PEDIGREED FIBER FLAX. ll 



There is left 91 per cent to be divided among weight of thrashed 

 stems, length of stem to first branch, seed yield, and strength of 

 fiber. 



In order to cover the additional expenses of growing a crop of 

 fiber flax it must bring in more money than a crop of seed flax. The 

 heavy rate of sowing requires 1 bushel more of seed per acre. When 

 pulled by hand the extra cost is $10 to $12 per acre. It is thrashed 

 in a special manner at extra expense to keep the straw straight and 

 unbroken. The seed yield per acre is about 3 bushels less than where 

 the flax in the same locality is sown for seed production. Since 

 drought is more likely to stunt the growth of the stems than to af- 

 fect the seed yield materially, there is more risk involved in grow- 

 ing a crop of flax for fiber. Hence, there are extra expenses in seed- 

 ing, harvesting, and thrashing ; a diminished seed yield ; and an extra 

 risk involved in growing the crop. It is estimated that in order 

 to cover these items the straw of a crop of flax must be three times 

 as valuable as its seed, and the values assigned in the score card 

 are in the ratio of 3 to 1. 



Since one of the principal objects of the selection work with fiber 

 flax has been to secure increased stem length, it has been thought best 

 to assign to it a value slightly more than that assigned to seed yield. 

 This value, about one-third that for weight of thrashed stems, is 

 based in part on reason, for it has been common practice in times past 

 to ofi^er a premium of one-sixth to one-third for a ton of stems 

 of extra length. In applying this value only the amount of superi- 

 ority in stem length has been considered; the check selection is 

 superior by 16.31 centimeters (6^ inches) to Blue-Blossom Dutch, 

 the common commercial fiber flax, while Selection No. 1923 with only 

 half this superiority scores only half as much as the check on this 

 character. 



Strength of fiber is regarded by experts as of first importance in 

 judging flax fiber. The strong fiber can be spun into much finer 

 threads than fiber that is of inferior strength. The price for fiber 

 of superior quality is frequently one-sixth to one-half more than 

 that of medium grade. Strength of fiber determines to a consider- 

 able extent the range of prices, and it has been assigned an interme- 

 diate value of one-third. It is assumed then that strength of fiber is 

 one-third as important as weight of fiber, and when weight of fiber 

 is not available weight of thrashed straw takes its place. 



In accordance with the preceding line of thought, the remaining 

 91 per cent has been divided, resulting in the completed list of values 

 shown in Table 1. 



