CULTURE OF FLAX IN THE PUNJAB. 193 
of Bokhara Flax sown in England was found to be that of the 
common Flax. 
The inquiries made respecting the growth of Linseed in the 
Punjab elicited the following facts: 
On the Cis-Sutlej it is stated that three seers to a begah are sown 
broadcast when alone, or in drills; probably as an edging to other crops. 
Three maunds of Linseed considered a good crop. The stalks and husks con- 
sidered refuse and useless. The seed sells for 18 seers for the rupee to 
oilmen, A maund. of seed yields of oil 103 seers; of oil-cake 29% seers. 
The oil sells for 5 and 53, and the oil-cake at 60 to 66 seers for the rupee. 
In the Jalindhur Doab, Linseed is cultivated, especially in the Khadir or 
inundated Jand of the Beas and Sutlej Rivers; but plants always small; 
seed sells for 20 to 30 seers for a rupee. It is also cultivated in the Sheerwul, 
or tract of country in which the soil is firm and covered by a deposit from the 
rains, with the subsoil always moist—ripens before barley, and generally 
before wheat. 
Linseed is also cultivated in the rich loamy soils of the Kangra district 
skirting the Himalayas, but chiefly in the eastern parts, on account of the 
seed, which sells for 20 to 100 seers for the rupee—Flax itself burnt. 
In the Punjab, sown with barley and mussoor (or lentils) in Katick (Oct. 
and Nov.), and is ripein Cheyt (March and April); usually sown intermixed 
with the above crops, or in separate patches. Never irrigated, but grown 
along the Sutlej, in Khadir land, or that which is inundated during the rainy 
season, but never manured. 
In the Lahore division, it is grown chiefly about Sealkote and Deena- 
nuggur, and is the only part where the fibre seems to be made use of, as it is 
stated that the stalks yield a fibre which is made into twine, and used chiefly 
for the network of their charpaes or native beds. The price of the seed 
is about Rs,2 8 per maund. Bow localities are stated to be well suited to 
it, and the seed was in little demand. Twine made of the fibre was sent, but 
no notice seems to have been taken of its quality. 
From the above details of cultivation, it is evident that 
though Linseed is very generally known, it is nowhere exten- 
sively cultivated, as is evident from the price of the seed, which 
is dear in comparison with that of Wheat. Some of the uses 
are well known; for instance, the oil is used as a drying oil, 
and the bruised seed, mixed with flour, is described by Major 
Edwardes as given as a strengthening food for cattle, and the 
oil-cake is no doubt employed for the same purpose; while 
the fibre is sufficiently valued to be separated in some, though 
burnt in most other places. It would seem much in favour of 
the production of good fibre that the growth is much slower 
than in the southern provinces of Bengal. 
The Society began some experiments on the culture of Flax, 
in the cold weather of 1853, with seed obtained from Saharun- 
pore; that is, the same place from which the best seed was 
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