It  is  cut  with  the  ordinary  self-binding  harvester,  is
shocked  up  in  shocks  of  twenty-five  to  thirty  bundles
each,  these  shocks  well  capped  with  four  bundles
broken  down  at  the  band,  and  then  left  until  well
cured  and  ready  for  the  separator.
Flax. — This  is  one  of  the  negle(5led  crops  of  the
United  States,  but  it  is  coming  into  favor  more  com-
monly here  in  the  west.  The  crop  requires  but  little
moisture,  and  if  furnished  early  in  the  season  insures  a
yield.  Flax  may  be  sown  any  time  in  May,  for  good
results,  though  as  late  as  the  middle  of  June  is  not  ob-
jedlionable  if  the  ground  at  that  time  is  found  to  con-
tain enough  moisture  to  germinate  the  seed  and  pro-
mote plant  growth.  Not  less  than  forty-five  pounds
of  seed  should  be  sown  on  an  acre,  while  fifty  pounds
will  give  better  results  in  most  cases.  The  yield  of
flaxseed  varies  all  the  way  from  eight  to  twenty-five
bushels  to  the  acre.  It  should  be  sown  in  drills  nine
inches  apart,  or  if  broadcast  the  corrugated  roller  may
be  profitably  employed.  As  the  crop  is  grown  mostly
for  fiber,  the  value  of  which  depends  greatly  upon  the
length  and  fineness  of  the  stems,  it  should  be  kept
growing  steadily,  and  may  be  irrigated  every  three  or
four  weeks  with  light  heads  calculated  to  sink  deep
into  the  soil,  so  as  not  to  coax  the  roots  toward  the
top.  After  the  plants  are  three-quarters  grown  with-
hold the  w^ater  and  thus  give  the  fiber  a  chance  to
ripen  properly  before  cutting.
