520 
Fourth  Report  on  the  Analysis 
greatly  exceeds  the  latter  grain.  In  addition  to  the  stalks  and 
the  seed  there  are  two  other  parts  of  the  llax  plant  of  no  small 
degree  of  importance — the  leaves,  which  more  or  less  fall  from  the 
flax  before  it  is  pulled,  and  the  bolls  or  husks  (the  envelope  of  the 
seed),  which  are  separated  with  the  latter  in  the  process  of 
rippling  or  beating. 
The  husks  and  leaves  of  which  the  analysis  is  given  below, 
were  from  the  fine  flax  of  Mr.  Warnes’  crop  before  described. 
Per  centage  of  Water,  Ash,  and  Sulphur,  in  the  Husks  and  Leaves  of  fine 
Flax : — 
W ater  
Ash 
Ash  on  dry  substance  ... 
Sulphur  on  1000  grains  of  tliel 
undried  specimens  . . J 
Composition  in  100  parts  of  the  Ash  of  the  Leaves  and  Husks  of  Flax  : — 
No.  5. 
ITusks. 
No.  6. 
Leaves. 
Silica 
15-43 
25-93 
Phosphoric  Acid 
2-61 
3-41 
Sulphuric  Acid  . 
4-26 
3-66 
Carbonic  Acid  . . . 
10-15 
9-76 
Lime  ..... 
26-60 
29*87 
Magnesia  .... 
2-50 
2*80 
Peroxide  of  Iron  . 
2-02 
3-24 
Potash 
25-80 
16-04 
Soda 
• • 
• . 
Coloride  of  Potassium  . 
3-37 
5*28 
Chloride  of  Sodium 
7-26 
• • 
Total  .... 
100-00 
99-99 
The  foregoing  analyses  afford  us  the  data  for  calculating  the 
immediate  effect  that  the  flax  crop  would  produce  upon  the 
mineral  stores  of  the  soil. 
As  in  all  other  crops,  however,  one  portion  of  the  flax  is,  in  the 
ordinary  course  of  farm  practice,  returned  to  the  sod  in  manure, 
whilst  another  part  goes  off  permanently  to  market,  we  therefore 
require  further  to  know  how,  in  the  case  of  flax,  this  distribution 
occurs. 
When  flax  is  becoming  ripe  the  greater  part  of  its  leaves  fall 
off  and  are  left  on  the  land. 
At  a convenient  time  the  grower  separates  the  seed  from  the 
straw  by  rippling  or  beating  it.  From  the  seed  the  capsule  or 
husk  is  separated  by  an  ordinary  winnowing-machine. 
The  seed  is  used  for  feeding  cattle,  or  it  may  in  some  cases  be 
sold ; the  husks  are  used  also  in  the  same  manner  as  hay  ; the 
Husks.  Leaves. 
13-33  ••  12-66 
6- 39  ••  7-72 
7- 37  • • 8-83 
2*01  ••  1-21 
