The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1895-03-15
POINTERS ON FLAX.
A Gentleman Experienced in LInseed
oil Manufacture Gives Opinions.

@TNEf1t
oil Manufacture Gives Opinions.
H. Shulthis. of Pendleton, has
had extensive experience in handl-
ing fax, says the East Oregonian
He was formerly associated with J.
r Burnham in the management Of
linseed oil mill, and for thirteen
years followed that business con.
tinuously. He Is therefore emi-
nently qualified TO speak of fax
culture. Having been in business
in Pendleton for several years, Mr.
Shulthis knows the conditions ex.
listing here and an opinion from
him on the subject will be Of prac
tical value at this time, when farm.
ers and Others are looking into the
merits of the flax industry for East.
ern Oregon and especiallyfor Um.
atilla county.
In the first place, Mr.. Shulthis
says, there is no danger Of over
production in this state. Enor.
nous quantities are imported fol
use on the coast. California draws
the supply from Oregon and Wash.
ington, excepting the imported,
and California has no soil suitable
to fax culture.
Mr.. Shulthis also says that he
does not believe fax can be raised
in Eastern Oregon of good enough
fiber for use in manufacture of lin.
en-. The finest flax fiber in the
world is raised in Ireland where
fogs are constant and heavy, and
in his opinion moisture put on the
land is not sufficient; it must be in
the atmosphere as we'll.
AS to fax seed, for utilization in
linseed oil mills, there is no doubt
that a good product can be turned
out by the Eastern Oregon farmer.
1t has already been demonstrated.
Several points submitted to Mr.,
Shulthis for consideration and
treatment for the benefit of those
interested in flax raising were as
follows.
docs fax exhaust the land more
than other crops2"
The answer was: sNo, / think
there is nothing in this assertion
which is borne out by experience
In a section Of Iowa, formerly my
thine, fax has been raised fo
lsowenty-five years and is yet being
raised with good results. Ahou
one fourth as much substance ii
seed and straw is taken from th,
soil in fax culture as Is taken il
wheat raising. and it is not reason
able to think the drain by fax j
greater
docs the average justify an ex,
pectation of fifteen bushels PEI
IacreW
Mr.. Shulthis replied: II would
say a safe average to figure on i
twelve to fifteen bushels per acre
IAN unusual yield would b
twenty and very exceptional TWEEN
/ ty-three or twenty-five. The tif
teen bushels average would b.
above the average for oil land sowl
to wheat ?
rs the straw valuable for feed
ing stock?"
An affirmative answer WAS givel
to this query, though it was quail
fed by the statement that mare
with foal or cows withlcalf should
under no circumstances be fed fla
straw.
"How about loss by shelllng dur
ing the harvest seasonW
The one point to remember, salt
Mr.. Shulthis. "is to cut when tn
straw begins to turn yellow. !
| this is done, the loss will be incon
siderable.
sOnly clean soil, above ever,
thing else, must be sown to fax
Summer fallow is to be perferred
but in any case land free from
weeds. In this section, where tht
mustard seed are much smalle
than in the Eastern states, careful
screening will remove them all
With these suggestionsin mind, al
intelligent farmer can raise fa1
successfully and with profit in I'm
atilla county or any part Of East
ern Oregon"
A sensible suggestion has beel
made when gentleman in Westol
remarked to the Leader: 1T j
not well to go 'plunging into fla,
or any thing else. Begin moder
ately and raise something else q
Il H