The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-19
CITY NEWS
BETTER FLAX GROWN.
Results Of Experiments at the Agri-
cultural School as Summarized
by Prof. Hays.
Grain Barieties Produce More Seed
and Straw Varieties More and
Much Finer Straw.

The wisdom Of congressional and state
appropriations for carrying on expert
ments in various lines of agricultural de-
velopment, particularly the development
of cereals has been shown again by re-
suits attained in the breeding Of fax.
Professor W.. M. Hays, in charge of the
Minnesota experiment station, several
year ago began experimenting In the
breeding Of wheat to see whether q vari
ETY. could not be produced that would
yield more per acre than the kinds then
in general demand among farmers. He
was successful, having bred several va
rieties together. so that the average yield
per acre Of the new variety was 10 per
cent greater than that of any Of the old
ones.
Professor Hays also experimental with
fax along the same lines, and his success
has been even more marked than with
wheat. The result will be marked in
crease in the material wealth Of the north
west.
Professor Hays has been in Washington
during the past few days, discussing his
experiments and reporting progress to
the officers of the department of agricul
ture. His report will not be published
for some months, but the experiments
have progressed so far as to demonstrate
their success, and Professor Hays was
willing that statement about them
should be made public. He says:
~Nlilc SSdIS ago Tie MlllIlcSOld cApeIl-
ment station began experiments to in
crease the yield and value Of flax by de-
Fls1ng suitable crop rotations and by
breeding. During the past season four
varieties Of common flax, such as were
used as foundation varieties, yielded an
average of II so bushels per acre. The
best four new varieties bred for seed
yielded II $40 buhels, while four bred for
fiber yielded only 10 $40 bushels per acre.
The four common varieties grew only
23 $40 inches tall, while the best four
fibre varieties grew So inches and the
best four seed varieties only % inches
tall In yield of straw the four parent
varieties gave an average of 1.55 tons per
acre, the four best fiber varieties 1.76, and
the four best seed varieties only 1.42 tons
per acre.
I'm the prosperous times Of an industry
its by-products are often wasted with i'm
punity. Flax has been no exception, and
millions Of tons of flax straw have been
wasted because of growing flax for the
grain alone. For fifteen years attempts
have been made to utilize the coarse, short
fiber of the weedy flax straw of flax grown
for grain only. For dozen years all the
factories failed except a few which worked
up sufficient upholsterer's tow to supply
the limited demand for that cheap
product. During the last three years,
however, more hopeful results have been
reached by factories, and recently in
vented processes are giving promise to
utilize the vast quantities Of flax fiber,
now wasted for paper and similar prod
ucts. One small factory in Minnesota is
working at this problem of long line, fine
flax fiber for linens by sowing the seed
three or four times as thick as when for
crops of grain. The fax sown thus thick
ly grows taller, does not produce branches,
and while 1T produces less seed, yields
larger amount Of much finer, longer,
softer and stronger fiber. The expert
ments have been carried on to supply to
those farmers who grow flax for the grain
better varieties; and to supply varieties
which grow tall in spite Of the climate,
and thus make possible new fiber in
dustry in the middle northwest"
This work has been Of late carried on in
cooperation with the United States de-
partment Of agriculture and the surround
ing state experiment stations, Professor
Shepperd Of the North Dakota expert
ment station. especially having taken
a prominent part. DR.. A. F. Woods and
A. J. P1eters Of the United States de-
partment Of agriculture, has given ma
terial assistance and still larger results
are promised as the outcome of the CO.
operation between the United States de-
partment Of agriculture and the state sta
tlons.