Flax Culture

A report of unusual valué to the agricnlturists of this country is that on "Flax Culture For Seed and Fiber," prepared by C. R. Dodge, the special agent in charge of fiber investigation for the departrnent of agriculture. A widespread interest has undoubtedly arisen of late in regard to the possibilities of commercial flax growing in the United States, and the present report covers all the points on which information is desirable in a most exhaustive, practical and entertaining style. Mr. Dodge also gives data of foreign niethods, the result of his personal experience and studies made on the spot in those countries of Europe which fnrnish the commercial supply of flax. While these practices cannot be strictly followed in this country they give knowledge essential to the establishment of au American practico that may be safely pursued. From the report, which is worthy of the attention of every wide awake farmer, a few extracts are appended in regard to experiments made: "The fact that the raw flax from one lot of experimentally retted Puget sound straw gave 47 per cent of spinning fiber, worth $500 per ton, is conclüsive evidence that this country can produce fine flax in quantity, with skill and good management. "The experiments in flax culture in the state of Washington in 1895 were nndertaken after a splendid showing made in a small experiment the previous year. In this initial experiment a quality of straw was produced from American grown seed derived from a previous year's planting of imported seed, which was fine, long, straight and tolerably even, resembling Belgian straw, and which gave promise, with more careful culture, of a grade of straw that would compare favorably with that grown in the famous flax region of Flanders. "A few points were demonstrated to which particular attention should be drawn. In the first place it was proved that the Puget sound región affords an ideal climate for flax culture, for in spite of the many drawbacks to the success of the experimenfsome of the straw produced and subsequently shown by me to Belgian experts has been pronounced of such superior quality as to be capable of yielding scutched flax worth 30 cents a pound. The question of our ability, therefore, to produce high grade flax straw in this locality is settled beyond argument. "The very best samples of straw received carne from Oregon and California, where the experiments were conducted in heavy soils. At the California experiment station adobe soil was chosen, which is of a clayey nature. The 'clay loam' selected at the Oregon station was explaiued as 'rather tenacious in its character, the land having borne from five to six crops of wheat sincecleared of timber. ' "