The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-01-09

AailncA wants. nau never cultivated
it upon my farm, or turned my thoughts
towards it, until about the close of the
last year, when | saw sample Of beau
tiful FAX, resembling floss silk, the plant
of which had been dressed in an unwret-
ted state, in machine invented by
Messrs. Hill & Bundy, of London, or
one of them, and reduced TO its beauti-
tul state by some chemical process.
My attention was Immediately turned
to the subject, first to ascertain if my
land was adapted to the cultivation Of
TAX, and secondly, as to the profits to be
derived therefrom. Ibid not apprehend
at the time there would be the least diff
ticulty in procuring from England the
machines, and knowledge of the mode
OF preparation to bring the flax into its
beautiful white state.
soon became satisfied that nv land
was good for raising flax or hemp, if
properly managed /; and after estimating
the expense, and the probable result, |
determined at 7eas profsabIc-and if it
was profitable on small scale, it was al.
so on large one; and, therefore, not on
onlydetermined & entered into contract
to have so acres of my own land laid
down in flax, but | contracted with sew
eral farmers to the extent of almost 40
acres more--the plant of which they
we're to deliver me, as it came from
the field, at the rate of s dollars per ton,
(under the expectation that the land
would yield three tons to the acre)
Thus you see stood committed for a.
bout 100 acres of flax.
My examination had satisfied me that
IN England 2 bushels of seed was consid-
cred the best quantity to be sown ON an
acre of land, if the object was TO cult
vate for far it for seed, which has
been the great object in this country,
much less quantity. inquired of ev-
ern practical farmer that came in my
way, but | lament to say, found not
one who had made an actual experiment
with flax to test the result; and the most
could obtain was that some had sown
ap half bushel of seed, and some three
Pecks, and il had produced SO many
bushels of seed and SO many pounds
OF flax, in one year, and about anoth-
er quantity in another year--but as
TO the quantity of land they knew not,
nor the quantity of flax by actual weight.
1t had been sown in broad cast, and it
depended, therefore, very much upon
the length of the sower's legs, and the
manner of using them, whether great
er or less quantity be sown. One import
ant item did ascertain, namely--neoer
10 500 the seed on the same SOIL At 1ras rails
ed on, but to change 1t. These circum-
stances determined me to make an ex-
pertinent and observation upon every
measure he pursued, that might test
the result, and compare with others,
who, like myself, might, unknown to
each other, be pursuing the same course.
| found various opinions as to what seed
was best. therefore determined to
take five different kinds--namely (I)
Rhode-lsland, (2) from the county north
or west of Albany, (5) from Queens
county, on Long-Island, (4l from the
town of Bergen, in New-Jersey, and
81 also seed from Essex county, in the
same State. Ibegan TO sow on the 3Oth
March, and continued to sow every
week until the last week in May. NV
land was intersected with bitches, and
divided into small lots from 2 to S acres
each, and the days of the months, and
the kinds Of seed sown, were carefully
noted, that might be able to Judge
which was the best time to SOW, and the
best seed.
The flax sown on,the 3Oth March was
about two inches high when the severe
snow and hail storm of the 18th and 18th
Of April last, took place. | expected it
would have been destroyed, but if was
not, and yielded, on weighing each and
every load that came from it, little
more than one ton of the plant or stem
to the acre. | considered it my worst
lot. My best lot was sown the last
week in April, upon green sward, and
narrowed well-it yielded little less
than 2 tons to the acre. impute this
difference principally to the circum-
stance Of the storm on the first lot which
retarded its growth, and gave the weeds
an opportunity to struggle with the plant;
and to- the almost total absence of the
weeds on the green ssrard.- The whole
crop averaged about one and half tons
to the acre. cannot say that perceiy-