The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-11-23
(BY MEMBER OF tbs SOCIETY
Of the methods Of preparing FLAX,

tJtcT u PHStSH-
In every country where systems OF hus-
b ndry remain unsettled, II IS natural 10
, look abroad Tor Information This appears
10 be plan approved by The Committee Of
Publications belonging TO the Agricultural
| Society of Maine, if we Judge by the TENOR
of The papers which ii has hitherto publish
ed, (viz. those on Flax and Hemp, and on
Hsymaking y and the resource which such
a plan offers, seems TO be as reasonable, as
il is legitimate. Foreign countries IN some
instances, furnish to US knowlUdge which
is directly applicable 10 our own situation
and though in olhcr instances, we have orly
the advantages of analogy (ha' is OF s'ong
resemblance 10 help US; yet IN any errnt,
when cur countrymen have a variety OF new
practices and ideas bearing on a given sub
Iect laid before them, they must s;qnire
fresh means Of making neEr cOmbinGfaen Of
thought which may lead 70 useful new IN
venions. he plan in question therefore
of re ferring 10 what is known or done IN
foreign counties, will be pursued IN the
present essay which regarcs the vdrl0ns
modes of freanng far otter it tuIied and
what wil,se said Cd this occasion, will still
leave 10 every one the full privilege Ct
comparing j, with what exists At home.
Much of what will be. collected viii be
found 10 have direct reference % our sub
IeCl; being found on such facts as these ;
namely, that OAK, water, and mechanlcal
operations are the same here IS III Europe.
There is one poinl Of analogy however,
or Of strong Similarity merely which is
veil worthy u our notice namely, that ne
countries which bear some Of the bss, q <
and we may add, Of the best hemp i'll
Europe; are those IN which the wistsr Of
lSi2-lsl3 was SO severe, IS 10 haze dts-
royed The chief u Bonaparte's army II lis
retreat from Moscow. But if these cOun-
tries agree with our own, as TO the rigors Of
winter, they like our own, have summers,
which are indeed short but which yet arc
suficenly long ard warm to ripen AK, an
article, which requires only a few months
for its growth. I'D saying this, We give only
one out OF the many proofs which exists,
hat nature does not reserve all her favours
tor h0t countries, so called /; nor indeed are
all those crops which can be made to grow
IN hot countries, produced there during
their hotter months. Our farmers in Maine
therefore, will in this fact perceive some
encoura cement for the cultivation of fax,
and We may add of hemp: since hey will
SEE that these articles may easily BE- made
20 en,er into the list Of thelricrops, provided
hey can be made acquainted with the best
mode first of cultlV ating each OF them, ard
then Of properly treating its crop after IL Is
,aised. AT the present season, however,
he subject W cultivation (which must in
clude tina, regarding The supposed impover-
ishment of thc lapo) will be passed over
and We shall only speak Of the management
OF the crop of fax in particulars atter it is out
Of the ground. There are various dCmes-
tic conveniences in the cultivation ct fax,
which render IL deserving the notice Of the
farmer, provided he can manage it in ITS
latter stages with skill and economy but
when the whole Of the subject shall once be
we'll understood among US, the farmer will
the perhaps find also that he can make his
prepared tx an article Of demand
in foreign Counties. Hitherto the cul,iya-
ion OF fax has not been very popular, be-
cause Mt very profitable amoog Us bur
after short period spent in inquiry and ex-
p(iiltt1ht3 oh1il PNtbnfo llltt lhOURI
fax has failed as an article OF export IN
some OF the middle and western 5 ateS, yet
il may still find home in the District Of
Maine. We shall probably hereafter also
discover that similar expectations may Just.
" be entertained respecting hemp.
The first SCI Of foreign proceedings here
10 be noticed viii bs those employed in
Russia, Prussia and Poland ; as collected
by Mr.. James Dunno, Blush Consul at
Memef, (in north latitude $50 46O from
landed proprielors in those parts, VINO had
attended 10 tie subject. These proceedings
were made public by The English Board Of
Agriculture IN lBO8 and chiefly regard
those tracts Of country through which The
toops OF Bonaparlc made their fatal winter
retreat a. above mentioned.
In he countries in question, if the FIBRE
Of the fax BE- TIE chief object, the stalks are
pulled up While they are yet green, and
when the pods only beginning TO change
their color. ii the seed be principally in
question The q x is pulled up when the