On the Cultivation of Flax. 



371 



in England, generally produces the stronger and hardier plant, 

 probably from the amelioration of climate being much more 

 striking than in the case of the Dutch. The former always gives 

 a heavier crop ; but the latter produces generally a finer fibre, 

 while, from the greater care with which it is prepared, it is much 

 cheaper than the Riga, which often contains 15 to 20 per cent, of 

 the seeds of weeds, causing a loss to that extent, and being difficult 

 to separate. Seed, the growth of the United States of America, 

 was formerly used to a great extent in Ireland, but has of late 

 got out of favour, since the plant grows branchy, and much fibre 

 is consequently wasted in the scutching. In Norfolk and Essex, 

 seed the produce of the country has been grown, year after year, 

 and goods crops obtained. This practice cannot, however, be re- 

 commended, since in Flanders, where the management of the 

 crop approaches perfection, it is g^ver done. Excellent crops 

 have been grown in Ireland from seed saved from Russian, and it 

 is much recommended that enough of the foreign should be pur- 

 chased by the farmer annually to rear seed for his sowing of the 

 following year, thus keeping up a fresh supply. Where home- 

 saved seed is purchased for sowing, care should be taken to select 

 from a suitable change of soil, the same as with the seed of grain- 

 crops. Riga seed is imported in barrels, containing 3^ bushels, 

 and covered with a coarse linen bag. The barrels are branded 

 in Russia by officers named hracliers, appointed for the purpose 

 by government, who classify the seed as it arrives from the inte- 

 rior, and arrange it under the terms " sowing seed," " rejected 

 sowing seed," and " crushing seed." Notwithstanding this^ how- 

 ever, frauds are frequently practised, by mixing the first quality 

 with the others. Dutch seed is seldom adulterated, and is much 

 more carefully cleaned than Riga. It comes in old wine-hogs- 

 heads, which contain 7 bushels each, and are marked with the 

 initials of the shipper.* Each firm becomes thus, to a certain 

 extent, responsible for the quality of the seed which they ship, as 

 those most careful in the selection ahvays command the highest 

 prices. Riga seed varies in price from 2bs. to 575. Q)d. per 

 barrel (js. to IQs. per bushel), and Dutch from 525. to 95^. per 

 hogshead (Js. to 135. 6fZ. per bushel). The price is regulated by 

 the demand, or the quantity of each year's crop of a quality fit 

 for sowing. In selecting seed, care must be taken to have it from 

 a respectable dealer, and in Ireland a written guaranty is often 

 demanded that the seed is of the import of the season. Choose 



* It may be observed that Dutch seed costs more in these packages 

 than if it were put in bags, by at least 9d per bushel. This arises from a 

 prejudice in favour of the hogsheads in Ireland, to which the principal 

 exports are made, as the farmers have been accustomed to see inferior 

 crushing-seed brought in bags, and consequently prefer the casks. 



