440 



On the Cultivation of Flax. 



exhausting than grain crops, and probably as little so as any crop 

 whatever. 



It is well known that plants and vegetables of all kinds derive 

 part of their nourishment from the earth, and part from the atmos- 

 phere. If the portion derived from the earth be again returned 

 to it, no exhaustion takes place, and successive crops may be 

 raised without injury to the productive energies of the soil. Now 

 no crop will return more of what was derived from the soil than 

 flax, provided a right application be made of the seed and refuse 

 of the plant. It has been shown in a series of carefully conducted 

 experiments by Professor Sir R. Kane, that the fibre of the flax- 

 plant is obtained entirely from the atmosphere, that no part of it 

 is derived from the soil ;* and therefore, if the other portions are 

 returned to the soil, as they may and ought to be, its powers will 

 remain undiminished, whilst the fibre, the most valuable portion 

 of the plant, would be left for the benefit of the cultivator. 



One great object to be aimed at therefore in flax culture, and 

 which is in fact hardly second in importance to that of producing 

 the best description of fibre, is such a disposal of all the other 

 portions of the plant as shall ensure their return to the soil in the 

 shape of manure. This object has hitherto been little attended 

 to, and hence the prevalent notion as to the peculiarly exhausting 

 nature of the flax crop; but now that the value of the seed for 

 fattening cattle has been so fully proved by Mr. Warnes of Nor- 

 folk and others, every farmer will be enabled, by applying the 

 seed of his flax crop to that pur])ose, to obtain a supply of the 

 richest manure, which, with the offal separated from the fibre in 

 course of preparation, will serve to renovate the soil and secure its 

 undiminished fertility. 



The chief difference therefore between the mode of cultivation 

 hitherto practised, and that now recommended, consists in this: — 

 by the old plan the seed and refuse were wasted or sold off the 

 land, and nothing was returned to the soil : but by the new plan the 

 seed and refuse are carefully preserved, and the former is applied 

 to the fattening of cattle; and thus every portion of the plant 

 except the fibre (which as before shown is obtained from the 

 atmosphere) will be returned to the soil. This would doubtless 

 be the proper practice under any circumstances, but it is pecu- 

 liarly applicable to England, where animal food is so largely con- 

 sumed. In no other country can flax-seed be applied to feeding 

 purposes with greater advantage ; and if restriction of any kind be 

 resorted to, it should be not to prohibit the growth of flax, but to 

 prevent the tenant from selling the seed off the farm, and to re- 



* See extracts from a Memoir by Professor Kane, as given in the appen- 

 dix of the third Report of the Irish Society for promoting the growth and 

 improvement of FJax. 



