718 
OCT.30 
even the growth and the finer the fiber. If it 
Is desired to apply fertilizers at this stage, wood 
ashes are an excellent application, and so is 
a mixture of eqnal parts o f plaster, salt, and 
ashes sown at the rate of, say, six bushels 
per acre after the land has been plowed and 
harrowed. The ground must not be made too 
rich, however, for in that case the flax is sure 
to lodge badly. Immediately before sowing 
the seed, care should be taken to destroy all 
weeds, for these cannot be easily got rid of 
after the crop has come up. The ground, too. 
should be leveled, all large stones removed 
and all small ones pressed down, to facilitate 
harvesting. 
Sowing should be done as early in the 
Spring as the ground is dry, mellow and warm, 
and danger from heavy frosts is over, the 
date varying with the locality, from the last of 
March to tbe first of May. If sown too early 
weeds and grass are likely to be troublesome, 
the crop to he stunted and hard frosts to be 
harmful; but early sowing is necessary to ob¬ 
tain a fine quality of lint, as then the crop 
grows more steadily. With reference to the 
soil, the best time to sow is when it is friable 
after ashower and iust after a final harrowing. 
As the seed is very slippery, great care must be 
taken to sow it evenly, which Is best done by 
sowing-generally by haud—half of it first one 
way, and then cross-sowing the other half. A 
good sower of grass seed should find little dif¬ 
ficulty in sowing flax seed properly. To cover 
the seed a brush harrow, drawn by hand, is the 
best implement, as the trampling of a team is 
thus avoided and the seed is covered just deep 
enough—not over an inch. A light seed har¬ 
row is also extensively employed- This should 
be drawn up and down and crosswise to spread 
the seed evenly, and prevent it from growing 
in rows in the depresssions nude by the har¬ 
row teeth. Sometimes the seed is left to be 
covered by the rain ; but this is the lazy man's 
method and usually results in the lazy man’s 
crop. Iland weeding is generally considered 
too expensive in this country; but great care 
should be taken before sowing the seed, that 
all weeds and grass are thoroughly extirpated, 
and any single weeds should be cut alter the 
crop is up—if pulied some of the flax is eure to 
come up with them. The weeding should be 
done with bare or stockinged feet, so as not to 
injure the crop, and when the latter is about 
six inches high. Care must be taken to leave 
the ground level, otherwise the flax will not 
ripeu evenly. To insure this object alight 
rolling is generally given after seeding. 
The seed should be selected as carefully as 
corn seed, as its character greatly influences 
the yield and quality both of the seed and 
fiber. For the latter Riga or Dutch seed is 
considered the best; but, as these kinds are 
expensive, American 6eed is generally used. 
Plump, bright, oily, heavy seed, that will sink 
In water, Is the best, and it would be well to 
run even this, when convenient, through a fan¬ 
ning mill, to blow out all the light seed by a 
strong blast. When one grows his own seed, 
the flax that grows on the beBt ground aud 
ripens earliest shou’d be selected and half 
thrashed, as the plumpest, earliest-matured 
and most productive seed will shell out first. 
It is well to procure the seed from a distance 
occasionally; for it grown for a number of 
years in the same section, it degenerates. Old 
seed should not be used, as it does uot vegetate 
sometimes. The quantity of seed to the acre 
will depend on the fertility of the soil and the 
object for which the crop is raised. A rich soil 
requires less se.’d than a poor one ; and when 
the flax is grown for lint, much less Is required 
than when it is raised for seed. When sown 
thinly, each stalk is furnished with several 
branches, each of which produces seed. In that 
case, however, the lint Is coarse and uneven, 
and is fit only for tow. The number of branch¬ 
es depends upon the thickness of the crop aud 
the fertility of the soil. When the seed 
is sown thickly there is but a single stem 
which produces less seed, of course, but a 
finer flbesr. When raised for seed, from half a 
bushel to a bushel is usually sown, according 
to the richness of the ground, the former 
quantity being the rule. For lint, from two 
to two and a half and sometimes three bushels 
are sown ; and for Unt and seed, aboutabnshel 
and a half 1 b the usual amount. 
Harvesting Is the most laborious and 
Important process in flax raising. When the 
flax is grown entirely for seed, or for seed and 
“coarse tow”—which consists of the entire 
fiber of the flax in contradistinction to “ fine 
tow,” consisting of the lint separated from the 
long fiber when the flax is dressed—it should 
be allowed to get ripe before it iB harvested, 
though not ripe enough to shell readily. It 
can then be cut with a scythe, cradle or reap- 
ingmachine, the same as ordinary grain. Some¬ 
times no attempt is made to keep the stalks 
straight or the butts even, and it is then called 
“ tangled flax,” and, having been cut cloBe to 
the ground, it is cured, raked, cocked, stacked 
or put in the mow, just like hay. If such flax 
Is not housed, the top of the stack should be 
well covered, as it will not turn rain so well 
as hay. When flax is cut with a reaper aud 
THE ROBAL MEW-TOBKER. 
the stalks are to be kept straight, it is forked 
off the platform in gavels which should be tied 
just below the bolls and set on the butt-ends. 
If it is too long or heavy to allow it to be forked 
off while the reaper is in motion, it will usual¬ 
ly pay to stop the machine and take each 
gavel off by hand. If the crop Is grown for 
fiber, the best way to harvest it Is to pull it by 
hand, especially for small growers. Pulled 
flax sells for a higher price than cut flax, be¬ 
cause, in addition to the greater length of the 
fiber, it runs more smoothly in spinning and 
makes a cleaner, smoother thread, for the rea¬ 
son that the fibers taper from a few inches 
above the root until they run out entirely at 
its end; whereas in cut flax the ends of the 
fibers are stumpy. 
When the flax is pulled too soon there is a 
loss in the quantity, and when too late, la the 
quality of the fiber. The proper time for pull¬ 
ing is when the bolls have begun to turn from 
green to brown, the Btems baye become yellow 
for two-thirds of their length, and the leaves 
have died half way up the stalk. While pull¬ 
ing, the workman takes a breadth about four 
feet wide, and either spreads the flax in a swath 
behind him, throws it down in gavels, or 
hinds it himself as fast as he pulls it. He 
should grasp a handful just below the bolls, so 
as to leave the short stalks, grass and weeds 
standing, and wilh both hands pull it up with 
a quick jerk ; for if pulled slowly a much 
larger quantity of earth will adhere to the 
roots. When a double handful has been pulled 
it should be “butted" a couple of times on 
the ground to “even” it aud get rid of the 
adhering soil. If the weather is threatening, 
it is well to bind it at once and throw about 
eight gavels together to facilitate setiing tbern 
up in long slooks, which should be only two 
bundles thick, as the flax will then dry quicker 
and better. The stooks should always be set 
north and south, so that the sun can shine on 
both sides during the day. In this case it will 
require about two weeks to cure before it is 
fit to be put in the barn, stack or mow ; for, 
although the outside of the buudle may appear 
thoroughly cured, the inside will be too 
green. In fine weather St is better to 
spread out each double handful, as it 
is pulled, in a swath about an inch thick, 
leav'mg a space of a few inches between the 
spread gavels, or alternating them butts and 
ends, to facilitate turning aud. binding. Care 
must be taken to lay the butts as even as pos¬ 
sible and the s'alks quite straight, and this 
position should be carefully preserved in sub¬ 
sequent operations. After the swath has 
been dried on one side, it should be turned 
over to sun the other, and then bound and set 
; in 6looks, to be taken to the stack when 
cured. 
When for any reason the flax has grown of 
various lengths, each klud should be bound in 
separate gavels; otherwise a large part of the 
short fiber will be separated from the long 
fiber in the dressing and be wasted in the 
tow. Moreover, If short stalks are bound 
together with long oues many bolls will not 
be thrashed, so that the seed will be lost. Flax 
that has lodged and suffered from wet should 
also be kept by itself; and the proper assort¬ 
ing can most easily be done while pulling 
or mowing, by putting each sort in separate 
gavels. The bandies need not be kept sep¬ 
arate, however. Three or more machines 
have been devised for pulling flax, but although 
some of them do good service under favorable 
conditions, none of them has yet superseded 
hand-pnlling. 
Thrashing may be done in several ways. If 
the thrashing machine is used, open the con¬ 
cave so that the teeth will just meet; thrust 
the top of each buudle against the cylinder in 
motion, withdrawing it aud turning it partly 
round until ali the bolls are removed, being 
careful not to allow it to be snatched out of 
the hands; or the bnudle may be unbouud by 
one man, held in fan-shape against the revolv¬ 
ing cylinder by another, aud rebound by a 
third. If a flail is used, lay the heads of the 
bundles together on the barn floor, thrash only 
the tops, and shake the bundles to get out the 
seed. In “whipping” the heads of the bnudle 
or of a part of It, are struck Bbarply over a 
large stone, inverted plow or stout barrel. 
“Rippling,” by which the bolls are removed 
by drawing the tops through a coarse hatchel 
or comb with sharp-pointed iron teeth, is an 
Old-Country practice, seldom employed here. 
Nearly every new thrashing machine, how¬ 
ever, has a clover huller attachment, while 
there are at least a couple of excellent clover 
hullers and separators which hull, separate 
and clean the seed by one operation. The 
ownerB of these generally travel with them 
through the clover-growing districts, and per¬ 
form quickly and well the work that was for¬ 
merly done imperfectly and laboriously. 
“Retting," “breaking," “scutcbing,” etc., 
relate to the manufacture rather than the cul¬ 
ture of flix, although at least the first of these 
operations is usually performed by the grower, 
and the others might often be profitably done 
at home in Wiuter when other kindB of farm 
work are partly or entirely suspended. 
THE WHITE ELEPHANT. 
Reports trom IVew York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
Michigan, Washington, South Carolina, 
Wisconsin, Oregon. 
It has been stated in these columns that 
White Elephant potatoes were sent last Spring 
to sundry persons in various parts of the coun¬ 
try, wilh the request that they would plant 
them and report the results. The following 
are average specimens ol the reports thus far 
received: 
Rome Oneida Co., N. Y—The White Ele¬ 
phant Potato has produced more than any 
potato’ I ever planted, and that, too, under un¬ 
favorable circumstauces. I think they will 
prove a valuable acquisition. I shall hope 
another year to give a still better account, as 
I intend to avoid the unfavorable conditions in 
which they were grown the past year, and 
glow them on ground well prepared, under 
more favorable circumstances. 
Jonathan Talcott. 
Fond du Lac, Fond DaLacCo.. Wis.—In re¬ 
gard to the White Elephant Potato. I observein 
it the same strong aud robust-growing habit as 
iu the Beaut y of Hebron. This alone is a valuable 
trait iu both varieties in the way of resistance 
to the potato beetle. The Elephants grow 
close together in the hill and arc therefore 
easily dug. The yield was really enormous, 
and the crop was fully ripe on September 15. 
We dug from the one potato planted (in 18 
hills, one eye in each), two bushels and one 
peck, full measure. Its flavor cannot be too 
highly spoken of; it is the finest we have had 
for years. No sign of rot or disease. We found 
but very few small ones iu the hill. All were 
solid aud of a good, well formed size. Ju short, 
I think the Beauty of Hebron for early, and 
the White Elepbaut for late will be the two 
standard varieties for those who want to plant, 
potatoes for profit on either a large or small 
scale. E. Hantze. 
Corvallis, Missoula Co., Oregon.—About 
the 1st of May, I planted one half of the potato 
sent here for trial—the White Elephant. This 
half of one potato produced 15 pounds. I shall 
save them all for planting next year. The 
President, B. L. Arnold, planted the other 
half; I have not yet heard the result of his 
experiment. B. J. Hawthorne. 
Oregon Ag'l College. 
Mamaroneck. Westchester Co., N. Y.— 
The White Elephaut Potato kindly sent me 
for trial has proved itself, even in the past 
unfavorable season, to be all you claim for it. 
It isexceedlngly large aud wonderfully pro¬ 
ductive. and the quality is excellent. Baked, it 
comes to the table dry, mealy, and pure-fla- 
vored. I feel sure that the White Elephant 
will have a “big run.” It occurs to me that 
It would make a splendid potato for a “fat 
man's clam bake.” Peter B. Mead. 
Columbus. Franklin Co., O., Oct., 15.— 
The White Elephant Potato received from 
yon was planted with special care, but failed 
in productiveness when compared wilh Dun- 
more, Burbank and Early Rose, which had 
the same opportunities. 
C. E. Thorne, Farm Manager. 
Ohio Ag'l College. 
New Castle, Westchester Co., N. Y., 
—The White Elephant has grown finely and 
produced well. Its quality, however, is not 
first-class, but in so unusually unfavorable a 
season as the past has been with us, this crop 
can hardly be taken as a criterion. 
F. M. Hexamer. 
Agricultural College, Orangeburg, 8. C. 
The White Elephant potato was planted 
with care, though rather late for this lati¬ 
tude. It did remarkably well for a time, 
but theseyere hot wea ther of Mid-summer 
burnt the vines to the ground. We plant 
early in February and harvest early in June 
or else the Irish potato does nothing. 
E. Cooke. 
Detroit, Mich.—The White Elephant Po¬ 
tato did very well with me. I raised a full 
half bushel from the tuber sent me. It 
is a Bice, white, mealy potato, a strong grower 
and very productive. The bug troubled them 
very much. Fred. Waltz. 
Mokrisvii.le, Bucks Co., Penn.—The White 
Elephant Potato grew very irregular in size, 
but the quality is excellent. I had about a 
peck and a half from the potato sent. It has 
been a poor season for the crop with us. 
E. S. Kirkbrjde. 
Newtown, Long Island, N. Y.—This has 
been a very poor season to try new varieties of 
potatoes; but we gave thB White Elephant you 
sent us as fair a trial as the season would al¬ 
low. We are very much pleased with it and 
think very highly of it. It is vei y prolific ; we 
have one bushel from the oue potato. The 
only fault we have to find with it is that it is 
white, which makes It less salable than a col¬ 
ored potato. John E. Backus. 
--- 
A COMPARISON OF POTATO VARIETIES. 
Last Spring I bought nine kinds of potatoes, 
one pound of each; cut them to one eye; 
planted them two feet apart, and gave them the 
same care. 
Bel.iw I give the number of eyes, time of 
planting, time they were dug and the yield in 
pounds: 
No. of Yield 
Planted. Dug. Variety. eyes. ft>. 
April 29. Auif. 2fi. F.nrly Ohio.40 46k; 
“ Se r >t. 11. Extr.i ICurly Vermont... 70 1l73tf 
“ “ •• Snowflake.. 55 117 
“ Oct. 1. Comity of Hebron. 23 94 vs 
" - Mamiuoth Pearl.85 l*i>i 
May 7. Sept. 23. Bur bank’* Seedling:.86 84 
“ “ Early Hose.60 114 
" “ Brownell's Superior. 39 63 
" Oct. I- Snowflake. 70 181 
The Early Obios were not large, but there 
were few small ones. Of the Extra Early .rr- 
rnont some were large hut a good many were 
small. The Early Suovafl ikes were large and 
handsome, a few only bring email. The 
Beauty of Hebron were large and handsome, 
with no small oues; one weighed nearly 28J 
ounces. The Mammoth Pearls were lame 
and handsome, few were small. Burbank’s 
Seedlings were large, but spongy; only a few 
were email. Of Early Rose eome were large 
and a good many were small. Brownell's Su¬ 
perior were the evenest and handsomest pota¬ 
toes I think I ever saw—not large. Snowflake 
large and handsome, but few in a hill. 
Essex Co , Mass. Henry Merrill, 
■-- 
Mold’s White Winter Wheat —A friend, 
at Lakeport, Lake Co., California, sends us 
samples of the above wheat, of which he 
says: — 
■' Two years ago I got four quarts of wheat 
from the Agricultural D.-pariment at Washing¬ 
ton, and drilled it on something lees than half 
an acre, and harvested I 123 ponnda. Lost Ca¬ 
tcher I sowed the seed on several acresof very 
gravelly aud clayey laud that has been In grain 
every year for twenty years without any 
manure. On July 6 b, I cut the crop and 
measured the product from a small piece of 
about average growth, aud it yielded at the 
rate of 50 bushels per acre. The day after 
thrashing I had some ground and got75 pounds 
of No. 1 flour per 100 pounds of wheat. I 
am now selling the same for seed at two cents 
per pounds while other wheat is selling at 
one cent.” 
Remarks. —Thanks for tho beautiful heads 
which are timing the tluest we have ever seen. 
We counted the kernels of three heads, aud 
found them to contain respectively 102, 90 and 
95. Many spikeleta contained five kernels. 
The variety is Mold's White Winter. It has 
not done well with us.—E ds. 
---- ■ — 
Rather Doubtuul.—A friend writes us:— 
“At another time I will report the yield of 
my boy's acre of Blount Corn. I think it will 
surpass yonrs in bight and quantity of grain.” 
It may in hight—we hope it may in yield.— 
Eds. 
Jjarm CStonontg. 
THICK AND THIN SEEDING. 
Seeing by two late issues of the Rural that 
farmers ate interesting themselves with regard 
to the quant' ty of seed that should be sown per 
acre, I give the resnlts of my experience and 
observation iu tbe matter. 
In the Summer of 1878 I began preparing 
81 acres for wheat better than I had ever done 
before, bestowing a little better cultivation on 
a lot of 15 acres than on the remainder. This 
lot was so thickly covered with wheat straw 
that it took a man to fork it into the furrow. 
I harrowed it once before harvest and cultiva¬ 
ted it once before and three times after harvest. 
Before the last cultivation about half the 
ground was again covered with fine barnyard 
manure, which was put on the poorest spots. 
I began sowing on August 31, having set the 
drill at 44 quarts per acre, and drilled the same 
quantity on the other field. Neither myself 
nor, 1 think, any of iny neighbors ever saw a 
handsome piece of wheat than mine was on 
May 26, '79. Oa that day there came a heavy 
rain-storm which left the wheat badly lodged. 
Most of it righted up again, however, but 
shortly three consecutive storms left it as 
though a man had turned into the field a span 
of three-year-old colts, with a roller attached 
to them, and left them to run at their own 
wild will. It was so badly lodged that I don't 
believe there was in the whole field nnlodged 
wheat enough to make a dozen sheavas. 
Now for the final result. From tbat 15 acre 
lot I thrashed 690 bushels of good, plump, 
cleau Fultz wheat; yet an idea can he form¬ 
ed of how badly it was lodged from the fact 
that from the takings 1 thrashed 40 bushels, 
which are included in the above yield, making 
for the field an averuge of 40 bushels per acre 
The other field, on which somewhat less care 
was bestowed, was sown to Diehl and yielded 
471 bushels, an average of 29} bushels per 
acre, making the average for the entire crop 87} 
bushels per acre. One of my neighbors at the 
same time sowed two bushels per acre, and his 
crop averaged 27 bushels per acre. 
Id the Fall of 1879 I gave the same treatment 
to oue of my fields, sowing Just 1} bushel per 
