading 

 silica or sand ; and how much the quantity of these 

 varies, let the following analyses prove : 



steeping the Flax is a very important process, ! the very general cultivation in Flanders and in Ireland, 



Ashover 



Silica. 



• ■ • 



• - • 



uir 



Th- uualii 



the mode of steeping, and the strength of the fibre may 9 _ x _ _ 



1(5 in J ured b y*n injudicious mode of performing that j the "produce is tedious and expensive^ andean y pbnt 



Operation. The Obieet Of fttPAninrr i*c in aarto^o t« + 1^ ' tllAt. tippHq n^minma nr >A +l,«. ..«.. J„ -* »Vu:__ . 



where the above mode of using land prevails. The 

 preparation of the* land is laborious, the treatment of 

 the growing crop is troublesome, and the application of 



i y 

 tt 



Hockley (light) 

 ,, (medium) 



operation. The object of steeping is to separate the 

 hark from the woody part of tiie stem, by dis- 

 solving a glutinous matter which causes it to ad- 

 here. A certain fermentation, or an incipient putre- 

 faction, is excited by the steeping, which must be 

 carefully watched, and stopped at the right time. The 

 usual mode of steeping is to place the bundles of Flax 



horizontally, in shallow pools, or ditches of stagnant return. 



rewar 



support its use may be suspected to want the intrinsic 

 worth, under the soil and climate, and under the cir- 

 cumstances of the social system, which regulate the use 

 and fix the value of every vendible commodity. The 

 British cultivator will grow articles which suit his 

 market most readily, and at the least cost, of the greater 



♦ • • 



• - 1 



• • • 



• « • 



• t * 



• * . 



• • i 



• • . 



99 



M 



$9 



m • * 



f * • 



> r—- > — ~»" ^.utx «jj means vi puies or Doaras, 

 with stones or weights laid upon them. Water nearly 

 potnd was supposed the most efficacious, and the mud 

 was often hud over the Flax to hasten the decompo- 

 sition— but this has heen found to stain the Flax, so 

 uiat it was very difficult to bleach it. nr tlm I;™™ +i,o+ 

 made from it. 



- . , . '-The bundles of Flax are also put 



mto wooden frames, which rest on the bottom of the 

 rivers and allow the water to pass below, and the Flax 

 m held in them by boards and weights. Longer time 

 « «quiwd by this steeping in fresh running water, 



wLilT. C ° T is much finer > and the ««>de k now 

 ET£££ , !! d ;.. DU .™S the ■teepfoS. the time of 



<W»,.„r» • uie co,a or neat ot the atmosphere, 



fihr 1 ^ am 'nations arc made to ascertain if the 



nores readily separate from the wood the whole length 



token „ 8 .^ ♦. SS0 ° n aS tl,is is the case ' the Fla '^ 

 Z, n ?,° f the water -even a few hours more or less 



Sue o? S nece T ssar ^ wi " ma ke a difference in the 

 no t JpL -f u 1 ! U is UOt stee P ed enough, it will 



If it hi?' ^ SC T he t> and the W00d wiU adhe re to it. 

 Jim nuf e H , t0 ° l0 " g m the Water > its 8t rength is 



d ummshed, and more of it breaks into tow. The 



in rout T r?, W UDtied ' and the Flax is 8 P r ead evenly 



Z^hof 18 ^ ° Ver " aPpiDg eadl 0ther > ^ n a P ie ee of 

 smooth clean i.rass, which has been mown or fed close 



Fine weather , 9 essential to tliis part of the process fr 

 is occ^nally turned over, which is done dexterouslv 



taking g tt a i' ; ! ,g SleDder u r ° d Under the row «» a " d 

 S"P the Flax near the end which overlaps the 



next row, and turning it quite over. Thus, when it is 

 all turned, it overlaps as before, but in the con trary 

 direction. It remains spread out on the Grass for a 

 fortnight, more or less, according to the season, till the 

 woody part becomes brittle, and some of the finest fibres 

 separate from ,t of their own accord. It is then taken 

 up and as soon as it is quite dry, it is tied up again in 

 bundles, and carried into the barn, to be broken and 

 "•ckled at leisure during winter. 



In the domestic manufacture's the Flax is hroken or 

 acutched at home, when the weather prevents out-door 

 work. The common brake consists of four wooden swords 

 nxed in a frame, and another frame with three swords 

 which play in the interstices of the first by means of a 

 joint at one end. The Flax is placed between the to 

 tomes, and the upper frame is pushed down briskly 

 npon it It breaks the Flax in four places, and by 



S3 11 ? a^ and rapidly *****»& the strokes, th< 

 whole handful is soon broken. It is then scutched by 



means of a board set upright in a block of wood so as 



io stand steady, in which is a horizontal slit about 3 feet 



2S/ h t g ^f^ a - eed ^ wl,ich is thin - The Flax 

 jeld in handfuls is inserted in this slit, and struck close 



«o the upright board by a flat wooden sword of 

 P«cui iar shape? md moved f orward ^ occasion requires 



i if T^ ti0U beatS 0ff a11 the I )ieces of the ^-ood which 

 JU adhere to the fibre without breaking it, and afttr a 



wort time the llax is cleared of it, and fit to be heckled 

 JW the operations of breaking and scutching are tedious 

 ™ laborious when thus executed by hand. Mills are 

 IbL a * winch reV olve by horse or water power, having 

 «^ee fluted cylinders, one of which is made to move 



The average produce of dressed Flax from an acre of 

 land may be stated at 40 stones, and the quantity of 

 seed at 20 bushels. The ripening of the seed impairs 

 the quality of the Flax, though some assert the contrary. 



A plan is now being practised of separating the fibre 

 and wood of the Flax plant by means of hot water 

 applied to the stems placed upright in boxes or cisterns 

 that are under the cover of a roof. The mode is said to 

 have complete success. A chemical process is being 

 tried, which easily separates the parts, and also 

 bleaches and refines the textile fibres into an appear- 

 ance of cotton, and hence called « Flax cotton." /. D. 



„ „ (dark) 



Barrow ... 



Bennington 

 Birch wood 

 Branston 

 Breedon ... 

 Bullbridge, 1st layer 



2d „ 



3d 



4 th 



5rh 



Bullbridge old quarry : 



1. Claybeds . 



2. White ones 



3. Two-foots 



4. Crackers ... 



5. Black ones 

 6.. Shittpotta 

 7. Sofc white ones 



1 1 



Per cent. 

 0.070 

 1.490 

 5.030 

 4.000 

 2I.f>80 

 11.980 



0.800 



3. 350 



2.120 

 2.000 

 3.200 

 6.000 

 75.000 

 5.000 



* • > 



• • « 



- 



■ • 



■ a • 



• # t 



• • • 



10.150 



3.450 

 0.95.» 

 1.150 

 1.25-> 

 3 350 

 2.75L 



• « • 



• •• 



• . • 



• • • 



• • ♦ 



Silica.- 



8. Ironstone beds 



9. ChaiU 



10. White ones 



11. Furnace bed 



12. Blue bed ... 

 Bulwell ... 

 Hark Crich 



Light Crich 

 Cotock ... 



Cropwell top 

 „ middle 

 ,, bottom 



Glentham 



Hoton 



Hoton, light 



M crystallised 



„ dark 

 Huphington 

 Matlock (High Tor) 



Ticknall 

 Walsall 



Washingborough 



• ■ • 



• • • 



• • * 



• . . 



■ •• 



■ « . 



• • • 



• • ■ 



Per cent 



1.000 

 4 450 

 2.550 

 13000 

 1.150 



23.520 

 0.740 

 0.73* 

 7.700 



14.600 

 7.180 



14.560 

 3.050 



13.280 

 7.200 



1.200 

 5.260 

 1.750 

 0.330 

 10.440 

 6.000 

 1.600 



• * • 



• • • 



* • i 



• • • 



# • • 



*• • 



• t • 



• • ■ 



s carbonate of magnesia is found in lime- 



I have examined all 





carries 



The Flax plant* 



INFORMATION TOWARDS MORE ACCURATE 



ESTIMATES of the VALUE of LIMESTONES. 

 Manuring, with so called artificial manures, is a 

 fashion| of such general adoption now-a-days, that he 

 would indeed be deemed a venturesome man who should 

 doubt the propriety of employing them extensively. In 

 my present contribution to this journal, it is my intention 

 to add somewhat to the history of limestones, a manure 

 than which, it may be safely asserted, that none is so much 

 employed, so much expected from, and so little under- 

 stood. Lime, no doubt, belongs to the most useful of all 

 artificial manures ; but because its nature, varying as it 

 does in the different counties of England, is insufficiently 

 appreciated, none gives more frequent disappointment, or 

 is more frequently abused. I am not going into an elabo- 

 rate description of the various properties of lime. Several 

 years ago I wrote a long article upon this subject, in this 

 paper ; and since then, the whole of the agricultural 

 world has become indebted to Professor Johnston, for a 

 most valuable exposition. of the subject. I would simply 

 set out with the remark, that the addition of mineral 

 substances, such as lime, gypsum, salt, and woodash, are 

 only so far valuable as they contribute to the soil a 

 substance required by plants, but insufficiently contained 

 m it. Supposing a soil, to be productive of sour 

 Grasses, it wouldbe absurd to correct itby superphosphate 

 of lime, salt, or gypsum. A manure should be adapted 

 to an end ; chalk would therefore be the obvious remedy 

 lor a state of soil such as I have supposed. Now, the 

 quantity of lime required by plants is very small, 

 and bears no relation to the quantities employed. A 

 crop of Cabbages removes but 190 lbs. weight, and this 

 amount is greater than in any other. Is it then to be 

 concluded that a dressing of 3 or 4 bushels is sufficient 

 for all the purposes lime subserves]? By no means ; it onl v 

 proves that the lime required by plants for their nutrition 

 is exceedingly small : for various reasons, a soil should 

 contain about one per cent, of lime, and in applying it, 

 greater regard should be had to the chemical properties 

 of lime. All hmes are not alike. To begin with, we I 

 have pure limes, hydraulic limes, and maimesiau limes. I 

 1 he former can only be considered to supply lime, whilst 

 the latter affords, at the same time, a considerable per 

 centage of magnesia, another constituent of ail eds. To 

 furnish one per cent, of lime to a soil six inches deep, 

 requires eight tons of quicUime. We mav calculate | 

 upon a loss of one-third of a ton annuall v, by rain and by 

 the sinking of the lime beyond the reach of the plough, 

 and this fact will give some notion of what should 

 be periodically restored. • I 



More or 1 

 stones, with but few exceptions^ 

 the limestones above-mentioned, as regards this con- 

 stituent, and I now give the results of my investigations. 



Carbonate of Magnesia. 



Per cent. 



• • • 



*•• 



Ashover 

 Ashover Hockley (light) 

 ii |, (medium) 



(dark) 



trace 

 trace 

 trace 



tt* 



• • • 



- - • 



■ . ■ 



• •• 



• •* 



*t. 



• - . 



Barrow 



Bennington 



Birchwood 



Brans'on 



Breedon ... 



Bullhridge, 1st layer ... 



2d 



3d 



4 h 



5th mm 

 Bullbridge old quarry : 



1. Claybeds ... 



2. White ones 



3. Two foots ... 



4. Crackers 



5. Black-ones 



6. Shittpotts 



7. Soft white ones 





it 

 tf 

 a 

 it 



. • • 





« • . 



- . - 



• . . 



■ . • 



• • • 



• . . 



3.700 



1.09 



0.110 



none 



43.600 



<U66 



0.742 

 0.742 



0.09U 



0.757 



0.109 

 0.0D7 

 0.22o 

 0.183 

 0.054 

 0.030 



0.109 



t * » 



• • • 



» • • 



• •« 



■ •• 





Carbonate of Magnesia. 



Per cent. 



8. Ironstone beds I 



9. Chatts 



10. White ones 



11. Furnace bed 



12. Blue bed ... 

 Bulwell ... 



Dark Crich 



Light Crich 



Costock 



Crop well, top ... 



,1 middle 



a, bottom 

 Glentham 

 Hoton 



» hght 



„ crystallised 



„ dark 



Hughington 

 M hi lock 



Ticknall 



Walsall 



»• t 



* • » 



• •• 



«•• 



• •• 



• • • 



* • 



« § « 



* ■ • 



• ■ ■ 



* . • 



• • t 



«• • 



■ « « 



» • • 



« * • 



* ■ 



0.005 

 0.145 

 0.024 

 0.007 

 0.25.J 

 31.37 

 0.252 



o 



0.360 

 1.S44 



1.788 



1.844 

 none 



1.090/ 



0.290 

 0.7)3 



0.520 



none 

 0.219 

 1.090 

 0.440 

 none 



Washingborough 



It is evident that in many of these the quantity o^ 

 magnesia is sufficiently large to be taken into considera- 

 tion in endeavouring to estimate the value of a lime- 

 stone for agricultural purposes. But even when we am 

 acquainted with the proportions of magnesia, silica, 

 oxide of iron and alumina contained in limestones, we 

 should make a great omission were we to leave out 

 the amount of phosphate of lime or bone-earth. I 

 have examined upwards of 150 specimens of lime- 

 stones with reference to this one particular ; and, 

 because the quantity at best is but small, I have 

 employed ounces instead of grains in my analyses. 

 Instead therefore of calculating the amount in 100 lbs., 

 I shall give the quantity in a ton of limestone. 



Quantity of Phosphate 

 of Lime in a ton 



Ashover 0.090 



Ashover Hockley (light) trace 

 ii ,, (medium) 2.(555 



„ (dark) trace 



0.6W 



10 260 

 0.1350 

 0.2d47 



Quantity of Phosphate 

 of Lime in a ton. 





*•• 



■ • • 



• • • 



M 



• • • 



• a 



• ■ • 



• • • 



• • • 



*•* 



99 



m 



99 

 ¥9 



» • • 



Barrow ... 



Bennington 



Birchwood 



BlondhiU 



Bran*ton 



Breedon 

 Bullbridge, 1st layer... 



2d 



ad 



4th 



5th 



Bullbridge old quarry : 



1. Clay beds... 



2. White ones 



3. Two* foots 



4. Crackers 



5. B'ackones 



6. Shittpotta 



7. Soft white ones 



8. Ironstone beds 



9. Chatts ... 



10. White ones 



11. Furnace ted 



• • • 



• • 



• •• 



• «« 



• • • 



- - - 



• • • 



• « M 



0.180 

 320 

 0.32] 



0.275 



0.178 



0.396 

 0.072 

 0.275 



0.313 

 897 

 0.215 

 234 

 0.093 

 0.217 



0.218 

 0.316 



• • * 



• . * 



• - - 



* - • 



• • • 



12. Bluebed 

 Bulwell ... 



Dark Crich 

 Light Crich ... 

 Coturave 

 Costock 



Crop well, top ... 

 ii middle 

 ti bottom 



Gleniham 



Hoton 



, t light ... 

 „ crystallised 



i, dark ... 



Hughington ••- 

 Matlock 



Normanton, 1st layer . 



3d ,| 



4 th „ 



5th „ 



6th „ 



Tick nail 

 Post-ticknaU ... 



Walsall 



Waahinsr borough 



» • * 



» • • 



• ■ » 



• • • 



99 



M 



l» 

 99 



► •• 



• • * 



0.256 

 6.930 

 1.056 

 1.073 



46.70 

 20.070 



1,182 

 19.260 



S.780 



0.720 



0.360 

 0.945 

 0.832 



0.6 



8.455 



1!).71S 



&67J 



6.910 



S.6b'<> 

 3.724 

 5.45(i 

 0.714 



• - • 



• 



