A POINTER. 



Owing to the demoralization in the flax industry by the Eu- 

 ropean war, the market price having advanced over 500 per cent 

 from what it was before the war, the prudent farmer should se- 

 cure in his contract with the scutch mill, an option to require 

 either "cash" or stock in the company. If he sells his straw for 

 cash, he will get a good price for it, but if he insists on getting 

 stock he becomes a partner and secures his full share in the 

 profits of the growing manufacturing branch of the business, as 

 such mills are classed as co-operative. 



WHAT IS THE COST OF GROWING AN ACRE OF FLAX? 



I give a couple of practical examples of which any experienced 

 farmer may judge for himself. 



NO. I NO. 2 



Fall plowing $2.00 Spring plowing $2.00 



Subsoiling 2.00 First harrowing 50 



Harrowing 50 Second harrowing 50 



Spring plowing 2.00 Rolling 50 



First harrowing 50 Sowing and covering 75 



Second harrowing 50 Pulling and tieing 6.00 



Rolling and planking. 50 Hauling to mill 3.00 



Sowing and covering 75 2y2 bushels seed 7.50 



Pulling and tieing 6.00 



Hauling to mill 3.00 $20.75 



Three bushels seed 9.00 



$26.75 



Whenever possible, I recommended No. 1, though costing six 

 dollars an acre more than No. 2, yet the heavier seeding and the 

 better tillage will yield a flax of a finer quality and for which the 

 mill will pay a higher price and will also yield a heavier crop to 

 the acre. It must be here noted that this cost, with the exception 

 of the seeds, is not cash outay, but ordinary farm work and in 

 any case the cost of the seed is advanced and not paid until after 

 it is earned. It must also be remembered that the foregoing is 

 based on the establishment of a scutch mill in the farmer's vicin- 

 ity. Now in regard to the farmer breaking and scutching his own 

 flax. A few remarks may be of interest in this case. This is a 

 distinct industry for the flax scutching mill and the flax spinning 

 mill are two very different establishments. The scutch mill takes 

 the flax straw from the grower and rets it, then breaks it, then 

 scutches it, and makes what is called "scutched flax" or long 

 "line" for the spinner. The scutch mill may or may not (at their 

 own option) go a step farther and hackle this long line or mill 

 scutched flax and produce what is called "dressed line" of dif- 

 ferent grades for the spinner. This is a much higher-priced com- 

 modity and frequently the spinner does the hackling to suit par- 

 ticular requirements. The spinner requires a large, costly estab- 



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