18 



BULLETIN 1092, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sure that the strains are good enough for distribution. Four of the 

 most promising of the strains of selected fiber flax were sown in a 

 field alongside some Blue-Blossom Dutch fiber flax, the variety com- 

 monly grown for fiber both in 

 the United States and in Canada. 

 There was a superiority of at 

 least 6 inches in height and in the 

 length of fiber for all the selected 

 flaxes over the unselected Blue- 

 Blossom Dutch flax. The Sagi- 

 naw variety, with an extra length 

 of 8 inches, yielded 30 per cent 

 more straw per acre than the 

 Blue-Blossom Dutch; besides, 

 since the stems were freer from 

 flax wilt, it yielded a better qual- 

 ity of fiber. Under actual field 

 conditions the pedigreed fiber 

 flax yielded one-third more fiber 

 per acre than the commercial va- 

 riety, Blue-Blossom Dutch flax, 

 and this more than outweighs 

 the only important advantage 

 the commercial flax has over it — 

 that of producing one-fifth more 

 seed. (Fig. 9.) 



The results of a direct compari- 

 son of these two varieties of flax 

 are shown in Table 4. 



Since this pedigreed fiber flax, 

 grown in this country for the 

 last 12 years, maintains the su- 

 periority shown in Table 4 over 

 seeds freshly imported from 

 Holland and Russia, it would 

 not appear necessary to im- 

 port fiber flax for seeding pur- 

 poses, provided proper care is 

 taken of the seed produced in 

 this country. In this connec- 

 tion it may be stated that observations during the last 10 years, 

 both in experimental-plat and commercial sowings do not show 

 that imported seeds have any advantage over those grown in this 

 country. 



Fig. 8. — Plant-breeder's envelope. 



