While heavy clay, unless worked into the condition of a garden 

 patch or onion bed (pretty difficult thing to accomplish) had 

 better be avoided. 



PREVIOUS CROP. 



Having decided upon the quality of the land to be sown with 

 flax it is of importance to consider its condition and previous 

 crop. The most important factor at this point is to secure a 

 clean seed-bed, as it is contrary to American ideas to spend time 

 and labor in hand-weeding flax. We must secure clean land 

 before we sow the flax. This requirement will be fairly met by 

 sowing on a two-year-old clover sod that has been plowed deeply 

 (10 to 12 inches) the previous fall and left to fallow all winter, 

 then plowed shallow (2 to 3 inches) early as the weather con- 

 ditions will permit, and run a light harrow two or three times 

 over the surface before sowing. The object of this treatment is 

 two-fold. First, to compel all weed seeds already in the soil to 

 germinate and kill them by the consequent exposure to the 

 weather and at the same time reducing the surface soil to a fine 

 tilth. Deep rooting hoed crops, such as potatoes or carrots are 

 good weed exterminators if kept all through the growing season 

 constantly hoed AND CLEAR OF WEEDS. This system of cul- 

 ture is known as the intensive culture and dust mulch. 



ROTATION OF CROPS. 



As it used to be unprofitable to sow flav for two successive 

 seasons on the same land without intervention of other crops, 

 the European flax planters varying the interval from 5 to 12 

 years. It has been found advisable to introduce this system into 

 my distinctively American system, varying indeed details in dif- 

 ferent localities, according to circumstances. Many farmers di- 

 vide their available arable land into permanent fields of about 

 one-tenth of whole area. Aim to have that quantity under flax 

 each year, but always with the full interval between each crop 

 of flax. If a farm of 40 acres be divided into five fields of 8 acres 

 each, we will have the basis of a 5 year ROTATION. 



ANOTHER FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE. 



As this phase of the subject is open to a confusing multi- 

 tude of changes, I will confine myself to principles and what 

 they call for. In another pl^ce I called attention to the law, 

 WEEDS ARE DEATH ON FLAX. I am here met with the ques- 

 tion : How do you eliminate the weeds by a simple and efficacious 

 conformity with the fundamental requirements of the plan. 



FLAX FOR OIL. 



Flax for oil is produced by sowing the seed thinly (1 to 2 

 pecks per acre). This thin seeding has a tendency to induce 

 a low stocky growth at the expense of the quality of the fiber 

 for the production of which this pil producing seea can not be 

 used without loss. 



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