178 ANALYSIS OF FORMER 
eight times. Somewhat sandy soils are the best. The hard soil which the 
natives select for growing Flax for the seed remains in clods, and cannot be 
pulverized. He first sowed one maund of seed (from the Chupra district) 
per begah. Mr. Bernard, one of the Belgian farmers, thought this too much; 
he reduced it to 20 seers, or 401b., which proved too little (and evidently so, 
as the same quantity is recommended by Mr. Deneef for the Bengal begah, 
which is only half the size). He began sowing on the 16th of October, and 
concluded by the end of the month; the plant was ready for steeping on the 
10th of February. He recommends sowing in the beginning of October, as 
there is moisture enough at the surface of the ground to sow broadcast. 
Early sowings, also, will in general do away with the necessity for irrigation, 
which is otherwise indispensable, and expensive. (But is not the greater 
heat both of the soil and of the sun more injurious than the greater dryness 
of the soil late in the season, when dew falls?) He states, that from 
the 10th of September till the 20th of January, when the Flax was in seed, 
and had ceased growing, there was no rain. About fifty begahs were sown 
with drill-ploughs, because there was no moisture at the surface of the ground, 
but as Mr. Bernard disapproved of this mode, the rest was sown broadcast, 
when they were obliged to irrigate the land. 
The plants having been pulled by the 10th of February, and the seeds 
taken off, the stems were steeped in (indigo) vats. The first vat was steeped 
nine days; the second and third, ten days; and the fourth and fifth, eleven 
days, the weather having got cooler from the fall of a shower of rain. Range 
of thermometer, 60 to 70°. The plant for steeping was not perfectly ripe, 
but the small plants were left to ripen their seed. 
The crop was small, owing to the unfavorable season. Only 1 maund 
25 seers of seed, and 701b. of Flax per begah, while the Duncanee begah 
ought to yield from 150 to 200 Ib. of clean Flax.! The proportion of Flax 
to the Tow or Codilla, varies according to the weather in which the Flax is 
cleaned; if prepared in the dry weather or hot winds, or from April to the 
end of June, the proportion is one third Flax to two thirds Tow; if prepared 
in damp weather, or from July to October, it is half to half. With regard 
to the cost, M. de Verinne says: “Supposing the season to be an average 
one, and the produce of the begah to be 150]b. of clean Flax, 100 begahs 
would give 63 tons, and the cost, according to the annexed estimate, being 
Rs. 2237, will show the cost per ton, landed in Calcutta, to be Rs.331, or £33. 
In making up the estimate, I have calculated the expenses according to 
those of the experiment of last year. Only the produce has been valued at 
1501b. per begah,” though 70 1b. only were obtained. 
' With these Indian returns of the produce per begah (which is at Bullea two 
thirds of an acre), we may contrast a statement by Dr. Hodges: “ From the returns 
of the Royal Flax Society, and from my own inquiries, I would estimate the average 
produce of a statute acre in the North of Ireland of air-dried Flax straw, with bolls, 
at two tons, which, by the seeding machine, are usually reduced to 3360 lb. By the 
various processes of the rural manufacturer, the amount of dressed Flax or fibre ob- 
tained averages from four to five cwt. per acre.” 
