Democratic banner. (Bowling Green, Pike County, Mo.) 1845-1852, 1851-02-17
From the 81 Louis MfeH,gencer.
FlaXseed.

the Western Slates,& while the demand fol
lit is unlimited in all our markets, at remun.
{eratiDg prices, is 1t nossingular that farmers
have given so little attention to its produc.
tione Having been raised in Western New
York, where this article is one of the grest
staples with the farmer-aRd having seen
how :muca the Ohio farmer depends upon
lit for large portion Of his yearly receipts.
have been surprisedsto 6ad, that in all tlis
region Of country, accessible from St. Louis,
so little attention is paid toit-where, from
the nature of the soils, and the enterprise
Of the farmers, one would expe ct, instead Of
a few hundred, hundreds oTLtous1nds of
bushels. The reason its production is so
small, is unquestionably because the thing
has not been introduced, nor any pains ia
ken by any body to bring it before the farm
ers-and this is sufficient reason for this
article from the writer, who has been. con-
versant with the subject from his youth.
In raising Flaxseed, very little or no at
tention should be paid to the fibre. The
farmer should start ont with this distinct
principle, that to make the crop profitable
h. must expect to count the straw nOthsng
and look to the seed for profit. To seed
well, it must be sown so thin that the fibre
is too short and too coarse to be Of much
account. Six or eight quarts Of seed, for
less, IL IL can be we'll and evenly scattered,
per acre, is enough. Sown thin. IL branches
down low, and seeds better thsnwheD sown
a. thick as is required in raising for Aax.-
II should be harvested when the balls are
in the yellow, and left in swsth few hours.
II can be Graded and threshe6 with ma
chine, as we'll as wheat or barley. Wher-
ever wheat or com can be grown, faxseed
can be pro6tably raised. Eighteen bushels
per acre is an ordinary yield. snd sometimes
twenty four bushels are obtained. Nocrop
is subject to fewer contingencies; no winter
kill, smut or rust; spring frosts will not kill,
crows will not pull It. Sow as early a. the
ground will work in the spring. and it will
he ready for harvesting before wheat, giving
you returns for your labor, in sbout four
months. One dollar per bushel is snre from
year TO year, often will bring considerable
more Worth now in this market 81 65. in
Cincinnati 81 IS. Responsible men here
have offered TO contract for Dext year at 81
20. Why, then, will not farmers look at this
subject, and make it source Of income?-
There is at present machinery in opera
tion here, to consume 100000 bushels ol
seed per year, and one or two, and perhaps
three other works. will GO into operation
this year-which, together, will make 6
market for any qua nifty produced.
1t is common notion with farmers thai
fax is very exhsus,ing upon land, and that
more than one crop cannot be raised upon
the same field in FIVE years. The correct
ness Of this is unquestionsble where the crop
is raised for the fibre; but in raising for the
seed exclusively. it is not correct. In this
country it is customary to sow from one and
a half to three bushels Of seed to the acre.
which is sufficiently thick to cover the
ground; in consequence, the stalks grow
slim and long and the fibre is fine. In Ire
land where the fax is cultivated for the
fine fabrics, from 7 to twelve bushels Of seed
to the acre are sown, so that the crop is lit
orally dense mass Of fine slender stalks,
with the most delicate fibre, but with no
matured seed. The consequence in that
country and in this to the land is, that sfter
sustaining such a crop, the soil seems SO
entirely exhausted that it does not recover
from il for years. But in cultivsting the
crop for the seed only, the management Of
these crop and the results are quite different.
Where no calculations are made upon fibre,
and the crop raised entirely for the seed.
six or eigh, quarts to the acre is quite suffi-
cient. in this case the stalks grow strong
and branch down to the ground-esch
branch loaded with fully matured seed
The fibre is course and short, but the seed
plump and abundant. The sun has access
to the soil, and experience hes shown that
this crop thus managed, is no more exhsus-
ting upon land than wheat or barley, or oats.
In Western New York where the land has
been in cultivation for q century, the farm
ers raise on the same ground crop OF whea.
every other year, and the intermediate year
crop offlax, the one yes fax, next year
wheat, and by clovering every alternate
year and fall plowing, they keep up the
strength of the land. And in four cases in
FIVE the fax seed per acre brings in more
money than the wheat. while the expense
and delay of the one is not as great IS the
other-getting returns from the fax in foul
,,ortha from the time "A il anwn while With