AT CHEMNITZ. 



At Chemnitz they attempted to organize a co-operative union 

 for flax culture. With the following rules: First — an interval 

 of seven years between each crop of flax must intervene. Second 

 — the previous crop must be fertilized with rye, wheat, oats, or 

 one-year-old clover sod. Third — the flax field must be thoroughly 

 drained and as free from weeds as possible. Fourth — the flax 

 field must be plowed, sub-soiled and the surface leveled in the 

 previous fall. Fifth^ — fresh manure and night soil is not per- 

 mitted to be used, but a full dressing of 1000 kilos of kainit 

 (2204 pounds) and 5.0 kilos (110 pounds) per hectare, (247 

 acres) of ground bone. Sixth — the seed to be sown as early in the 

 spring as possible after the ground is made as smooth as pos- 

 sible by rolling and lightly harrowed. Seventh — 4 1-2 centner 

 of Russian, or 3 1-2 of rose flax seed. Eighth — it is absolutely 

 necessary to remove weeds at the right time. The field must be 

 weeded when the flax is six to eight centimeters high (2 or 3 

 inches). Ninth — the pulling of the straw is when it is more 

 yellow than green and the greater part of the seed slightly brown. 

 I give the foregoing account of work at Chemnitz as a sample 

 of HOW NOT TO DO IT. (!) 



PRUSSIAN SILESIA. 



In Silesia, formerly the flax was more largely grown than 

 in Saxony, while now it has gone greatly backward, being grown 

 on a small scale in the uplands for domestic purposes, while 

 the bottom lands have recently been more used for beets and 

 rape. When grown for the market it is sold in the straw, or 

 at best only retted, but not scutched. This falling ofT in produc- 

 tion is owing to the competition of Russian flax, which, being of 

 cheaper quality, is cheaper. In Popelau, the Prussian Govern- 

 ment has established an experimental station for nine years past, 

 illustrating the Belgian method of culture and management, and 

 also small fields are established in the neighborhood as object 

 lessons for the flax farmers and experts are sent to teach the 

 farmers in the field the most improved system of work, while 

 bulletins are published from time to time on the subject. The 

 Prussian Government, in order to encourage the flax industry, 

 use linen clothing for their army while other governments use 

 the cheaper cotton fabrics. Professor R. Baur has been granted- 

 by the Prussian Government 16,000 marks to enable him to con- 

 duct experiments in new processes of flax treatment. Dr. Baur's 

 invention was expected to produce a grade of flax to compete 

 with that of Courtrai, but has failed to do so and is only adapted 

 to the coarser fabrics and to hemp, nettles, chinqa and grasses, 

 but the process is kept a secret. Enough is known, however, 

 that Silesia cannot compete with Belgium in producing fine 

 flax. Dr. Baur's improved method is a hot water, combined with 

 acid and alkalies, is like all hot water and chemical systems 

 while turning out a fiber of good color, they are all ill adapted 

 to either wet or dry spinning. 



13 



