Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-21
NO. 173

acre; In both cases broadcast If, how
ever, you wish to grow flax for seed
alone, regardless of the flLer, then 1t
would be better to SOW five or six pecks
TO the acre and drill II in, and keep
clear of weeds-for again, weeds are
death 10 flax. The earlier the seed can
be got into the ground the better, pro-
vided the land X in good condition, and
II should be brushed in shallow, and II
the conveniences are at hand II should
be rolled after seeding.
In Europe where labor IL cheap, after
the flax is four to six inches high,
women 90 through on their knees and
pull all the weeds-for again, weeds are
death to flax. But i'm American cul-
ture we must fight the weeds before
the flax is sown by using only clean
ground-for the last time remember
that weeds are death TO flax.
In harvesting, flax should preferably
he pulled when the straw Is beginning
10 color yellow Mt the butts and the
seed Is turning from green to light
brown, or about two TO three weeks
before the seed would be fully ripe, as
at that stage the fiber II of the best
quality. If the pulling is too big job
IL may be cut with moving machine
set 10 cut as low as possible, IA the best
Of the fiber IL toward the bottom of the
stalk. IL should, however, be tied I'm
straight punches, IA the straighter the
straw is kept the more valuable IL the
product. The bundles are then shocked
10 dry and when dry hauled under
cover, when IL can be threshed, either
| by hand with IA fail or beaten against
IA block Of wood or stone, or II may
when grown in large quantities he
threshed by machine, as machines
are now made TO keep the straw
straight while the seed Is being re-
moved. At this stage the manufacturer
steps In and purchases the straw from
the grower and operates the necessary
process TO prepare the fiber.
With regard 10 hemp the same gen
eral Instructions may he observed with
the following notifications: First, as
hemp Is "a cleaning crop aud itself
death to weeds" IL IL n good crop to
precede flax, and as 1t grows eight or
nine feet high, If both are sown close
together the hemp should be sown on
the north side of the flax in order not
To shade IL too much. The quantity of
seed per acre IL not 80 large, ~ one and
and one-half bushels Of hemp seed Is
distinct male and female plants. The
male plants have more conspicuous
flowers than the female and they ripen
earlier, consequently the best time 10
f cut il is when the first or earliest seeds
begin 10 ripen on the female plant. IL
il generally cut with strong corn
knife or hook and the stalks laid down
straight and tied in bundles with the
butts all one way. When dry IL can be
threshed with "A fail. II can then be
dew settled by the farmer and broken
on the ranch, when the crop will yield
J one and one-half tons of fiber to the
( acre, with generally 800 per ton fol
{ first-class fiber When hemp culture h
! regularly established, companies nr,
7 formed 10 handle the straw produced
z by the farmer and convert IL into fiber
9 The settling and breaking Of hemp I
: generally effected by spreading thu
U hemp, after IL has been threshed, OF
the ground upon which II grew an'
, exposed to the dew, rain, frost and sun
II shine for four 10 six weeks, or until tn
> mucllaginous matter that holds Tn
y fibers in place becomes decomposed an'
90 permits them to become separate,
q by breaking up the pith and "chives,
= leaving the fiber free and straight
, There are other processes OF settling II
u water tanks and pools which produce
d better article Of fiber, but they requir
y special arrangements 10 use them
u, There has also recently been invente'
al by Mr. Boyce "A process Of preparin
NJ the fiber without the slow process Q
y settling, and only occupying half Al
g hour in preparing the fiber for spin
K ming purposes. 70 those who hay
0, agreed TO cultivate trial plats, ! shoul
y DE pleased to give further details Of tn
pi proper management Of the crop, an
n will visit them during the progress {
81 the experiment IA may be necessary.
10 A. w. THORNTON.
q West Ferndale.