THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Aug. 1, 186* 
20 ON THE CULTIVATION OF 
becomes. In many flax growing countries, such as Courtrai, Holland, 
&c, the straw is kept over from one or two years before it is manufac- 
tured. Throughout the whole of this process, from the pulling to the 
preparation for the scutcher, the point we have now arrived at, — it 
should be especially recollected when we complain that wages are high 
and labour scarce in this country at this season of the year, that in 
every stage the work is light and may be done by the younger members 
of a family. Suppose the head of a family offers a direct benefit from 
the proceeds of the crop when brought to market, depend on it he will 
soon enlist those advanced far enough in years to make themselves 
useful. In fact, in Ireland all this work is carried on by females, young 
boys, and girls, and is more suited to this class than those of riper years, 
there being a good deal of stooping attending it, especially in spreading 
and lifting off the grass. Since the cost of pulling seems to be such an 
obstacle, let us make the comparison between the cost of pulling an acre 
of flax and cutting an acre of wheat. Say an acre of wheat will cost 1 
dol., four hands at 3s. 9d. per day each, will readily pull an acre of flax 
in a day. We will take credit for the difference in weight between a 
bushel of wheat and a bushel of flax-seed, which is 4lbs, and at 1*50 
dols. per bushel, would amount to about 1'40 dols. This deducted from 
3 dols., will leave only 1*60 dols. more for pulling an acre of flax than 
cutting an acre of wheat. Now let us compare the produce of an acre 
of each. Say the average quantity of wheat is fifteen bushels, — which it is 
to be regretted has not been always reached of late years, — and put the 
price at 1 dol. per bushel. This will give us 15 dols. Put the average 
quantity of flax seed at ten bushels, two bushels less than the average 
stated by Messrs. PerineBros. and Co. in ' The Canada Farmer,' 15 Jan., 
1864. Call the price 1*50 dols. per bushel, and we have the same result 
as from the fifteen bushels of wheat. The labour in either case will be 
about equal, as fall wheat requires two seasons to produce a crop when 
fallowing is necessary. Flax is a spring crop, put in and taken off in 
the short space of seventy or eighty clays. Taking so much for granted, 
it will be seen that whatever is gained from the fibre will be net profit 
to the farmer ; and while he gets tea bushels of seed, he may safely 
reckon on 300 lbs. of clean scutched flax, worth, at present prices, from 
6 dols. to 8 dols. per 100 lbs. ; but assuming it to be only worth 5 dols. 
there will be 15 dols. profit over wheat. Some argue that hay will pro- 
duce more than a crop of flax ; then I say, grow hay by all means. 
Others say barley will produce more * but they must not forget that, 
should the abrogation of the Eeciprocity Treaty take place, the price of 
this grain may be seriously affected. Another consideration presents 
itself in connection with this crop. Should Mr. Dunkin's Bill become 
the law of the land, as it has already in the County of Halton and other 
parts of the country, may not the price of barley become seriously 
affected by it as well as by the abrogation of the Reciprocity Treaty, in 
case that measure should be carried out by the American Congress 1 
