CULTURE OF FLAX. 161 
Ireland. By sowing early, that is, in the latter end of March 
or the beginning of April, the crop might be gathered in before 
the regular corn harvest in England. But another advantage 
is, that early sowing is followed by slow and steady growth, 
which is indispensable for obtaining a fine fibre. Later in the 
season, vegetation is more rapid, the fibre grows more quickly, 
and has not time to fine and mellow. The fineness of fibre, 
however, depends also upon the proportion of seed which is 
employed. From two to three bushels per acre—the latter 
for fine fibre, and the former for medium quality of fibre; 
therefore, 2! bushels, or about 180 1b. of clean seed is a fair 
average to the English or statute acre; but if the crop of seed 
is the principal object, then six pecks per acre is sufficient. 
The time of pulling is, of course, a subject of the greatest 
importance, as, if pulled too early the fibre will be flimsy, and 
if too late, it will be coarse. If the object is to obtain very 
fine fibre, then the crop is pulled before the seed is quite ripe, 
and the seed should then be taken off by rippling. As long 
as the seed is in the husk it continues to ripen; but if good 
seed is required for future sowings, it should be grown for this 
purpose, and allowed to ripen fully. In the directions of the Irish 
Flax Improvement Society, it is strongly recommended to sepa- 
rate the seeds immediately from the stems, and thus to preserve a 
portion of the crop, which, in many places, is now unnecessarily 
wasted. According to ancient custom, the plants should then 
be steeped for a longer or shorter period, but often the former, 
to the manifest detriment of the fibre. This may all be avoided, 
either by stacking the dried Flax stems until some convenient 
time, or adopting some of the improved methods for separating 
the fibre. 
With a few observations on the proportions of the different 
parts of the crop obtainable per acre, and the probable profits 
of the culture; we may proceed to apply the information which 
we have collected to India, and ascertain what are the prospects 
of success in the different parts of that wide-spread territory. 
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