Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-21
FLAX AND HEMP CULTURE

EDITOR HERALD: Having secured
the interest of some capitalists to estab-
lish the flax and hemp industry In
Whatcom county, on condition that |
can demonstrate to them that flax and
hemp can be grown prolitably and Of
good quality here and upon Puget
Sound generally, il therefore becomes
the business Of Gus farmers 10 step for
ward and do our part In determining
this problem. To that end | have now
secured the promises Of twenty-five
| representative farmers in different sec
| tiOns Of the county to plant one-cighth
of an acre u rods by rods to flax
and the same to hemp, and cultivate
| the same according 10 my instructionsi
on condition that | furnish the prOper
amount and quality of seed. They are
To furnish me the fibre, which will be
sent east and some TO Europe, TO he
tested and they can retain the seed for
their own use, only furnishing me IA
small quantity 10 be tested for oil pro-
duction. As other farmers may wish
to test this matter for their own satis-
faction and TO familiarize themselves
with the best manner of handling these
fibre crops ! submit the following de-
tails tor their guidance and instruc.
ton
In bringing the subject Of fibre cul
ture under the notice Of capitalists and
farmers ! may say they can hardly
realize the Importance OF such an en-
: terprise 10 all classes without specia
/ consideration IL Is, however, sufficient
| to say in this place that IL II not every
: locality that Is suitable for flax culture
= TO produce the finest quality Of 1laX
p Wherever IL Il suitable, when intro
duced, Il becomes the leading industry
= of that locality. Thus i'm the north oi
e Ireland, around Belfast, the establish
ment Of the flax and linen industries
i advanced that part Of the country tt
, the leading commercial section Of Ire
= land, and WhatcOm county Is almos
Identical in soil, climate and water
When the flax industry IL fairly estab
lished IL will take the lead Of all th'
rest of Western Washington, and Bel
IS lingham Bay, like Belfast, will teen
= with industrial inhabitants supplying
> near and good market for all the fam
Gus products, while real estate Will In
crease one hundred fold In value ant
become an active marketable comodity
With regard TO the culture Of flax:
, First, select your richest and best fef
l. tilted iand-or none at all; your clean
# est and freest from weeds--or none a
h all. Poor land and foul, dirty land ar
d unsuitable for any crop, especially fax
,fl While fax formerly was supposed to b
'e exhaustive Of land fertility II Is no'
,e found not 10 be 80 If grown In regula
rotation. On the contrary 1t Is foun
TO be a good crop to precede wheat, oaI
or other small grain. Good clover 10
ts broken deeply In the fall is perhaps th
v. best crop 70 precede fax, ana II u
clover sod has good dressing
manure or commercial fertilizer IL wi
d, be all the better. The cost Of CONNIE
u cial fertilizers on this coast, however,
es too high TO Justify their general use,
~ though they have the great advantat
4 Of being free from weed seeds, and
yv would reiterate that-weeds are deaf
a to faxl Mark this. Land off whic
,o potatoes have been taken also IL sui
,y able for fax, If plowed deeply a. SOC
- as the potatoes are dug, thus buryi1
the weeds, for again-weeds are deal
10 fiaxl Having selected your lar
en- plow deeply in September, or Octobe
at and harrow 10 kill the weeds, for aga
weeds are death 10 fiaxl In februar
IL possible; In March, II need be, and
f.. April, ifit cannot be done before, pic
- the ground shallow, or, If you have
al Acme, disk or spring harrow, WORK
pf, over well and fine and probably m
on lions of weeds will start, and In abo
an ten DAYS, even before you zee mai
m. weeds. harrow again 10 make [
ground mellow and kill the weeds,
a0ain-weeds are death To fiaxl ~
your fax, II for fibre purpose, at I
In rate Of "a 10 bushels per acl
lr and II for both seed a
~ fiber at the rate Of two bushels I