October t, 1881.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
347 
nishing the whole life-long journey of the human 
race, from the cradle to the grave ; supplies various 
items of clothing, writing materials, beilding, fuel, 
medicine, external as well a3 internal ; manure, 
material to aid the painter's art, animal food of the 
highest nutritive qualities, and, above all, when duly 
and properly managed, affords that inestimable blessing 
to a population, a constant source of remunerative 
employment. Again, if the patrons of agricultural 
science will not generously aid, flax and hemp will not 
be grown ; we shall remain dependeut upon others 
for much we might and ought in produce ourselves ; 
we shall contiuue to pay away large sums which we 
might retain in our own pockets, ami many a constant 
wages will remain unearned by willing labourers, 
because neither the material nor the skill to work it 
are produced and placed within his power." 
Again, a quotation from an intelligent contributor 
on flax culture in the North of Ireland — 
"From Belfast to Coleraine is now one enormous 
bleachtield, to go from the south to the north is like 
passing from darkness into light. The stranger ascend- 
ing the Church Tower in Belfast sees around him 
little but the chimneys of the linen mills which have 
converted the city — a hundred years ago a mere col- 
lection of unpaved lanes and wretched cabins— into 
one of the wealthiest in Ireland. The contrast has 
been too great not to strike the really intelligent, 
though often, alas ! misguided natives of the other 
provinces, and they have, in many instances, betakcu 
themselves, apparently in earnest, to the culture of 
a plant which has proved so true a friend to their 
northern brethren. In Cork, especially, the move- 
ment shows a strength and persistency greatly beyond 
what usually characterises the run of Irish industrial 
enterprises." 
Some thirty years ago the writer in the Review 
was largely engaged in agricultural pursuits, and 
cultivated Max for four years successively— sent sam- 
ples to the great Exhibition of 1851, receiving medal 
and certificate of merit; he also sent bales to the 
great house of .Marshall, of Leeds (who alone purchase 
flax to the extent of a million sterling annually), 
who pronounced the flax as of most excellent quality. 
The discovery of gold stayed his further progress at 
that period (1S52), -since which time he has been 
engaged in squatting pursuits. He can therefore write 
with Fome degree of confidence, and honestly assert 
that the soil and climate of many parts of Victoria 
are peculiarly adapted for the cultivation of flax. 
And if tbe climate of Victoria and South Australia 
is suitable for this industry, Western Australia, in 
its southern and eastern parts, must be equally so. 
We canuot do better than give the writer's own 
words iu describing the modes of operation in the 
growing and preparation of flax. He says : — 
" When cultivating the plant I have sow n llax 
Beed after grass, after wheat, upon new land, and 
upon land under fallow; or rather, instead of fallow- 
ing, strictly speaking, and allowing the land to lie 
idle the whole year, flux feed has been sown in the 
spring, and wheat the following autumn. When sown 
on new land or after grass, one ploughing only has 
been given, immediately preceding sowing; but after 
wheat or other grain crop the ground has been ploughed 
BMplj as early ns possible, and again in the spring, 
with repeated scarifying and harrowing, eo as to get 
the toil into the finest possible tilth uefore sowing 
the eiod. Of course I am assuming that the agricult- 
ural readei is one who is fully alive to the propriety 
and profitableness of farming his land properly for 
whatever crop ho pur|M>8t'S raising. The earth, as 
a quaint old writer puts it,— ' is as a coy maiden 
the more she is tickled the more tho loves you — so 
the coil, the more it in tickled by the plough going 
dci p, with lOariflei and harrow to boot, the moro 
eho will yield tho fanner. 1 Having got tho laud in 
proper order, sow two bushek of clear linseed ; that 
quantity per acre gives fine flax and good seed. The 
ordinary linseed of commerce is not the seed from 
which the finest flax is raised. Flax seed is imported 
yearly into Ireland from Riga (in Russia), and Holland, 
for seed purposes— from the former it comes in casks, 
officially eeded as being true and good. The land 
should be sown (the reverse way to the last harrow- 
ing) broadcast and as evenly distributed as possible, 
then harrowed over (the same way as sown), with a 
very light grass seed or brush harrow, finishing off 
with a light rolling carefully, and if this can be got 
through while the land is dry and friable so much the 
better. The time of sowing, as early as possible in 
the spring of the year. No fixed dates can be given, 
the intelligent cultivator will be guided by his ex- 
perience of the locality and nature of soil. As it, is 
sown thickly, so it springs up, and tho rapid nature 
of its growth, in this country, does not allow weeds 
to interfere, if the land is moderately cban. The 
proper time to commence pulling ihe crop is when 
the leaves begin to fall from the plant, and the stalks 
are nearly all yellow ; experimentally, it has been 
pulled at various stages — when quite green, partially 
so (as is the Irish plan, by which they lose the seed), 
fully ripe, and when nearly so. The latter is found 
to be by- far the best practice, having regard to fine 
fibre and good seed. 
Thus we have extracted the gist of the matter 
contained in the introductory portion of the paper 
iu the Riview, and trust our agricultural readers will 
be at once induced to make a start, if it is on ever 
so small a scale. Let them try with half an acre as 
an experiment ; at the very worst the straw can be 
used for bedding for horses or for thatching, and 
the seed given to the pigs. There is no doubt in 
our minds that if once the attempt be made it will be 
continued, and, if properly made, that success will 
attend the effort. We shall give some further parti- 
culars of the industry in u future issue. 
A SUBSTITUTE FOR WATTLE BARK IN 
TANNING. 
TO THIS • EDITOR OF THE "AUSTRALASIAN." 
Sir, — I notice in your issue of July 5 a letter signed 
"Kangaroo," asking for a substitute for wattle in 
reference to tanning skins. I have tried " balar," 
commonly called black oak, which has proved very 
satisfactory. Quantities : oue bucketful of bark to 
two of water, to let simmer for six hours, and skins 
to remain iu the liquid from 10 to 12 days. 
Poolamica, July 2S. Charles Wenyeve. 
INSECTS ON WATTLE BARK. 
Sir, — A great many of the wattle trees on my 
farm are covered from base of trunk to extremity of 
large branches with millions of eggs of some kind'of 
insect (I send yon specimen). Would you please say 
what they will become when fully developed, and 
oblige ROMSKY. 
[Au experienced entomologist, Mr. Robert Scott, of 
Richmond, has obligingly furnished us with following 
uotc3 on the specimens :— I have examined the p : ece 
of wattle bark from the Lancefield district. The 
small ot jeets which cover its surface appear to be 
the protecting seals or covers containing tho Inrvm 
of some insect of tho Coecioa-, or "scale insect" 
kind- Many species of Coccida- aro found in Aus- 
tralia on gum and wattle treec, \e. The larvte are 
very bo ft and easily injured; and it is d>ffioult to 
get them separated from tho scale uninjured and in 
a *tato suitable for examination. 1 managed, how- 
ever, to examine a few under a good microscope. S 
far as I can judge from the form of tho scales (wbio? 
