98 



CHOICE OF GROUND FOR FLAX CULTURE, 



more on the number of the people,, than of the sheep, by which 

 they are occupied. It is certain that neither pasturing nor 

 agriculture, alone, can make any country so rich and prosper- 

 ous by themselves as when they are conjoined with manufac- 

 ture and with commerce. But these cannot be carried on in 

 any place which does not abound with people. 



As the culture of flax it not yet well understood by the 

 greatest number of those who raise it in this county, it may be 

 proper to give a few directions on the subject. Choice must 

 then be made of suitable ground for it. A deep sandy loam, 

 in good heart, clean and well pulverized, is the best. It an- 

 swers well on rich ley ground, as it will be free from weeds ; or 

 after potatoes. 



The seed should be sown when the ground is neither too wet 

 nor too dry, and harrowed in like clover, with a short-teethed 

 harrow, after the ground has been first broken and smoothed 

 by another harrow. This will prevent any of the seed from 

 going too deep, and make it come up equally, It is better to 

 sow rather thick than thin ; for if too thin it will branch, and 

 the goodness of the crop will depend on its running into long 

 fine stalks, without branches. 



The ground, after sowing, should be well clodded, and then 

 rolled, to prevent its being hurt by drought. When three or 

 four inches long, the crop must be carefully weeded, and as 

 little injury as possible done to it by the feet or otherwise. 

 The crop should not be allowed to ripen so much as is com- 

 monly done at present.* It is owing to the common error in 

 this case, that flax has got the name of being a scouring 

 crop. 



No circumstance respecting the management of flax requires 

 more attention than to water it properly. We generally keep 

 it too long in the pond, or rather in the stream, which is inju- 

 diciously allowed to run over it. If the flax was pulled in 

 proper time, and the water warm and soft, the rind will pro- 



* The finer quality of Irish and foreign lint is ascribed to its being pulled 

 before it is ripe. This, too, will add to the quantity. A writer in the Sta- 

 tistical Account (XVI. 527), after telling that 71 half-stones were got from 

 three lippiesof seed, observes, that it was pulled before it was fully ripened. 



