The Goodhue volunteer., 1863-03-18
AGRICULTURAL.
Flax Raising.
QUALITY OF SEED.

-'. '~ QUALITY OF SEED. ~ . 81
Too much pains cannot be taken to get
that which is fully matured, and perfectly
clean, free from all foul seeds, both to 50.
cure good merchantable crop, and to pre-
serve the land on which it is sown from
troublesome weeds. Farmers often expert
ence great difficulty in procuring such seed
as no ordinary tanning mill will remove
some Of the worst enemies of the farmer and
good fax. IL Il. =. II. 7. ,...s
1t was this fact, more than any other that
led to the system of"loaning seed and con-
tracing the CROP" which has been so long
practiced in Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere.
The .linseed oil manufacturer who re-
ceives the crop Of a large section Of country
is enabled to select choice lots Of seed and
reserve them for sowing, and then by
machinery too expensive and cumbrous for
ordinary use, to clean it So thoroughly that
he can gin out each year an almost perfect
article OF sowing seed. Of the superiority
Of such seed over what can ordinarily be OBJ.
tanned in the market and 3eyin' at seed
stores, we are convinced by examing sam
pie before us Of that which E. W.. Blatch.
ford Esq, proprietor Of the "Chicago Lead
and Oil Works. is prepair,ng for his GUS
tomersefor sowing the +, coming spring. OF
course when manufacturer furnishes such
seed year after year. requiring for it only
the return Of an, equal amount Of merchant
able quality, he cannot be expected to stipu-
late price for the balance of the crop, be.
yond the ordinary average, taking series of
years into the account-and it is upon this
basis that the business has been conducted
hitherto, and it is still continued to the &C.
ceptance. of q majority Of the farmers in
the fax growing districts. In this connec-
ton we would add, that with good seed to
SOW, there is nothing like fax as prepar-
atory crop for wheat. The testimony Of
Ohio farmers, where fax has been extern
sively grown for: over quarter Of centu.
~, is explicit on this point, ard to this fact
we would call the especial attention of our
Illinois and Wisconsin farmers, whose
wheat growing for some time has been so
diseeuraging. ,'' no 7"5 .f"""
ul TIME OF CUTTING: a:S"' 5ut
Flax should be cut as soon as tllel bolls
begin to turn brown, and while the stock is
yet green. If left standing too long there
will be great loss Of seed in harvesting,
MODE or CUTTING 'ifi
A few farmers answered, orr questions on
this head with cradIe;;" but large major
ity said "with machine" And from the
number Of reapers mentioned as Working
we'll, we are persuaded that almost all our
standard machines can be used to advan.
tsge in cutting fax. When II is raised
principally for the seed there is no necessity
for binding it e grea: saving in time and
expense. as camp,red with harvesting
wheat, when five or six men are required
to bind after the reaper), but may be
simply raksd off onto gayels andiie and
dry, when it is ready for stacking Of thresh-
ing. AS while standing, i is, less fable to
damage from heavy showers than whe.t.
20, now when cut it viii bear ! seyere rain
with little detri,nent, il turned . over after
wards, 50 as TO prevent the bolls from get-
ting into the, dirt. Should tbe" weather
continue wet it can be quickly dried in
Ian interval Of sunshine lthere being no
caves TO retain moisture) and then stacked
using hay for, topping of, in which o shape it
may stand, il necessary, until cold winter
before thresh,ng, though tis better to
thresh early, 50 as to bave September or
October for dew rotting the straw.
=. I'D. - NODE OF .rHREsHIsG.
with fail, said few Grl Germans, 10
the vicinity Of Chicago, WHO have raised
some Of the finest crops On record, but
the rest were divided almos. equally
between threading out with horses, and "a
machine" in some sections, md those
whore they have raiscd most; ana los ,he
longes, time, they report rs datea,ty in
using nachin.s With ,op4s ,o'lp1 ! ,Iisht alterations
to suit better ths lnaasss ,oi tbs corp; but we
are Of opinion IN vicw of ~ ati,Sx answers
received, that nr tho ordinary fsi Of farm
ers, and tie snall amount nissd by each
! Ding our nay % SAFELY recommend:
led e The simplsst and ebeaprs. method.
When This ii !, y y d|ns, ds|ons, hovsysr, .gsas care
should be ussd Q prsrare flor 20 that
The sd shall . Kept fson sse esstesg mixed
With .dirt, shsch. ! 8 SiIssl "a ssriou.
hult With : lares proportion y hist which
Il broosht e .his market 4l'sss no two IN.
lordinasy lilrssbiok machine. viil' e;ye YOU,
ionIy tanglea f4xY 1Iieh y, sl~sys Of less.
vaIus than x:riash:. - sbst asij straw :.
Iheavy, = sillpeys sbsftes % bpd in buodlss.
lsnd tsed sst thus kseYas Nse rstrss IN.
good shape nr tprcsdi0x ID rof md 70 seN.