Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-02
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GLANgCULTU1E.
The following suggestions ON thi'
subject Arc Based on the experience
Of old Flax-growcrs, and will, w
trust, be Of value to farmers.
Flax-seed, soWn seasonably OF
| properly prepared land, is as sure n
any other crop, and, with proper care
! In harvesting and securing, is quite III
sure to nay well. The farmer who
sows Tlax-seed has the advantage Of
| a SIRE anarkct--cashi in hand on deliv
cry, ana an s'carly money" crop.
CHARACTER OF THE SOIL.
That soil which would be selected
az the best for wheat, oats, barley, OF
corn, may, in general be considered
Flax land. The. best crops have been
raised on mellow loan with clay sub
soil. 7 'f'''3 / Z '' III ~.
PREPARATION OF THE sofL..
Fall blowing il generally consider
ed preferable, although this depends
somewhat on the character of the
winter. Good, deep, spring blowing
answers very well. But whether
plowed in the fall or in the spring, the
ground should be narrowed until II
is thoroughly pulverized, and theil
rolled, so as to secure q fine and
smooth surface for the reception 81
the seed. The land should not bt
worked when it il wet If it is, it viii
surely be lnmpy, and unfit TO receive
such small seed. After sowing, har'
row lightly, and use heavy roller tt
crush all humps and fix the seed firm
~ in the ground. Aas9
WHEN, now, AND HOW MUCH TO SOW.
Sow as early as your ground is il
good eonditioll--not before. TIT
best and mostexperienced Elax-grow
ers agree on this as q general rule
that the earlier the seed is sown, if thu
soil is in good condition, the better
You need have no fears of ordinar,
frost. Early sowing enables the plant
to get the start OF the weeds, and t
reach q point iii their growth which
gives them strength to resist the inju
rious effects of the hot weather il
June and July. From seed sown a
the same time with spring wheat, l5
90, and even % bushels of seed to TIN
acre have been realized: while SOW
ing after the LIST to the 10th of Ma,
are much more likely to result in fail
ures.. Of course, allowances must b.
made for the differences in the season
but, whether early or late. SOW a
soon as the ground is in the required
condition.
As the. object of the crop is seci
and not stalk, from half a bushel IL
Ptwcnty quarts the acre is a full al
lowancc, which ought, az no case. Il
| be exceeded. Where theland is foul
more seed is required than on clean
land. In Ohio Indiana, and Illinois
| where large quantitiessof Flax arr
raised, the average seed used is half {
bushel to the acre. LII our experienced
the largest crops have been harvested
| in cases where rather less than twent,
quarts to the acre was sown.
HARVESTING AND CARE OF ci,oP.
Flax sown as early as spring wheat
will ordinarily be ready to harves
from ten days to two weeks before
the latter crop. This will enable thu
farmer, if he pfeases, to get none,
for his Flax CROP with which to de
fray the expense of harvesting his latel
crops. Flax may be cut with any o.
the standard Ieapers as easily a.
wheat, il cut at tho proper time. ant
with smooth knife.
When majority of the bolls ar
turned yellow and the seed in them i
partly brown, the ground will begin
to be well covered with the lowe
leaves which have dropped off, ant
the stalk appears yellow at the bot
tom, cut at once. 1t will thed GU
as easily as wheat. Ifyou wait unit
the bolls are all turned down, yo,
will find difficulty, and waste o
seed.
Where there is no grass. ii may b.
stacked after one. or at most, two day
Of good wheather. Ii it gets rainc,
on, be sure to have all the water drie,
out before stacking.
Top out your stacks with. hay O
straw. 1t is impossible 10 arrang
the top bundles OF lax, so they vii
not leak. S8
| Do not try tothresh out OF lhe, shoe
unless the weather is first rate. Yo
will certainly lose Your seed if it
putup damp. 49,, Ia
| In threshing with machines, nail j
some pieces OF board or sheet iron $
4 that the straw will be kept from tn
bearings of the cylinder, and pfeycI
danger Of winding. In using othe
threshers than the Vibrator, take OF
the little beater at the upper end
the grain belt, remove the GOVERN
from the large bcater. and it may b
necessary to take OFF the arms Of TIL
beaten, and nail strip of board III
der the shaft. The Vibrator and III
Westinghouse are the best machine
we have found for threshing Flax.
the Flax does not remain in the tiel
until the straw is rotted, there WI
be no trouble in threshing about &C
bushels per day q but with rotte
straw the work viii be slower. Wit
. Flax that has been properly secures
there is no trouble in threshing; bl
ii the Flnx-raiser has Suffered Ii
crop to waste in the field, no machii
yet invented can furnish large pr
duet of clean seed from it.
Now that an oil mills cstablishe
, in Ottumwa, the culture Of Fla
should be adopted by the farmer
Flax Is the most profitable and SUI
|, crop raised in counties West an
r North of this county. and there is !
| reason why it should not be here.
pays well per acre. brings ready cas-
i and that before any other crop
: ready to harvest.