The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-06-25
THE CULTIVATION OE CAS-
TOR BEANS AND B'EAN-
SEED.
FLAxsEED WITH EARL Ely.

Flaxseed may be raised with
factory results. a yield has been
obtained, varying in different years,
from ten TO fifteen bushels OF flax
seed, and from sixteen to twenty
two bushels OF barley per acre. The !
barley is first sown and narrowed, /
then the flaxseed is sown, six or
eight quarts per acre, and covered
with the brush. The crops ripen
nearly together. They are harvested
and then threshed with q common
threshing machine; and by use of
suitable screens in the tanning mill,
the barley comes out clean in the
front part of the mill, and the flax
seed comes out under or at one side
of the mill. We have seen as fine,
plump flaxseed raised in this man.
ner as we ever saw, and the barley
equally fine. Those farmers who in
tend TO SOW barley, will find that by
sowing tlaxseed with it, they will
derive much greater returns from
the flaXseed than from the barley,
and the quantity OF barley produced
will not be materially lessened. Less
than the usual quantity OF barley
should be sown, when 1T is intended
to raise flaXsecd with it.
TIME OF CUTTING.
Flax should be cut as soon as the
bolls begin to turn brown, aud while
the stock is yet green. If left stand
ing too long, there will be great
loss of seed in harvesting. Farmers
are usually well through harvesting
spring wheat before flax is ready to
cut and il ripeHs considerable later
than winter wheat.
MADE OF CUTTING.
Some farmers use cradle, but .
large majority machine. 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
flax. When IL Is raised principally
for the seed, there is no necessity
for binding it, but may be simply
raked off into gavels and lie until
dry, when it is ready for threshing.
1t is better to thresh it early.
MODE OF THREsHING.
Some use fail, some machine,
and some tread out with horses. In
some sections, and those where they
have raised most, and for the long
est time, they report no difficulty in
using threshing machines with some
slight alterations, TO suit better the
nature of the crop. The good sense
and peculiar circumstances of each
farmer will suggest the best mode
for him.
CLEANING SEED
Is an item in raising flax that must
have great attention from farmers.
Until lately the makers Of tanning
mills had little or no experience
with IL, and so furnished no screens
suitable; but now several furnish a
flax screen, with which large
amount of the foul seeds can be re-
moved and there is certainly lC
excuse for transporting dirt, Mt q
high rate Of freight, to the damaging
of the crop in the market, and the
great annoyance of the manufactur.
or, who has to separate every parii-
Gle OF il before crushing the seed
The difference i'll price between lots
of seed belonging TO different par
ties is mainly determined by tht
manner in which il has been cleaned
ny the lAFIHcT.
YIELD FER ACRE.
The average yield Of seed may be
be stated at ten To twelve bushel
per acre. The largest yield of which
we have heard was twenty-five
bushels to the acre, but scores o
farmers report fifteen to twenty.
The average yield OF straw is from
one and a-half to two and a-hal
tons--when cut, yielding about on
ton of rOtted straw, for which Their
is an active demand with every pros
pect for its Increase, as machines TO
breaking out the fibre are improves
and multiplied.
COST OF PRODUCTION.
About the same as wheat. Han
vesting less expensive, but cleanin
Il tribe more. So that it may be safe
lv put down as costing less to rails
flax than wheat.