^. .^^^ ^■Vs^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A *"^ W. € '4^ 4' 11.25 lU ■u •a 1.4 6" ■ 40 1.6 Riotographic Sciences Corporation ^^ iV r<\^ '^ 23 WIST MAIN STRUT WIUTIR.N.Y. 14SM (716)t72-4S03 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. b Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian da microreproductions historiquea Tachnical and Bibliographic IMotaa/Notas tacliniquaa at Mbliographiquaa Tha Inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tlia baat originai copy avaiiabia for fiiming. Faaturaa of tliia copy wl>icli may ba bibliographicaiiy uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa i'l tha raproduction. or which may significantly changa tha uauai mathod of filming, ara chacitad balow. 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Thia itam la filmad at tha raduction ratio chacicad balow/ Ca documant aat filmi au taux da riductlon !ndiqui ci-daaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 2SX 30X y/ 12X 16X 20X 24X 32X tails du Bdifiar un« mag* Tha copy ftlmad hara haa baan raproduead thanks to tha ganarosity of: Library Agrieuttura Canada Tha imagas appaaring hara ar.< tha l»ast quaiity possibia considaring tha condition and lagibility off tha original copy and in Icaaping with tho ffilming contract spaciffications. L'axamplaira film* ffut raproduit grAca k la g4n4rosit« da: BibllothkhM Agrieultura Canada Las imagas suivantas ont 4t4 raproduitas avac la plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattat6 da Taxamplaira ffilmi, at an confformitA avac las conditions du contrat da ffilmaga. Original copias in printad papar covers ara filmad baginning with tha ffront covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion. or tha bacic covar whan appropriata, All othar original copias ara filmad baginning on tha ffirst paga with a printad or illustratad impras- sion, and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad imprassion. Las axamplairas originaux dont la couvartura •n papiar aat ImprimAa sont fiimto an commandant par la pramiar piat at •n tarminant soit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una ampralnta d'imprassion ou d'illustration, soit par la sacond plat, salon Itt cas. Tous las autras axamplairas originaux sont fiimAs an commandant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una ampralnta d'irriprassion ou d'illustration at an tarmirant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla ampralnta. Tha last racordad fframa on aach microficha shall contain tha symbol — ^- (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol y (moaning "END"), whichavar applias. Un das symbolas suivants apparaltra sur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua microficha, saion la cas: la symbols — ► signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols V signiffia "FIN". Maps, platas, charts, ate, may ba ffilmad at diffffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antiraly includad in ona axposure era filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand cornsr. loft to right and top to bottom, as many framas as raquirad. Tha following diagrams illustrata tha mathod: Las cartas, planchas, tablaaux, ate, pauvant Atra filmAs A dss taux da rAduction difffArants. Lorsqua («j document ast trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un saul clichA, 11 aat ffilmA A partir da I'angla supAriaur gaucha, da gaueha A droita, at da haut an bas, an pranant la nombra d'i magas nAcasr>aira. Las diagrammas suivanta illustrant la mAi.hoda. rrata o lalura, lA 3 32X 1 2 3 1 2 • 3 4 5 6 / DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM OTTAWA, CANADA BULLETIN No. 25. FLAX. MAY, IH'JO. riBLISHEl) BY DIRKCTION OV THE UUN. W. H. MoNTAUCK, MlNUTKH Oil AUBlClLTUJUt. C'3 To the Honourable The Minister of Agrloaltuvo. Sir, — I have the honour to submit for your approval Bulletin No. 25 of the Experimental Farm series, prepared by myself. lu this bulletin is discussed the cultivation of flax, both for seed and fibre, and informa- tion given as to the preparation of the land and general treatment of this crop. In view of the present low prices prevailing for the more important cereals, it seems denirablc that the farmer.'^ of Canada should bo placed in possession of all the facts obtainable regarding the smaller branches of the great agricultural industry, so that iho}* may be the better able to avail themselves of such o[)portunities as may arise of adding to the protits of their work by devoting such portions of their land to these less important crops as may seem judicious and likely to give good returns. I have the honour to be, Your obedient servant, WxM. SAUNDERS, Director Experimental Farvis. Ottawa, Ist May, 1896. FL A^X. Bt Wm. SADNnERs, L.L.D , F.R.S.C., F.L.S., &o. Director Experimental Farms. The cultivation of fiax in now receiving groater attention in Canada than formerly, and the area of land devoted to this crop, eHpooiatIv in the province of Manitoba, has of late been largely inoroaHed. ThiH is owing partly to the continued low pricoH obtainiiblo for grain and partly to the unusually high price which flux seed brought during the autumn of 1894. The flax plant received from the great botanist Linnncus the name of Linum usitatissimum. P'rom the generic word Linuin the words linen, lint and linseed are derived, and the specific name usitatissimum which means " most iiseiul," was given to this plant in consideration of the ser- vice it has rendered the human family in supplying material for clothing. The fact that the Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen shows that the use of flax fibre is very ancient. '^A k J^ ^^ F\ax is an annual plant which grows from ^U'^ gU My^ 1^ to 2 feet and sometimes to 3 feet in height. ^-TAf ir m/ ..M The stem branches more or loss, depending much on the thickness with which the seed is sown and the relative closeness of the plaiits. The flower, which is shown in figure 1, of the natural si7,o, is of a purplish blue colour, and when fully expanded measures nearly an inch in diameter. The seed pods or " bolls " have ten cells or divisions, each of which contains a single seed. The feeds are brown with a smooth and polished surface, and have a muci- laginous coating which dissolves readily in hot water. When the seed is steeped in this Fig. 1. fluid a beverage is made known as " flax seed tea," which is rsod as a soothing drink in some forms of inflammatory disease. The seed is said to contain about 15 per cent of mucilage, it also yields a large proportion of oil from 22 to 27 per cent, which is known in commerce as linseed oil. To obtain the oil the seed is ground and heated by steam, and while hot is subjected to strong hydraulic pressure when the oil flows freely from the pressed material ; the cake loft after the oil is extracted is known as oil cake, and is much used as food for cattle. The fibre ig that which givoH to flux its greatest value. On cutting through a stem of thia piunt the centre ia found to bo occupied by pilb, Hurrounding which is a layer of ordinary wuodj fibreH, and outside of those the inner bar]< which is formed of yery long and re- marlcably tough fibres ; the whole being covered by a skin or epidermis. The object of the processes of retting and scutching of the flax plant is to sopurate these fibres composing the inner bark from all the other portions. The fibre of flax is very tough and is well adapted for spin- ning, and as compared with cotton, wool or silk, it is a good conductor of neat, linen clothing being proverbially cool. THE FLAX CROP IN MANITOBA. In Manitoba flax is grown for its seed only; no use ban yet been made of the straw, and it is claimed by practical men that the fibre in it is too short, and is too limited in quantity and poor quality to be worked with profit. The area under flax in this province in 1894 in given an 30,000 acres, and the yield averaged 12 bushels per aero, a total of 360,000 bushels. In 1895 the area under flax wan 8:2,500 acres, and the average yield, according to the estimate of the Manitoba Department of Agriculture, waH 15J bushels per acre, giving a total production in that province of 1,281,354 bushels. ITS PnODUCTlON AND VALUE IN THE UNITED STATES. The crop of flax seed in the United States in 1894 was a poor one, amounting in all to only abuut 7,500,000 bushels ; whereas the average crop is about 14,000,000 bushels. This shortage resulted in high prices and flax seed in Chicago, one of the chief markets for this product, com- manded during the autumn of that year from $1.40 to $1.50 per bushel. The duty on flax seed entering the United States is 20 cents per bushel, and a considerable quantity of the Mani- toba crop was bought by United States purchasers, who paid from $1.15 to $1.25 per bushel for it. As the quantity of flax seed grown in North America was not sufficient to supply the demand, the homo pro- duct was supplemented by large importations from India and the Argen- tine Republic. The flax crop of 1895 in the United Slates was a very large one, the area under cultivation was much increased, and the total yield of seed is estimated at nearly 19,000,000 bushels. This abundant crop has brought down tho price, which has ranged of late in the prin- cipal markets of the United States at from 90 cents to $1 per bushel ; and the value in Manitoba on the basis of these prices has fallen to about 70 cents. The flax crop of the United States is produced almost entirely in the North-western States, the greater part of it in Minnesota, North and South Dakota, lowu, Kansas and Nebraska. As in Manitoba, this crop is grown in the Western States almost entirely for the seed ; the eflbrts which have been repeatedly made to utilize the fibre have not met with much success. It is said that here also the dry climate reduces the quan- tity of fibre in the straw as well as its quality, so that it does not pay to work it. A t>mall proportion of the straw is used in factories where up- holsterers' tow is piXKluced, and also in paper mills, at prices ranging from $2.50 to $4 per ton ; but by far the larger part is disposed of by burning. FLAX UROWINO IN TUB N0RTII-WI8T FOR 8KED. %. ItP Fig.Z Flax can he ^rown on the prnirio Boils of tho North-wost onfir(«tlireaking,butUHunllypi'0- ducoB n hoavior crop on bnek- Hotting or on a clean fill low. To make thiH clear to thoHe w^o are unacquainted with tho methods of prairie farming, it may be said that tho tirHt breaking on prairie >>od Ih made by turning over a wide and shallow furrow about two inchoH thick. When this is done in tho spring, tho land is ready fur back-setting in the autumn, by which is meant a second ploughing running across the oreaking to a depth of about four inches. This cutH the doeayed sod, turns it over and covers it with about two inchoH of fresh soil from below. Back-trotting is the UHual pro- ph ration for a wheat crop. Where flax is howu on first breaking, u seed bed compara- tively free from weeds is pro- vided, the farmer dorivos a revenue from his land the firpt year, and tho crop oftcctually rots the sod so as to admit of ploughing to the ordinary depth in the autumn. QUANTITY OF 8EED PER ACRE. When flax in grown for its seed only, it is usual to sow from two to throe pocks per acre, and when thus thinly sowa tho plants are much branched, as shown in figure 2, and are B&id to average a larger yield of seed. This, however, seems to require further investigation and the character of the season may influence the results very much. From tests made on the Experimental Farm at Brandon, Man., in 1894, it would appear that heavier seeding ma}» be de- sirable even when flax is grown for the seed only. These experiments were made on plots of one-tenth of an acre each on land which had been summer fallowed, with the following results : — Sown 16th May, 40 lbs. seed per acre, ripe 16th August, yield per acre, 19 bush. 26 lbs. Sown 16ih Mbj, 70 lb«. •e«d p«r sere, rip« 16tb August, yield pur •ore, 20 buHhoU. Sown l<)th M«y, 90 lb*. teeJ per acre, ripe 16th August, yield por aoro, 20 buab. 50 Hm. In thcHO experiment!* the flix was sown with the grain drill, cut with a binder and threshed with the separator, caro being taken to feed slowly. TIMB TO sow. Experiments were also eooe 16th Augunt, yield por aero, 20 bash. 50 Ibn. Sown 22nd M:iy, 90 Ibei ii«ed per acre, ripe 22nd August, yield per acre, 21 bush. 14 Um. These experiments will neoi to be repeated fur Hovorul yoarri before any general conclusions can b« drawn from ihem. At the Experimental Farm at Indian Head, in 1^90. the heaviest crop of flux seed was pro- duced when sown on the 17th May ; while in 1891 good roBults wero had from Hced Kown on the -ini of Jane. From the oxporionco thus fur gained, it would appear that the best time for sowing flux throughout the Canadian North-wcAt wf>ald be from the 15lh to 25th of May. The flax plant is tonder in the spring and easily injured by frost. It in less liable to injury from this cause in the autumn; but if oxnosed to much frost before tho seed is ripe, the feeds become dark and aiscoloured and are then very much reduced io ralue. FLAX OROWIXO IX OXTAmiO CHIBFLT FOR FIBBR. The cultivation of flax io Western Ontario has long been carried on mainly for its fibre, the yield of seed being a secondary oonHideration. The total area under cultivation U said to be from 12,000 to 15,000 acres, and tho production of i*ee«i in thi«ptt»vince for tho year 1895 is variously estimated at from 95,000 toltt},Wi bosheU. Tho flux industry in Ontario has boon stimulated and largely j»ast£tioed through tho operations of the ontorprising firm of J. k J. Livingston, of Badon, Ont., who began tho working up of flax products in 1864. This firm now operates lurge oil mills with double sottt of pr ea n cni for the manufacture of linseed oil, and twelve scutching milh for the manofactare of flax fibre, located in different parts of the western portion of the province. The oil mills are run night and day, from Morvday morning Io Saturday night, for the groatur Eart of the year, and the oinsamptioo of beed is from 450,000 to 5i)0,000 ushels annually. The qoaotity of oil produced varies from 15,000 to 20,000 barrolH yearly, all of which finds a market in the Dominion. In ordinary seasons the greater part of the seed required is brought from Munitobu; but in 1894, when eeed was scarce and dear, this firm im- ported 1,000 tons from the Argentine Republic, in order to keep their works partially going. This is the only linseed oil mill in operation in Ontario. To ffrow (lax HiiccoHHfiilly for (ihrt<, ii moiHl (-liiimiu inhikid It) be lu'conHury. In aHuuHnn wliuii thu laiiiftill ihdoticiutit, iih it vvjtH in HoineMcctioiin of Onturid during' IH'.t.**, iho Hljro proliicofl in HHiallur in i|iiaritity and in inforior in i|iui!ity. Thoro aro fr»m« 40 lo 4r> hculcliin^' inillH in Wc-t- (irn Ontario wlioiu flax tihro iH |inMliic»il, arxl oacli tiiill will work up t'roin iiOU to )i(M) acreM>r flax, which iiHually prtNlucuHun avtira^oof .'{,()U() to .'l.filii) liiH. of ritraw per aero. The <|uantity of Muod Hown in Ontario in alioiit SO Uih. por aero, which iH naid to ho Huillciont to eover tho ^jround well and produce a thick i^iowth, j:^ivin;j a loni; and t-trai^^lit Nlruw whicli yioldM u tiliro of ijood <|uality. F\n, '.I ropresonta a plant ()f a crop thurt f,'rown, mainly for tiltro. 'riiosond is hown from tho middle of Ajiril to tho middle of May, conimordy by a broadi ani machine, bill HometimoN liy hand. immI ihe hocd irt eovored by a lii^ht harrowing. Wiioro (lax in ^rown for itH fibre it irt ulways piillo«l in harvest- in;;. There are two moth(HlH followed in tht; raiH- ini^of ihiH crop. In one tho propriotorw of ihe millsrcnt tludandon which flax in to bci^rown ;ii from 8S to 810 per iicre. Tho farmer in ilii.s ar- ran<{(!mont prepares Iho "ground by ploufj;liin^ and harrowini,', and thoownerof Iho millHf^rowrt and liarvoMtH the crop. In the oihoi case, tho farmer grows and harvosls the crop and hoIIh it to tho proprietorn of i; e milln iiHuall}' at 810 per ton for tho drioQ crop, soliini,' Iho seed with tho rttraw. VVMion tlio soanon \n favourable and the land in good condition for this crop, it is not uncommon for tho farmer to grow from two to three tons per aero. In some local itioH mon aro employed in pulling ; in others tho larger part of this work is done by women and children. Tho cost of pullinj; is usually from $4. to 85 per acre. A man who is a iioml puller can make from Sl.li'i to S1.."'»0 per day at this work. Tho women earn from 75 cents to $1 per day, and children from 10 to 15 years of ago from 30 to 75 cents per day. Tho crop as pulled Ib tied in bundles or small sheaves, which aro placed for a time in stooks in the field and whtm dry it is drawn to tho storehouses. It is threshed by the use of a special machine which separates tho seed without injuring tho fibre in the straw, and tho straw is subsequently rotted and scutched and the fibre thus prepared for the market. The average yield of seed in Ontario during the past year is said to have been from Might to nine bushels per acre, and tho weight of straw has averaged about 1^ tons. The fibre manufactured in Canada finds a ready market in tho United States and in England. 10 FLAX CULTURE IN OTHER PU0VINCE3. Flax is grown succosHfully ovor tho lai-gei' part of the settled portions of Quebec, whore it is cultivated, in comparatively small areas, chiefly for its tibre, for household purposes. It is retted, scutched, spun, and made into fabrics for household use by the thrifty wives and daughters of Fronch Canadian farmers. Flax is also grown successfully in the Maritime Provinces and in British Columbia. OIL MILLS IN OTHER PROVINCES. There is a linseed oil mill in Winnipeg that has been in operation for several years, which has a capacity for manufacturing from 80 to 90 barrels per week, using 2,000 bushels of seed. This oil, which is made entirely from Manitoba »eed, usually supplies the home demand ; and when seed is plentiful and there is more made than is required in the province tho surplus is sent to the other provinces of tho Dominion. A new mill is also in process of erection at Mission, in British Columbia, whore, it is proposed, to supplement such seed as can be grown in that province by importations from Manitoba and South America. There is also an oil mill near tho city of Quebec, which was in operation in 1893, but has not been working of late. IS FLAX A SPECIALLY BXH.VUSTINa CROP? This question is usually answered in the affirmative, but this opinion does not appear to be warranted by the chemical analyses which have been made of this crop, showing the principal elements of fer- tility taken from the soit during the period oi its growth. The results which have been obtained by chemical examination may be summarized as follows : — An acre of flax producing 15 bushels takes from the soil — if seed and 2,000 lbs. of straw, Nitrogen in Iba. Phosphoric Acid in lbs. Potash in lbs. For the seed, 8 10 lbs " straw, 2,000 lbs 26- 20- 14 -80 9- 0-28 28- Total 40- 23-8(5 37-28 If we compare this with a crop of wheat yielding 25 bushels of grain per acre and 2,200 lbs. of straw, we find that the wheat takes from the soil — Nitro^'en in lbs. Phosphoric Acid in lbs. 12-6ii 4-% Potash in lbs. For the grnin, 1,500 lbs 28-50 12 03 8.54 " straw, 2,200 Ibw 10-67 Total 40-53 17 -04 19-11 11 li" we ccmparo the figures ^iven with those from a crop of oats of 50 buahels to the uci-e with 2,200 lbs. of utraw, we find that there is taken from the soil by the oat crop : — Nitrogen iu lbs. Phosphoric in lbs. Potash in lbs. For the crrain. 1.70O lbs 32- 13 13-90 10-48 4-74 8-05 " straw, 2,200 .lbs 24 83 Total 4G03 15-22 3288 The gi'eater part of the straw of all these crops grown in the North- west is usually burnt, when the mineral ingredients taken from the land are returned to it in the form of ashes. In the cast, where the straw is utilized chiefly for bedding animals, the mineral constituents taken up are returned to the soil with the manure, hence the seed only need be considered. It will be seen that the grain, in the case of the wheat crop, takes up a little more nitrogen and somewhat less of phosphoric acid and potash than is taken by the flax seed ; while the oat crop takes for the grain a larger proportion of nitrogen, nearly one-third less of phos- phoric acid and about one-eighth less of potash. The difference, how- ever, in exhaustive effect of these several crops on a rich soil would scarcely be perceptible, and would not justify the opinion that flax is a very exhausting crop. In some experiments tried at the Experimental Farm at Brandon, Man., during the past year, in sowing wheat, oats and barley after flax, the results obtained point to the same conclusion. OENGRAL CONSIDERATIONS. In the growing of flax, one of the first requisites to success is to have the land as free as possible from weeds. In the selecting of the seed for sowing also see that it is free from weed seeds, and the heaviest, bright- est and plumpest samples of seed should be preferred. As flax grown for fibre undergoes more or less deterioration each year, the proprietors of flax mills usually import some fresh seed every season from Belgium, Holland or Bussia for distribution among their patrons. It is said that the seed is at its best the second year from importation. In those parts of Europe where the production of fibre is the prime object, IJ to 2 bushels of seed, and sometimes more, is sown per acre. In Belgium, where some of the finest quality of fibre is produced, flax is said to succeed best in deep and well cultivated soils that are not heavy. In a dry, calcireous soil the plant grows short ; while in a heavy clay soil, although the growth is long, it is said that the fibre is not so valuable. In Ireland any good fertile soil which has been well prepared by thorough cultivation, and is rich enough to produce good crops of cereals is held to be suitable for flax. In the north-western parts of America, it is common to grow flax after wheat or oats ; but no regular system of rotation is followed. In Europe where the soil is not so fertile and new, a systematic rotation is practised with heavy manuring. It is not often that the flax crop is allowed to recur on the same ground oftener than once in five years, and in some districts not oftener than once in seven or eight years. A common rotation is said to be : oats, rye, wheat, clover and flax. Clover is re- garded as one of the best crops to precede flax, as its roots penetrate deep into the soil, and bring up stores of fertility from below which most other plants do not reach. Clovers also assimilate and store up nitrogen from the air, and when turned under, furnish much plant food for the crop that is to follow.