The Portland daily press., 1901-02-22
PREPARING FLAX.
How It Is Made Ready
For Market.
SO Called Common Flax" The Most
Readily Cultivated.
It Is Not An Exhausting
Crop.
It Is Not An Exhausting
The Time of Growth Is About
Three Months.
To the Editor Of the Press:

TO the Editor Of the Press:
In my fret letter on this subject, l re-
fsrred briefly to the history and present
status OF lax culture In the United
5 tates.
In this letter propose to dwell some
what on the agricultural operations and
on the preparation Of the fibre for mar
ket.
Inc United States Department OF Agri-
culture has excellent publications on the
subject, which may be had for few
cents each by writing to tho Superinten-
dent of documents, Government Print
ing Office, Union Building, Washington,
ID. q.
There are several var ieties OF fax, but
the only Industrial species and the only
one readily cultivated is the so-called
common flax (Linum usitatissimum.
1t REQ lires for the best results, deep,
well cultivated, well drained soil, neither
calcareous nor clayey. just the sort of
land, in fact, that is found along the In
taryales, or river bottoms OF our own
State, fins, deep, and rich.
Flax should AWAY be grown in rota-
interval OF from three to tive years should
elapse between crops.
In Europe the interval 10 longer eight
u twelve years sometimessIapsinR.T There
is no reason, however, why we should
follow European practice In this matter.
The farming lands Of Maine are certain
ly as yet more fertile than those OF
Europe.
Ihis brings me directly to the question,
whether or no tax 10 an exhauseinR crop
The statement has been often made, but
usually by such apologists of agriculture
as believe in always taking something
from the soil and never putting anything
back. The same crop can be grown for
years on the same soil, II the elements
which 1t removes. are returned TO the
soil each SEASON in the form OF fertilizer.
And conversely, the same crop on the
same soil without fertilization, will be-
come smaller and smaller, year by year,
AS matter Of fact, an acre CT wheat
extracts from the soil $50 lbs of inor-
ganic matter, while an acre OF lax ex-
tracts but IS lbs. of Inorganic matter.
The question OF how to maintain the
fertility OF the soil is chemical one,
and need not be entered into here. lt 10
sufficient to say that In all scientific
farming OF the present day, the rotation
OF crops Is praoticed as means TO that
end. 1t is Just here that the groWing OF
fax mas place in the scheme OF rotation.
1t is not as lucrative a crop as tobacco,
onions, sweet corn or small fruits. but
outside OF market gardens with their
heavy manuring, 1t is impracticable TO
grow these crops continually on the same
l4nd.
EThere re many orders OF crop rotation
anu each farmer will have MS own prac-
tice. So far as max is concerned the best
crop to preoede 1t is clover. The clover
roots with their numerous hbrils, not
aNNd lnNNF ha
sell, thus making it easier the following
year for the TAX to send It's tap root to n
moisture barring stratum, but their sub
sequent decom position affords excellent
nutrlIuent for the growing flax But
the most important reason Is that clover
tlnction with hemp. A neld infested
with weeds Is pretty we'll cleaned By he
ing sown to clover. Now, ii is OF the
utmost importance that lax Held
should be free OF weeds.
The land having been chosen, 1t should
be meilowed as much as possible. A fall
ploughing is recommended, with cross
ploughing in the spring. 1t shc uld then
be narrowed and rolled. An excellent
plan is to walt till q crop OF weeds, II
any, makes it's appearance, and then har-
row these under. This will pretty effect
ually dispose OF the weed question.
The seeding Immediately follows. 1t
should OCCUR as early as possible in April.
1t too little seed is used and too much
room given each plant, it viii branch
and make poor fibre. On the other hand,
too generous a seeding by orowding the
plants, produces a short but frail nbre.
About three bushels of seed per acre Is
she proper quantity to use.
Both broadcast sowing and drilling
have been employed, and both methods
have their advocates. Ii seems undenia-
BILE, however, that the former gives a
more even product, and should he en-
pIoyed where the best grade OF tax is