368 



On the Cultivation of Flax, 



Silica and siliceous sand .... 



Oxide of iron ....... 



Alumina ........ 



Basic phosphate of iron .... 



Carbonate of lime ...... 



Magnesia, alkalies, and sulphuric and 

 muriatic acids ...... 



Organic matter, containing nitrogen . 

 Water 



Irish, 

 No. 1. 



Irish, 

 No. 2. 



Irish, 

 No. 3. 



Belgian, 

 No. 4. 



73-72 



5- 51 



6- 65 



0- 06 



1- 09 



69-41 

 5-29 

 5-70 

 0 • 25 

 0-53 



64-93 

 5-64 

 8-97 



0- 31 



1- 67 



92-78 

 0-66 

 Ml 

 0-21 

 0-35 



0-32 

 4 -86 

 7-57 



0-25 

 6-67 

 11-48 



0-45 

 9-41 

 8-62 



012 

 2-74 

 2-03 



99-78 



99-78 



100-00 



100-00 



The Irish soils were from the counties of Londonderry and 

 Tyrone, and were considered very good for flax. The Belgian 

 was from Duffel, in the province of Antwerp, and may be taken 

 as representing a third-rate class of flax-soil in that country, re- 

 quiring much manure, but producing good crops. 



The next table exhibits an analysis by Professor Hodges,* of 

 Belfast, of three flax-soils which I had carefully taken from three 

 districts in Belgium. Nos. 1 and 2 are of the Pays de Waes, the 

 Courtrai giving a flax different in colour from, but of equal quality 

 with, the Lokeren, and both the best, perhaps, in the world ; No. 

 3, the Ypres, a good medium quality of fibre. 



Analysis. 



Courtrai, 

 No. ]. 



Lokeren, 

 No. 2. 



Ypres, 

 No. 3. 





3-80 



1-85 



2-92 





4-48 



3-25 



5-78 





87-04 



91-80 



86-47 





1-96 



1-16 



1-57 





1-52 



1-22 



1-34 





0-96 



0-55 



0-49 



Carbonate of magnesia ......... 



0-27 



traces 



0-51 



Sulphates and chlorides soluble in water .... 



0-20 



0-14 



0-48 





100-23 



99-97 



99-56 



The place which flax should occupy in the rotation of cropping 

 must depend on the nature of the soil. It is not generally consi- 

 dered advisable to repeat flax at shorter intervals than 8, 9, or 10 

 years. 



I annex some instances of the rotations common in flax-grow- 

 ing districts of Ireland and Belgium, the first throe being from 

 the former, and the last two from the latter country. 



* For Dr. Hodges's remarks on these soils, see Appendix. 



