The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1863-03-05

D piece especially for the seed, to be use'
! in planting. For this purpose, the see
must be scattered very thinly over tn
: surface-not to exceed the ratio of
r peck to the acre. Each stalk will thel
r grow vigorously, branching to the grount
and the bolls will fill with large, plump
seed. All foul seed should be scrupu
lousy separated from the flax seed before
) sowing. The price CT flax seed is mate
rally lessened when it contains seeds o
mustard, rape, cookie, &c. If these can
not be separated in any Other way, they
must be by fax riddle. 1t is bad econ
omy to SOW seed threshed from fax raised
for the fibre. The stalks are long, spin
ding, weak, and light colored, and it is
impossible for such stalks to produce a
large, plump berry.
TINE AND MANNER OF SOWING.
The seed should BE- sown as soon in
spring as the land can be got in proper
condition-in this climate, the latter
part of March or first of April. We
have heard that it is sometimes injured
at particular stage of its growth, by
frost; but we have cultivated it, and
seen it cultivated for more than twenty.
FIVE years, and have never known any
injury to occur to it from frost To avoid
frost, it should not be planted till about
the first of May in the latitude of st.
Louis; but if the season should be dry,
the fax will not get large enough to re-
sist the drouth of summer. Therefore,
we think better to SOW the seed about
the Grst Of April Some farmers do sow
the seed as early as in February, on the
snow. 1t may be sown with safety at
almost any time in spring.
The seed is scattered event and thin
ly over the surface of the ground by
hand. If the ground is in proper con-
dltion, being fine and mellow, much the
best mode of covering is, by drawing a
heavy roller over the ground; or, if a
roller cannot be had, ligh, brush will
answer the purpose, but in no case should
the ground be narrowed after sowing
A heavy rain INN ediately after sowing,
will cover the seed sufficiently But in
all cases, the ground should be made
very mellow and fine before sowing.
QUANTITY OF SEED PEn ACRE
Farmers differ very much in the guam
tty Of seed they apply to the acre. some
sowl y only peek, others as much as two
bushels. II the soil is put in fine con-
dltlon. and the seed can be distributed
even over the surface, one peek per acre
is sufficient. Where seed is the chief
object, not over half bushel, in any
case. should be sown By thin sowing,
the stalks will be stronger, aud throw
out vigorous branches, which will pro.
duee large bolis filed with plump, glossy
seed, containing a very large per cent.
of oil. By thick seeding, the plants are
less strong, branch but little, the sun
can strike only the tops Of the plants,
aud the seeds will be smaller, lighter,
aud will not contain within fifteen to
twenty per cent. the amount Of oil that
seed will when raised BY thin sowing
Where fax Is raised chiefly for the Gbre,
much thicker sowing will be required
! fLAA SEED WITH BARLEY.
We have raised fax seed with spring
barley with the Lost satisfactory res aits
In this way We have obtained yield,
varying in diff rent years, from ten to
fifteen bushels of fax seed, and from !
sixteen to twenty-five bushels Of barley /
per acre. The barley is first sown and
narrowed 10, then the fax seed is sown,
six or eight quarts per acre, and covered
with the brush, The crops ripen nearly
together They are harvested, and then
thresbed with common threshing ma |
chine and by the use of suitable screens
in the tanning mill, the barley comes out
clean in the front part OF the mill, and
the fax seed comes out under or at one
side of the mill If there is any foul
seed in the fax seed, it must be run
through the fan again, so as to separate
it from the fax seed. We have seen IS
fine, plump fax seed raised in this man
ner, as we ever saw, and the barley
equally fine. Barley is very low at the
present time, and will hardly pay for its
cultivation but those farmers who in
tend to SOW it, will iud that, by sowing
fax seed with it, they will deri:e much
greater returns from the fax seed than
from the barley, and the quantity of bar.
ley produced will not be materially les
sened Less than the usual quantity O.
barley should be sown, when it is intend
ed to raise flax seed with it.
wedding THE FLAX.
Pure seed being very important it il
highly necessary to 90 into the field ant
pull out all weeds that show themselves
The wild mustard and other weeds ar
very easily distinguished when in bloom
With a little labor at the proper time
all weeds may DE taken out, and the see,
be left clean and pure
HARVESTING THE CROP.
On account of the bolls opening am
droppiag the seed so easily, it is advisa
bic to cut the flax before i: is fully ripe
The proper time is just as the bol!s ar,
beginning to turn brown. 1t can be Gu
with a scythe, a cradle, or a machine
The usual way is to cut it with cradl,
and rake and bind it, like wheat or oats