Some Minor Farm Crops. 
131 
Area devoted to flax in England and Wales and in Scotland in 
the years 1882 to 1910. 
Year 
England and Wales 
Scotland 
Acres 
Acres 
1882 
5,128 
92 
1883 
1,208 
109 
1881 
2,192 
55 
1885 
2,119 
11 
1886 
2,899 
169 
1887 
2,802 
900 
1888 
1,881 
327 
1889 
2,295 
80 
1890 
2,117 
38 
1891 
1,791 
10 
1892 
1,112 
9 
1893 
1,219 
9 
1891 
1,751 
9 
1895 
2,002 
21 
1896 
1,765 
31 
1897 
1,116 
3 
1898 
899 
3 
1899 
175 
1 
1900 
166 
1 
1901 
636 
1 
1902 
832 
3 
1903 
920 
5 
1901 
551 
9 
1905 
137 
1 
1906 
253 
10 
1907 
359 
13 
1908 
272 
11 
1909 
293 
2 
1910 
226 
3 
This, briefly, is the history of flax cultivation in this country 
in so far as the line crop is concerned. 
Agricultural. 
It has long been held that flax requires no special kind of soil 
as it flourishes well on any good medium land. Provided that 
the land be clean, its selection is of minor importance compared 
with its proper preparation prior to sowing the seed. Although 
it may be said that land which is clean and well adapted to the 
cultivation of barley is suitable for line, the best results are 
obtained where the subsoil is stiff — a good wheat bottom being 
eminently suited for the production of high-class fibre crops. 
Flax does well after wheat and wheat does well after flax ; and 
the usual custom in England has been to grow line after a 
straw crop, although/ not infrequently, it has found a place 
after clover, a practice which at the present time finds favour 
in Ireland. When the land is heavy and line follows wheat, 
