as practised in Ireland and on the Continent. 
419 
pend on, and another consideration is that, to treat flax so as to 
save seed suitable for sowing reduces the quality of the fibre. 
The saving of seed for sowing, however, is not sufficiently 
attended to in Ireland, and it would be desirable that growers 
of flax should reserve a small portion of each year's crop for 
seed — of course, assuming that the crop is grown from Riga 
seed. The portion set apart for seed production should be sown 
rather thinner than that from which no sowing-seed is intended 
to be taken, and it should be allowed to ripen on the foot. Poor 
stunted spots often occur in flax-fields which might be judi- 
ciously left to mature, and save the seed therefrom. Seed must 
be selected by its appearance, choosing it of a bright colour and 
plump, and as free as possible from imperfect pickles ; but even 
with all these characteristics the farmer may not procure a really 
good article ; the surest method of obtaining genuine seed is 
to purchase a known brand from a reliable importer. 
It is stated that in Belgium seed two years old is preferred, 
but no seed beyond one year old should be sown without testing 
its vegetating power. 
It may be observed that little has been said about the time 
these operations require ; for this reason, that so much depends 
on the weather and other conditions where observation can be the 
only guide. For example, if the weather is warm both day and 
night during the period of steeping, it will take far less time 
than under reverse circumstances. Flax cannot be watered to 
advantage when the nights become chilly. Every farmer should 
have a barometer, and regulate all his outdoor operations accord- 
ing to its indications. It will prove a faithful friend, and save 
not only money but a vast amount of anxiety. 
The manurial value of the water in which flax has been 
steeped has been overrated, and it is very doubtful if it is 
worth the cost of pumping and distributing with carts over 
the land. Certainly it is not practicable for the small farmer. 
The operation of drying flax in the field for holding over till 
the following summer before being retted is seldom practised in 
Ireland unless from necessity, owing to lack of water or other 
circumstances ; and experience has shown that such a system in 
a climate of so uncertain a character as exists in Ireland, would 
be attended with doubtful results. The flax produced is usually 
striped and discoloured, and the quality otherwise injured, more 
especially when the seed has been matured for sowing purposes. 
However, this method should not be discouraged, as, in the 
event of its being successfully carried out, it has advantages to 
recommend it. The Belgium mode, so far as the manipulation 
is concerned, is the best — of course steeping would be done in 
