Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1863-03-06
FARMERS COLUMN.
Iron the Chicago Tribuns.I
Fink Culture.

From the Chicago Tribuns.I
Flax Culture.
The numerous inquiries now being made
upon the subject of flax culture, show that
more general attention is being given to it than
ever before, and in order to meet and answer
these inquiries, the practical experience of
some hundreds Of flax growers in Illinois and
the adjoining States, has been obtained
through series Of questions sent out for
written answers, and the substance of them
has been condensed for this paper. 1t has
been accomplished at no little expense, and
we trust our country exchanges will take
plans to widen the circle of readers by free
extracts or by publishing the entire article.
Flax prefers a rich sandy soil but will do
we'll on any ground that is suitable for wheat
or corn.
The rolling prairies of the West are well
adapted to 1t, and in ordinarily dry seasons it
does finely on oven our fat prairies, though
when such wet season as the last occurs, it
will prove failure on them, unless the land
is underdrained.
PREPARATION OF SOIL.
All experienced farmers unite in stating
one thing as essential to success in growing
aax-i.e. Thorough preparation ofthe ground
by blowing and narrowing" In most Euro
pean countries it is sown as the first or fallow
crop, (where system of rotation is adopted)
and always followed by wheat When this
| is done the land should be plowed the sum
mer prev ious and then re-plowed as early in
the spring as the weather will permit, and
we'll narrowed before sowing.
If heavy manuring is to be done, it will be
bet ter to put on corn first, and then follow
that with fax, in which case the land should
be deeply plowed in the fall. In answer to
our inquiries on this point, large majority
Of farmers say, "let it follow corn" and but
one objection is urged against it, which is
that the old roots and stalks of the corn inter
fere with the close working Of machine in
cutting it. If those are carefully removed,
We should advise in the language Of our re-
plies, "let it follow corn" with deep fall
blowing, and then narrowing before sowing,
until the surface is thoroughly pulverized and
made as smooth as possible.
SOWING.
As to the time of sowing. it will Of course
vary with the latitude and locality; but the
general rule may be stated in the precise
language Of several farmers, "as soon as the
ground will permit OF it,
In the Southern part of this State most Of
the seed is sowa as early as March. In the
central counties about the 1st Of April, while
in our northern districts. and in Wisconsin
and Minnesota, from the 25th of April to the
10th of May is early enough generally.
Having prepared the ground as before stat
ed, SOW broadcast, taking pains to distribute
the seed as evenly as possible. The quicker
the seed germinat es and appears above the
ground the better, and therefore it should be
covered slightly with light harrow or brush,
and then rolled. The largest crops raised in
this State have been by farmers who never
harrow after sowing, but merely roll it in
The rolling is an important matter, as it will
facilitate the operations of the reaper and en-
able you to secure q greater length of straw,
which adds to its value.
The quantity of seed per acre to be sown,
will depend upon the leading object Of the
farmer in raising the crop. If the seed is the
main thing with him, then two pecks to the
acre is the almost unanimous testimony of
those who have grown it longest and most
largely. If fibre is the object then of course
the seeding should be heavier. For the pres
ent, the safest rule for our Western farmers
is from two to three pecks to the acre, the
leading idea being as yet TO secure the great
est amount of seed.
QUALITY OF SEED.
Too much pains cannot be taken to get that
which is fully matured, and perfectly clean
- free from all foul seeds-ooth to secure a
good merchantable crop, and to preserve the
land on which it is sown from troublesome
weeds. Farmers often experience great diff
Guilty in procuring such seed, as no ordinary
tanning mill will remove some of the worst
enemies of the farmer and good fax.
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
practicsd in Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere
The linseed oil manufacturer who receives
the crop Of large section of country is en-
abled to select choice let's of seeds and reserve
them for sowing, and thel 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 SOW
ing seed. Of the superiority of such seed
over what can ordinarily be obtained in the
market and even at seed stores, we are con
WINGED by examining sample before us OF
that which E. w. Blatchford, Esq, proprie-
tor OF the "Chicago Lead and Oil Works." is
preparing for his customers for sowing the
coming spring. Of course when the manu-
facturer furnishes seed year after year, requir-
ing for it the return of only an equal amount
Of merchantable quality, he cannot be expect
ed to stipulate price for the balance of the
crop, beyond the ordinary average, taking a
series of years into the accountant it is up
on this basis that the business has been con-
Quoted hitherto, and it is still continued to
the acceptance of majority of the farmers in
the largest fax growing districts. In this
connection we would add, that with good seed
to SOW, there is nothing like fax as a repair
atory crop for wheat. The testimony Of Ohio
farmers, where fax has been extensively
grown for over quarter Of century, is cx-
plicit on this point, and to this fact we would
call the attention of our Illinois and Wiscon-
sin farmers, whose wheat growing for some
time has been so discouraging.
TIME OF CUTTING.
Flax should be cut as soon as the hollis be-
gin to turn brown, and while the stalk is yet
green. Ifleft standing too long there will be
a great.loss of seed in harvesting.
MODE OF CUTTING.
A few farmers answered our questions on
this head, with CRADLE" but large MAORI
ty said, with a machine.' And from the
number Of reapers mentioned as working well,
we are persuaded that almost all our standard
machines can be used to advantage in cutting
fax. When it is raised principally for the
seed there is no necessity for binding it "a
great saving in time and expense as compared
with harvesting wheat, when five or six men