142 
ON THE GROWTH AND PREPARATION 
OF FLAX, 
LAX is grown for the fibre for manufacturing pur- 
poses, or for the seed for crushing for oil and cake. The 
varieties are few. Some of the provinces of Holland and of 
northern France produce the best descriptions sent to the 
English markets. 
Those soils most suitable for flax are deep loams and 
sandy earths, having a considerable quantity of vegetable 
remains as a component part; although, both in England 
and Ireland, exceedingly fine crops have been produced on 
well-worked clays. In Zealand, where the finest flax is 
grown, the cultivators prefer land having a wet bottom, but 
this is not generally thought desirable. In the north of 
Ireland, too, moist lands have frequently been preferred to 
those that are dryer. 
When new land is intended for flax, it is best to break it 
up the season before sowing, and re-plough it in the follow- 
ing spring, so that the seed may be placed in the ground,in 
this colony, about the middle of October onwards. Both 
these ploughings should be deeply and well done ; and, after 
the last, the land should be rendered fine with the harrows. 
If the object be to grow for seed only, the drill method is 
the best ; but, otherwise, the ordinary broad-cast plan will 
be sufficient, covering the seed afterwards to a sufficient 
depth, by giving a cross, double, close harrowing. In 
most countries, flax is sown after a corncrop; and in Ire- 
land and France it has been put in directly after the wheat 
harvest, and left to stand the winter; or, in the former 
country, after a crop of potatoes has been lifted. When 
the linseed is allowed to ripen, the crop is considered an ex- 
hausting one; but this is not the case where the plants are 
pulled in their green state for fibre only. Inthe first choice 
of linseed, that of a bright brownish colour, oily to the 
touch, with due regard to weight, should be selected; and 
if afterwards the crop be productive, large in quantity, and 
fine in quality, the seed should then be continued to be 
changed from one description of soil to another. In Eng- 
land and Ireland, the farmers usually prefer sowing Dutch 
seed, imported annually for the purpose. The weight of 
seed per acre to be sown depends upon the object of the 
crop, and manner of sowing. Ifa crop of linseed is to be 
saved, the drill method is preferable, to give plants air, and 
