Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-12-28
FLAX IN ROTATION.
An Interesting Experience by Practical
North Dakota Farmer.

North Dakota Farmer.
The following paper WAS read by Hon.
E. c. Sargent of Cass county, before the
annual mee;iig OF the national flag se
ISOLATION, held IL Fargo last Week,
In accepting an invitation to write an
article to read before this convention, I
did not 60 1T with the Thought that [
possessed greater knowledge than
others of tho hest methods to pursue in
in the growing and handling Of flax for
seed and fiber, but from the fact that I
want to learn as much as possible during
this meeting. and believing that the
knowledge we obtain in reference to the
growing and handling of farm crops and
stock is generally gathered little at
time from the scientist, the producer and
the consumer.
Therefore, if I can advance one idea
from my limited experience that shall be
Of value to anyone, I shall feel that I
have been most amply rewarded.
have been farming in North Dakota
since 1880, but prier to 1890 I raised no
fax. I had known for number of
years that flax was grown successfully
here, and that it paid we'll, but was led to
believe from popular theory that it was
a crop which tended to exhaust very ma
terially the land on which it was grown.
In 1890 we leased more school land and
sowed about $50 acres of fax, sowing one
half bushel of seed to the acre. The seed
used was of the large Russian variety.
long in deep punches as to cause many
of the seeds to turn dark and lose their
usual smooth like and glossy appearance
[ believe now, though did not know
it at the time. that those seeds will not
terminate, and from later experience
am sure that the seed was planted too
deep. The result was thin stand of
straw and yield of about six bushels
per acre. However, the price that fall
was good. and the experience was worth
something.
. In 1891 I sowed only twelve acres,
rather as an experiment than to obtain
a crop. The ground was rich and in
good condition, and was seeded with one
bushel of seed per acre. It grew rapidly
and l think was as fine a stand of fax
as ever saw growing. The fax was
out and bound with a binder, and after
being shocked, suffered all the hardships
of rain. wind and snow that wae posi-
BILE for grain toreceive in the unfavor-
able fall of 1891. From what we obtain
ed when it was threshed, I feel confident
it would have yielded from twenty to
twenty-five bushels per acre if the seed
could have all been saved
Since 1891 have raised more or less
fax every year with varying results,
and find that the average has been a
profitable one.
From the ten years of experience have
arrived at the following conclusions:
LIST. Would pillow the ground in the
fall, and disc before seeding, thereby ;
destroying many weeds and securing
a more compact and even seed bed.
End. Would SOW from eighteen to
twenty quarts per acre, not less than
eighteen, (unless there is some plan
lighter seed can be made to
branch more either by moving or
rolling). !
Bird. Have obtained good results by
seeding fairly early.
4th. Have found the self-rake reaper
The most desirable machine to cut it I
With that I have tired.
9Th. Have never failed to secure q
rood crop of wheat sown OF, the ground
preceded by crop Of Aax.