L I N 
but unlefs the autumn proves favourable, the feeds do 
not ripen in England. The flower-ftalks of this fort 
decay in the autumn, but the lower fhrubby ftalk 
continues with the other branches all the year. 
The twelfth fort grows naturally upon the Alps ; this 
hath a perennial root, from whence arife two or three 
flender ftiff ftalks, which divide at the top into two 
or three llender branches, garnifiied with fpear-fhaped 
leaves placed alternately. The flowers come out 
fingly at the joints, and fit clofe to the ftalks •, their 
empalements are cut into five flender legments, 
which are longer than the petals of the flower. The 
flowers are yellow, and appear about the fame time 
with the common fort, and the feeds ripen in the 
autumn. 
The thirteenth fort grows common in many parts of 
England, upon dry barren hills. It is commonly call- 
ed Linum catharticum, purging Flax, and alfo Moun- 
tain Flax. This rifes with feveral branching flender 
ftalks about (even or eight inches high, garnifiied with 
fmall, oval, fpear-lhaped leaves placed oppofite. The 
flowers are fmall and white, Handing upon pretty long 
foot-ftalks, which come out from the fide of the 
branches, and alfo where they are divided. They ap- 
pear in July, and are fucceeded by fmall round cap- 
fules, containing fmall flat feeds which ripen in the 
autumn. This is one of thofe plants which refufes 
culture. I have frequently fown the feeds both in au- 
tumn and fpring, but could feldom get up any of the 
plants, and others who have made the trial have found 
the fame. 
The fourteenth fort grows naturally about Montpe- 
lier, and in fome parts of Italy near the fea. This 
rifes with upright ftalks near two feet high, the lower 
part of which are garnifned-with fpear-fhaped leaves 
placed oppofite, but on the upper part they are alter- 
nate. The ftalks divide upward into feveral branches, 
the tops of which are garnifhed with yellow flowers 
about the fize of thofe of common Flax, which hang 
downward * thefe are fucceeded by fmall oval cap- 
l'ules, containing fmaller feeds than thofe of the com- 
mon Flax. The flowers appear in July, and the feeds 
ripen in the autumn. 
There are feveral other fpecies of Flax 'which grow 
wild in the different parts of Europe, but thofe here 
enumerated are all I have feen growing in the Eng- 
lifh gardens. 
The firft fort is that which is cultivated for ufe in di- 
vers parts of Europe, and is reckoned an excellent 
commodity •, the right tilling and ordering of which, 
isefteemed a good piece of hufbandry. 
This fhould be cultivated upon a rich foil, that has 
not been ploughed for feveral years, upon which Flax 
always makes the beil improvement ; but as it draws 
greatly from the foil, it fhould not be fown two years 
together upon the fame ground, nor in lefs than after 
five or fix years interval. 
This ground fhould be as clean from weeds as pof- 
fible •, in order to have it fo, it fhould be fallowed two 
winters and one fummer, obferving to harrow the 
ground well between each ploughing, particularly in 
fummer, to deftroy the young weeds foon after they 
appear, that the fmalleft of them may not ftand to ri- 
pen their feed ; this will alfo break the clods, and fe- 
parate their parts fo, that they will fall to pieces on 
being ftirred. If the land fhould require dung, that 
fhould not be laid on till the laft ploughing, when it 
muft be buried in the ground •, but this dung fhould 
be fuch as is clear from the feeds of weeds, which it 
always will be where there is care taken to keep the 
dunghills clean from weeds, and the places near it ; 
for iuppofing there fhould be any feeds at firft among 
the dung, yet when it is laid in a heap and well fer- 
mented, that will deftroy the feeds ; but there are few 
perfons who are careful to keep their dunghills, and 
the places near them,, clean from weeds j and the 
feeds of thefe falling on the dung, are carried upon 
the land ; from whence fprung that vulgar error, 
that dung produces weeds, which it can never do, if 
there is not the feeds mixed with it. Juft before the 
L I N 
feafoii for fowing of the Flax feed, the land muft bff 
well ploughed, laid fiat and even, upon which the 
feeds fhould be fown about the latter end of March, 
or the beginning of April, when the weather is mild 
and warm. 
The common way is to fow the feed in broad-caft, 
and to allow from two to three bufhels of feeds to one 
acre of land ; but from many repeated trials, I have 
found it is a much better method to fow the feeds in 
drills, at about ten inches diftance from each other* 
by which half the quantity of feed which is ufually 
fown, will produce a greater crop ^ and when the Flax 
' is thus fown, the ground may be eafily hoed to deftroy 
the weeds ; which, if twice repeated in dry weather, 
will keep the ground clean till the Flax is ripe : this 
may be performed at half the expence which the hand 
weeding will coil, and will not tread down the plants 
nor harden the ground, which by the other method is 
always done and it is abfoluiely neceffary to keep the 
Flax clean from weeds, otherwife they will overbear 
and fpoil the crop. 
There are fome people who recommend the feeding 
of fheep with Flax, when it is a good height ; and 
fay, they will eat away the weeds and Grafs, and do 
the Flax good •, and if they fhould lie in , it, and beat 
it down or flatten it, it will rife again the next rain : 
but this is a very wrong practice, for if the fheep 
gnaw or eat the Flax, the plants will flhoot up very 
weak, and never come to half the fize they would 
have done, if not cropped : and as to the fheep de- 
ftroying the weeds, they never are fo nice diftin- 
guifhers, for if they like the crop better than the 
weeds, they will devour that and leave the weeds 
untouched. 
Toward the latter end of Auguft or the beginning 
of September, the Flax will begin to ripen, when 
you muft be careful that it does not ftand to be over 
ripe ; therefore you muft pull it up as foon as the 
heads begin to change brown and hang downwards, 
otherwife the feeds will foon fcatter and be loft ; fo 
that the pluckers muft be nimble, and tie it up in 
handfuls, fetting them upright till they be perfectly 
dry, and then houfe them. If the Flax be pulled 
when it firft begins to flower, it will be whiter than 
if it ftand till the feed is ripe, but then the feed will 
be loft j but the thread will be ftronger when Flax is 
left till the feed is ripe, provided it does not ftand too 
long, but the colour of it will not befo good. 
The Siberian perennial Flax has been made trial of, 
and anfwers very well for making of common ftrong 
linen, but the thread fpun from this is not fo fine or 
white as that which is produced from the common 
fort ; but as the roots of this fort will continue many 
years, fo there will be a great faving in the culture, 
as it will require no other care but to keep it con- 
ftantly clean from weeds ; which cannot be w r elldone, 
unlefs the feeds are fown in rows, that the ground 
may be conftantly kept hoed to deftroy the weeds 
when young ; for if they are fuftered to grow large, 
it will be difficult to get the ground clean, and they 
will weaken the roots. This lbrt muft have the ftalks 
cut off clofe to the ground when ripe, and tied up in 
fm^ll bundles, managing them afterward in the fame 
way as the common fort ; but this feldoin produces 
more than three crops, which will pay for Handing. 
The eighth fort I received from Iftria, which pro- 
duced the fineft thread of all the forts which I 
have tried *, and this grows taller than the common 
Flax, and having a biennial root, may be wor- 
thy of trial to fee how it will thrive in the open 
fields ; for in gardens it lives through the winter with- 
out receiving the leaft injury from the froft, the roots 
having furvived through the winter in the Chelfea 
garden feveral years ; and in order to make trial of 
its goodnefs, I gave a parcel of the ftalks of this, as 
alfo of the Spanifh and Siberian perennial forts, to a 
perlon who is well fkilled in watering, breaking, and 
dreffing of Flax, who prepared them, and affured me, 
that the Iftrian Flax was by much thefineftof the three, 
and was in goodnefs preferable to any he had feen. 
3 D There 
