470 



On the Cultivation of Flax. 



would give two wheat crops in seven j^ears, and requires good land and 

 liberal management. 



An Eight Years^ Rotation. — 1st year, turnips manured; 2nd year, 

 wheat ; 3rd year, flax lightly manured ; 4th year, barley and seeds ; 

 5th year, clover hay ; 6th year, grass ; 7th year, peas or beans, manured 

 more or less according to the nature of the land ; 8th year, oats; and 

 then the rotation commences again. 



APPENDIX B. 

 Referred to at page 460. 



Observations on the Cultivation of Flax as practised in Somer- 

 setshire. By * — * — of S — P — . 



Soil. — Flax requires a dry soil, either naturally or artificially. 

 Loam, mild clay, stonebrash, and gravelly soils are well adapted for 

 its growth, especially a good dry rich sandy loam ; but whatever the 

 soil flax is to be grown on, it must first be put in a high state of cul- 

 tivation and freed from weeds to ensure success. 



Preparation for the Seed. — Flax will succeed best after potatoes, 

 wheat, or clover-leys, or perhaps best of all on newly broken-up maiden 

 land. The land should be ploughed in the autumn, so as to lie all the 

 winter exposed to the frost and the action of the atmosphere, by which 

 slugs will be destroyed, which are some of its greatest enemies, and a 

 good tilth ensured for the reception of the seed. The general practice 

 amongst the best flax-growers is, either to fold the land with sheep at 

 the rate of from 1800 to 2000 per statute acre, twice, one folding in the 

 autumn before the first ploughing, and the other during the winter, or 

 early in the spring if the weather permits, or one folding and from 

 25 to SO yards of good compost of dung and earth. The land requires 

 to be in a fine tilth, with a firm bottom, previously to receiving the seed. 



Seed. — The usual practice is to obtain Riga seed in barrels of about 

 3 bushels each (when freed from dirt and seeds), which will be a suffi- 

 cient quantity to sow an acre and a half; although some growers prefer 

 sowing 9 pecks per statute acre. This seed may be sown three years, 

 when it will be advisable to procure more " barrel seed," as it is pro- 

 vincially termed in this county. If, however, the seed is not changed 

 about every three years, the flax plant will degenerate, which may be 

 observed by its throwing out lateral shoots, and not attaining its former 

 height. When this is the case, the stem will be coarse and the flax not 

 of so good quality. The great desideratum to be aimed at in growing 

 this plant is to get it tall and fine. The general custom is to sow the 

 seed broadcast, about the first week in April, if the season will permit ; 

 I have known it sown as early as the last week in March, and as late as 

 May, though seldom with success ; but within the last four or five years 

 a considerable quantity has been drilled at 6-inch intervals ; and I am 

 of opinion that this practice is increasing, as it affords greater facilities 



