The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-04-09
Culture of Flax.

bulletin 43, treats of fax culture. In
part it says:
History of the plant.-The fax plant
Linum usitatissimum. From the word
Linum comes our English words lint,
linen and linseed. The specific name
signifies great usefulness from the fact
that the plant supplied human beings
with many useful articles of clothing.
The use of fax fiber is ancient, lndi-
Gated by the records found in sacred
writings, and by the linen wrapped
about the Egyptian mummies. There
are several wild species of the plant as
we'll as domesticated varieties.
Kind of Seed.-Regarding the varie-
ties recommended for fiber the follow
ing remarks are taken from The De-
partment report, bulletin No. r.
"Mr. ]. r. Proctor, of Kentucky
writing upon this subject many years
ago, advocated the White Blossom
Dutch as the best seed for American
flax growers. Mr.. Eugene Bose,
practical flax grower, states that his
preference, based upon several years
experience, ia for O Riga seed, once
sown in Belgium'-that is to say, i'm
ported seed grown on Belgiu.n SOIL
from seed procured in Riga; (2) seed
imported direct from Riga, but 1T must
be Riga and not Finland seed; 90
Dutch (Rotterdam) seed, and (D
American seed, which he reports as
good as Nos. 2 and when well Guilt
yated, though it will not stand the
drought as WE'LL Mr.. Bose states that
No. / will produce about eight bushels
Of seed to the acre; No. 2, ten bushels,
and No. between eight and ten
bushels"
Experiments will be conducted dur
ing the present year to determine the
best varieties for this locality. Until ex-
periments demonstrate otherwise the
foregoing remarks are fully Endorsed.
The value of the fiber produced is very
largely governed by the kind and quail
ity of the seed, hence much stress must
be placed upon getting the seed from re-
liable sources. 1t will be safest proba-
bly,, to use imported seed in the out
set; but we may be able to produce
seed from the imported samples that
will equal, and possibly surpass the
foreign seed. Three varieties were
grown in 1892 for the department OF
agriculture. They were the Pure Riga
or Russian, White Blossom Dutch, and
variety called the Belgian. This last
variety is produced from Riga seed
grown on Belgian soil. The Pure Riga
gave the best results in these expert
ments.
Fiber can be successfully grown only
from seed which is adapted to the pro-
1uction Of fiber. There is something
IN the habit of the plant, if we may use
that term. The following statement is
taken from the department report.
Imported seed gives the best results,
but if this cannot be obtained, seed
must be sown that has been produced
from plants grown for their fiber, also
from selected seed" Whatever the
source of seed great care must be taken
in securing clean seed. Weed seeds
would render the flax seed worthless
The supply must be fresh for old seed
loses its vitality. Seed should be care
fully tested before using so that the
exact per cent of termination may be
known. If only GO per cent of the seed
will grow then, evidently, more of it
must be sown per acre. The higher
the per cent of termination the better.
Seed that, under favorable conditions,
will terminate only so to rs per cent
would not be desirable. Some appre-
hension has been expressed as to the
danger of importing weeds with the
fax seed; but with proper precautions
in procuring seed from reliable sources
this danger will be largely obviated.
Sofia retenIive soil is best adapted |
to the growing of flax, other physical |
and chemical properties being favora-
BILE. Soils that will produce good crops |
Of grain are usually good fax lands |
The state Of cultivation is more es-
sential, however, in growing the flax |
plant than in growing a grain crop. |
The flax plant makes its growth very |
quickly, and during time when there
Is no rain or frost to assist in pulveri.;
ng the soil. thereby rendering avail
able the inert plant food. Wheat sown
IN comparatively cloddy soil will
,ften make good growth; for, during
he long period of growth, the clods are
broken up and washed down by the ele-
nents. The composition of the best fax
;oil, as given by the chemist of the
Minnesota experiment station, in bui-
etin No. AZ, is as follows: THE best
lax soils are those that contain 25 per
:ent of medium sand, 20 to 20 per cent
# fine and very fine sand, So to 40 per
ent of silt and IL per cent Of clay. A
oil of this kind, known as loan
oil, is put together in such way so
Is not offer too great resistance to
he development of fax roots, and at
he same time the soil is capable of
Olding and supplying the proper
mount of water for the growing crop"
he same report states that flax soils
hould be we'll supplied with humus
decayed animal or vegetable matter).