The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1863-07-24

From Moore's Rural New Yorker
FLAX CULTURE, AGAIN.

/ l. y e.
EDs. RuRAI NKw YoRxxa - Sometime
last March. undertook to give my experi-
ence in the fax culture, and then promised
TO say something about. harvesting before
the time OF harvest 81
! Now. my wav will differ very much from
anv one that / have seen described in the
papers, aud have read all that could fiod
touching the flax culture. Most writer's
say "pail and bad up in small bundles.
and set Up about dozen in stock, or
more Now. when i, is put up this way
1t is very liable to get damaged by wet
weather. Ii ii rains much while in stock.
the tops OF the bundles being largest. they
/ will conduct more or less water into the
bundle. which viii p,t. quickly drv in the
band, in consequence of whictl the aax be-
comes partially ro,ted. SO that in rotting
this part rots too much. and consequently
wastes in dressing. Another trouble at
tending this mode Of binding and setting
up, is that it easily blows down. Now it
does not hurt it to get wet, if il ell vets
and dries alike. l have tried this way and
suffered loss by it.
Now for the mode think the best be-
gin to pull at the time ore third the bolls
be some brown or brownish; the seed. how
T.
outstanding it is fully matured. Another
evidence Of time Of harvest is, that the
leaves have fallen from the stalk from one
| third to one-halt its length from the ground
up.
! Directions for Pulling Pull by taking
hold OF the stalks just below the bols. keep
! ing the roots as even rs possible; and when
you get as much as you can hold comtorta-
bly, in your hands. then spread on the
ground to dry. II the fax is Of large
growth, it will require the whole ground to
/ dry on. Put only one handful in place,
being careful not to have one handful quite
touch auy other; il it does it will be apt to
cling and binder about taking up. The
spreading may be done without sny trouble
by throwing down with the right motion.
which little practice will make easy.
Let it lie two or three days. II it should
rain on it, it will not be injured. for it vets
and dries alike 1t may, however. be nes-
cessary to lurn IT over after the top or up
per side becomes dry. before il will do TO
lake up, which is easily done il spread at
pulling. as sbove directed. In taking up.
put two three handfuls together. SO as 20
| make bundle about four inches in diame-
ter. We do not expect the seed boil will
get dry the straw. Then. instead OF
setting up in stuoks, the best way | have
tried is to drag il into the stable. shed. or
any other dry, airy place. under cover. and
set j, up, and il dry enough pack it down
in rows, So as to have the secd end as much
exposed to the air rs possible. When
] have more than l can store in this way, I
pack i. up in the field. by laying two rails
on the ground. SO that the top may rest on
one and the butt on the otherzpack it in
regular form. tops all one way and even,
until l make a pile about FIVE feet high:
! then pull some green fax aud spread il
evenly on top. wnich will shelter the pile
from storms. il laid on good-say nearly an
inch ia thickness.
/ Now abou, the seed. have tried the
ilail; hat gets i; uneven by striking il. and
leaves loose seed 10 the bundle. which is
some trouble TO shake out. or it is lost
Some sixteen years ago / purchased load
of nice long fiax which was thrashed with
fail. and in spreading il to rot, thought the
loose seed IN it was worth as much as paid
! for the load, il it had been saved. The best
way l have tried is to get large rouudish
stone on the barn floor. and q man. BY clasp
ing the butt end firmly in his hands. can
! whip off more seed and get it cleaner, than
two men can with fail, in the same time.
j have heard some say that caldron kettle
is a very good thing to thrash it on. l
/ think it will answer q good turn If turned
bottom side up. aud intend TO try Il. Every
time fax is handled. the buits should be
evensd, for uneven fax wastes more or less
in dressing.
] have already been more lengthy in my
/ remarks than intended. but will add few
words about dew rotting,( water rotting
know nothing abou,.) To dew rot. wants
a good. clean, smoth spot Of short grass
land Meadow is better than pasture. be-
cause the stubbIe will help hold It in its
place, so that the wind will not rs easily
| blow it into heaps and waste or spoil it
! About the first of September. 10 this local.
| ity, is the best time to spread for rotting.
! Ii should he spread little thinner than il
/ was at pulling. When about half rotted.
take rake stale, run it under the tops, and
( turn il over. a
In answer to the very able article on rot
ting fax, by N. Goodsell. in Rsyal Of June
18th, allow me 10 say that from many Year,
experience. and the testimony of Others in
fax culture. that fsx is not utterly worth.
less unless waier rot:ed, but that dew rot
ted fiax makes . very good fabric for cloth
or other uses. As many :slivators Of fax
have not the convenience for water rotting.
let me respectfully say to them, dew rot.
| and fear not tho result.
8 Eosox.
HEALEH-OuR FEK1.-Womeu are not
more hardy than men Thev va1k on the