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DICKSON ON ELAX AS A 



once apologise for committing such an error, as I should be 

 sorry to give personal offence ; but, as I said, I never read his 

 work, although I sent to several shops in the city for it, and 

 having only answered Mr. Beamish's quotations from it, I 

 cannot imagine I have been incorrect in the meaning of any 

 part of his statement. As it is now fifteen years since 

 I parted with my last farm, and I know, from reading and 

 conversing with farmers, there has been great improvement in 

 agriculture, I at once confess Mr. Stephens may be practically 

 a better agriculturist than I — that is, he may know how to 

 grow beans, peas, and cabbages, and also turnips, and may be 

 more skilful in directing the feeding of prize bullocks or 

 sheep, because of my want of practice: but in order to 

 inform the farmers of Great Britain and those in the county 

 Cork, which his book was likely to do, respecting Flax- culture, 

 and the advantages, or rather the disadvantages, which he 

 says attend it, he should be prepared to tell them how many 

 years experience he has had, in order that the public may 

 believe that his writings are not theoretical, but worthy of 

 reliance. He should tell them of his system of rotation of 

 crops and the results, and how he proved it ruinous ; also 

 what quantity he had per acre, whether he had sown it for 

 one year or ten ? whether he had acres, or tried experiments 

 in a garden. This 1 should look for before I could believe 

 him practically acquainted with Fi ax-culture, because, from 

 the first letter that I forwarded to your journal for insertion, I 

 was as well prepared as I am now, with references to figures 

 and practical farmers, to prove I was incapable of misrepre- 

 sentation, and as to the sentiments and experience of Scottish 

 farmers on Flax-growing, which Mr. Stephen allows to be his 

 guide, compared with the dozens of practical results to farmers 

 in the north of Ireland which I have often placed before you, 

 under the teaching of the Belfast Improvement Society, and 

 Professor Kane's clear and able lectures, I will allow the 



