2 BULLETIN 655, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Thegrowth of the plant, as well as the yield and quality of the oil, 

 will be influenced to a certain degree by geographical .ocation with 

 the varying conditions of soil and climate. Therefore the cultiva- 

 tion of the plant in various geographical locations followed by analysis 

 of the oil, both as regards yield and quality, serves as an excellent 

 combination for comparison with respect to the effect of plant selec- 

 tion and geographical source upon the oil. A study of this problem 

 was accordingly undertaken along the lines mentioned. 



During two successive seasons selected varieties of flax were grown 

 in widely separated localities having different soil and climatic con- 

 ditions. The oil was extracted from the seeds of different varieties 

 thus obtained and the various oils compared each year in order to 

 ascertain any existing differences in composition in the different 

 varieties when grown in one or several localities. The varieties upon 

 which these studies were made represented two or more distinct types 

 of flax. The quality of these oils from the standpoint of their useful- 

 ness as paint and varnish oils was studied and this information made 

 available for use in the selection of varieties combining yieid and 

 quality of oil in any one or all localities. 



VARIETIES OF FLAX. 



Four varieties of flax were chosen and used as a basis for the 

 investigation. These were selected by the Office of Cereal Investi- 

 gations as representing two distinct types of seed flax. Reference 

 will be made to the varieties as C. I. (Cereal Investigations) numbers. 



The four varieties grown and tested for oil content and composi- 

 tion are as follows: C. I. No. 3, Damont (North Dakota 1215); 

 C. I. No. 12, Primost (Minnesota No. 25); C. I. No. 13 (North Dakota 

 Resistant No. 114); C. I. No. 19 (Russian). C. I. Nos. 3 and 19 

 represent t} r pical seed-flax varieties, while C. I. Nos. 12 and 13 are 

 earlier maturing and resistant varieties yielding less under semiarid 

 conditions. 



These varieties were grown during the seasons of 1914 and 1915 

 at stations located as follows: Moccasin, Mont.; Dickinson and Man- 

 dan, N. Dak.; Newell and Highmore, S. Dak.; Archer, Wyo., and 

 Burns, Oreg. These stations are located in more or less widely sepa- 

 rated flax-growing localities where the conditions of soil and climate 

 are likewise different. 



The conditions at the various stations with respect to altitude, 

 soil, precipitation, and evaporation are shown in Table I. 



Considerable variation in latitude and longitude exists between 

 the several stations. The variation in longitude is 19° 40' and in 

 latitude 5° 18'. The northernmost stations are Moccasin, Mont., 

 and Dickinson, N. Dak.; the southernmost is Archer, Wyo. High- 

 more, S. Dak., is located farthest east, while Burns, Oreg., is the 

 most westerly station. 



