HEMP AND FLAX. 
Ill 
covered with flax near Pershore, laid out for what is 
called watering, that is rotting the stalk, to make it 
part with the bark or filament. ' Mr. Pomeroy says, 
hemp and flax are grown, but chiefly on small tracts* 
occupied by little proprietors, a general opinion pre¬ 
vailing (though unjustly) that they impoverish the soil; 
and he gives an instance of great fertility and ame¬ 
lioration by introducing flax between crops cf grain ; 
it may be observed, that the land in this case must have 
been of a good staple, and the hemp and flax must, in 
some degree, rob the land, as they support no live 
stock, and make but little manure, and that of a meagre 
quality. Mr. C. who has been a considerable grower of 
flax,says, it will come to perfection on most soils, but, in 
general, it does best on light soils; he says, it takes 
very little root in the ground, and, on that account, 
can be no great impoverisher; -when sown in good 
time, in an early season, in March, or the beginning of 
April, commonly proves an early harvest, if the land 
be in good condition ; he has grown turnips after flax, 
by being expeditious in ploughing and sowing, worth 
more than the rent of the land; care must be taken 
that the seed be properly ripe when pulled, it being a 
valuable part of the crop. 
The chaff of flax is superior to that produced from 
grain of any kind, being excellent food for horses, 
mixed with oats or beans; the oil and cake from its 
seed are well known as valuable articles, and the ma¬ 
nure made from cattle feeding on the cake is superior 
to that from any other food. 
The tithe of flax (Mr. C. says) is fixed at five shil¬ 
lings per acre, and parliament, to encourage its growth, 
have ordered a bounty to the grower of four-pence 
per stone, which, in a middling crop, amounts to ten 
shillings 
