13 



•grower in New York would be a safe rule to adopt in Victoria — 

 " Sow when the soil has settled, and is warmed by the influence 

 of the sun, and when weeds and grass have begun to spring up, 

 and the leaves of trees begun to unfold." It would be wise not 

 to sow until the frosts have ceased, and never in wet weather. 

 The months of October and November are quite early enough, 

 I should think, for most parts of this colony. After the seed has 

 been sown, the ground should be lightly harrowed several times, 

 and then rolled. 



It is very necessary indeed to be careful as to quality of the 

 seed, for on that depends, in a great measure, the success or uon- 

 success of the crop. If the seed contain weed seeds, it should be 

 carefully passed through sieves. Dutch seed is said to be best 

 for heavy soils, but Riga or Russian seed is the kind generally 

 used in Ireland, Belgium, France, and America. Change of seed 

 is no doubt desirable occasionally, the same as with wheat and 

 ■other cereals, to prevent deterioration ; and the Belgians, who are 

 perhaps the most successful and careful cultivators of flax in the 

 world, use the precaution of obtaining fresh seed from Riga every 

 second year, for the purpose of sowing and producing home-grown 

 .seed for the following season. As regards the quantity of seed 

 necessary per acre, from 2^ to 3 bushels will be required if the 

 crop be intended for fibre, in which case it must be sown thickly ; 

 if for linseed, 2 bushels, or even less, will be sufficient. In about 

 ■ten or twelve weeks after spring sowing (the exact time depends 

 upon the nature of the soil and climate) the crop will be ready 

 for pulling or mowing. Pulling is the system adopted by careful 

 cultivators if the crop be intended for fine fibre. To pull too 

 early or too late is to alter the texture of the fibre, perhaps to 

 spoil it. If too soon, the fibre is weak or very fine; if too late, 

 it is of coarse quality. When very fine fibre is required, the crop 

 is pulled while in flower, or when the "bolls" or seed pods are 

 just forming. If fibre of a stronger character be desirable, the 

 crop is said to be at its best when the stalk of the plant, for about 

 half its height from the ground, has turned yellow, and the upper 

 capsules have begun to turn brown. In pulling, a sudden jerk 

 and slight shake is necessary, so as not to drag up the soil. Flax 

 is seldom of uniform height in the field, therefore the tallest 

 plants should be grasped at the first handful and the shorter ones 

 at the second handful. In this way, the short and the long stems 

 can be kept separated and tied up in distinct bundles. 



Flax intended for stacking or housing is allowed to remain 

 long enough on the ground to dry. In this climate only a short 

 weathering will be necessary, and after being rippled it may be 

 tied up again in bundles, and either stacked for the purpose of 

 being dealt with, afterwards or the preparation of the fibre can be 

 proceeded with at once. The process of rippling or threshing out 



