The Dickinson press., 1891-01-31
FLAX FIBER AND SEED.
TIMELY SUGGESTIONS TO THE FAR
MERS OF THE NORTHWEST.
An Experienced Man In Handling Flax
Tells What He Knows About tho Indus
try, In n Way That All Can Understand.
Read the Article and Preserve It.

II
ers can grow fax for fiber as we'll as for
seed by adopting the methods generally
in use in other fax growing countries.
The following valuable hints about
the culture CT fax for fiber and seed, is
copied from the Great Northern Rail-
way Bulletin, monthly publication full
of good things concerning the North
west, as condensed from a letter on
the subject written by w. d. Hall, Sec
retary of the Minneapolis board of
trade:
"Sow one and one-half bushels of Bel
gian seed per acre and when the straw
begins to turn yellow and the foliage
within six inches of the ground Is droop-
ing, pull or cut close to the ground at
once. At this stage tho seed in the bolls
is changing to dark green or brownish
tinge. Tie tho straw in small bundles and
stand on end to winnow. When quite
hard and dry put in stack. There is
larger and better yield of fiber when the
straw is kept until the year following its
growth. If fibre is required at once the
seed can be nppled and the straw
stepped in soft water, that is, rain water,
or, if this is not attainable, in pits of
water in which vegetable matter grows,
and which has been exposed to the
SUMS rays for a period of five or six
weeks. The straw should be protected
from the earth at the sides of tho ret
ting pits; place the straw in layers until
the pit is quite full; stones, or planks of
wood with stones on top to keep the
straw entirely under the water, are laid
upon the top layer of flax or straw. If
tho temperature Of the water is 80 deg.
Fahrenheit or upwards, about six days
will be sufficient to ret the straw.
From the fifth day examine few
straws, ut different parts of the pit sew
cral times daily, and when the fiber
pulls readily and entirely off the woody
core it is time to remove from the pits.
Stand the sheaves on end to dry; pull
the band OF tying OH each sheaf close to
the top and spread out the root ends so
as to expose to the sun and wind. When
perfectly dry stack for few weeks.
This improves and lnellows or brings
nature or soft silky feeling to the
fiber. 1t is now ready for the ma
chine.
practice and time are necessary to
become proficient i'll this branch of hus-
bandry. Until you have learned by ex-
pcrience to handle the flax straw so as to
realize the best results, would advise
you not to invest money or credit in any
machinery, but do what you can by
hand and with your own labor during
the winter months. l will soon have
samples Of machines that every farmer
can make for himself at a cost not to
exceed 81 and with which he may him
self, during the winter months, work
out the fiber of from one to six acres of
fax straw. that will bring from 800 to
$500. Experience will soon enable you
to produce as good fiber as is produced
in Ireland or any other country and
can promise you cash market in Min
neapolis for all the fiber you can pro-
duce."
The following statement will show
you what one man has done and does
every year: Mr.. E. Bosse,of Green Bay,
Wis, in recent communication to tho
National Department Of Agriculture,
relates the following interesting expe-
rience; aThe si1 acres of fax grown on
my farm last year, and referred to in The
Gazette, of Green Bay, Feb. 8, was
sown May l. 1889, with one and
one-hnlf bushels per acre Of Belgian
seed (Which consider the very best for
this country.) pulled it by hand a lit
tie before ripe; let it dry standing on
the ground for eight days; then bound
it with rye straw, and sheltered.
thrashed it by hand and spread it on
land already harvested, and let il ret by
dews and rains; then stacked it in the
barn again, but bound this time with
it's own straw. scutched it by the old
system (breaker and knives, still the
best in use when the work is done by
skilled scutchers.) The soil is black
loan mixed with black sand about ten
inches deep, with red clay for subsoil.
The result was as follows:
Sowei bushels Belgian seed, at Sl.G