, 1866-12-08
TIE FARM AND GARDEN.
Breaking prnlrie Out of Season, and
the Flax Crop
From Our Own Cor.espondcut.l
CHAMPAJdE. Deremherk 1Gy;r

the Flax Crop.
From Our OHn Cor,espondcntl
caAnPAIoR, December $, 1866.
SOD LAND PoR FLAX.
Tlcculturc Of flax appears to be the least
understood Of any Of onr staple farm crops;
for this reason it is not popular. The crop
not being sown In season, or on badly Sc
lcctcd land, produces uncertain yields, and
hence is not satisfactory to the hap hazard
cultivator.
In Ireland, where 1t is sown for the fibre
alone, 1t Is sown on very rich land, and from
two to thrcc bushels Of seed to the acre. The
staple is thus made long and Brm, suited to
The manufacture Of fine linen goods. sThe
crop thus grown is pulled just as the seed
begins to form, and Is Of no value. The lint
being OF more value than the seed crop, the
seed Is mostly imported from Russia and
parts Of Germany.
With us the case is different, the seed crop
being the most valuable; and unless In the
ne1gLhorhood Of fax mills, is the only one
that will pay the cost Of culture. One great
drawback TO more general intelligent Idea
Of this crop may be found In the mode OF
marketing and the general state of the mar
ket. The oil mill men have found it dIfIl-
cult to obtain supplies OF seed, and, to IN
sure this, have furnished seed and contracted
the crop. They have urged farmers to SOW
on land poorly adaptGd to the crop, and
often out Of season. Under such state of
SO small that no further effort is made to in.
prove future sowing. and thus the tlax crop
has the reputation Of being uncertain in its
results, the yield being generally three to
six bushels per acre, though occasionally Us
high as twenty bushels, and then agatu to-
Success in farming consists mainly in know
Ing what crop to soN aud when to sow It,
In Vermont spring wheat is sown in May,
but the prnfrie farmer who should SOW lis
spring wheat at that season would lose his
labor. II the Eastern States flax Is sown the
first Of May on highly manured and thor
oughly cultivated land, aud produces IN
average crop Of some twelve bushels Of seed.
ibis at two and a half dollars a bushe1 Is
thirty dollars, but much less valuable than
many other crops that can be grown there.
Being less valuable It is not popular, nor is
there anF prospect Of an improvement. The
result is that lax must be grown on the
cheap lands Of the West or n5tat all.
We all know that lag must be put On
clean rich land, or Land free from weeds, and
no land Is 80 good ior this purpose as sward
land, whether wild prairie or timothy, and
clover, meadow Or pasture. Yesterday our
nci.hbor jones came in to consult in regard
to twenty acrcs Of unbroken prairie that had
been enclosed Tor aomc years., aud from
which several crops If prime hay had been
cut.
81 must have that piece Of land broken
up; it must be set in orchard next fall, but
how to get It In order Is the question. Can
you help me- devise some plan ! do not want
il in sod corn, Tor then the sod will rot and
cannot put it In good condition for the
trees. II 1t lad been pasturcd would know
just what to do with 1t, but it is wild
pruirie.''
"Wcll, the thing is easy of solution.
Break # up this scason.'
BAH break raw prairic in the fall non.
Listen, and you may think better of it.
| Break 1t this fall. Begin to-duy if YOU
choose. In the spring, just us the frost is
J conilDg out and when you have no other
! work for your teams, harrow it thoroughly.
for 4 week vr ten days. This will bring you
to about the first dAy Of April, when
! II will do to SOW. Before sowing, ha,row
again, for this will dry tue surface so TINT
| the seed can be the better covered. Give the
| most thorough narrowing, but to do tLis
turn over some Of The sous.. Aficr it Is lar
rowtd go over the field with pitchlork and
| turn all the sods that yon iud with the
grass side mp, and then put on the roller and
roll the whole smooth if you have to go
over it twice. Let us see what will be the
cost:
Breaking p acrce.. $:5 o.
/ 20 bushels seed. 5OOO
20 da,s' narrowing and rolling. 60.0U
Gays sow1hg... .-.-........-....-......... SEQ
1imycsnnr. thrcshlng and marketing. 1;ooS
Tota,.....-. -.......... ............... .f375,oo
600 buehes seed. ..S50v.oo
Profit. .$l25.0u
! Sc tr Er-.k 1r1f
ing Of the better condition Of the laud.
These figures have been often verified in this
Stnte md can be ngntn."
/ From our window VIC can see ncighbor
Joncs turning up the long line of furrows
] with IL f1ftcen-inch plow, drawn by three
within the last hour, and says that even in
| these short days he can break one and hall
acres day. Tho turf is SO soft and yielding
that the plow runs remarkably easy, much
more SO than during the hot, dry summer
mouths Sod land can be broken during open
spells in winter, which often occur in Feb.
ri,ary or for the first two or three weeks in
spring, but not later, for the flax crop. The
poiuts to make are easy sowing and the most
thorough narrowing and rolling.
So SOON az the crop is harvested tho land
should be plowed, ii for trees, trench or sub.
soil plowcd, if ior winter wheat, spring
wheat, onts, corn or potatoes, a plowin. In thu
usual manner will do, but the trench glowing
will nearly double the crop, aud should, Il
possible, To- attended to. The laud should
not be left until late in autumn or the fol
lowing spring to he plowcd, for then hi
prairie grass roots that have been kept ii
check, not all killed, will rapidly recover
whnc II ploN ed at the time the flax crop i
ripe tho turf will be completely subduetl
and In the Lest possible condition for tn
next crop, whatever 1t may be.
A farmer not thousand miles distan
! trench-p1pWcd Ten acres last fill and rent G,