628 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



and that which had not. Generally speaking the crops were 

 distinctly good, although in some places the consequence of 

 irregular germination was markedly shown. 



With such frequent showers of rain falling, it was found 

 impossible to dry the crop when tied up into sheaves but this 

 was successfully accomplished by stretching a number of wires 

 the entire length of the field against which the flax was lodged 

 as soon as it was pulled. When sufficiently dry the flax was 

 then removed to the shelter of a large rick cloth where women 

 were engaged in rippling off the seed after the manner adopted 

 in Holland. 



The deseeded straw was sorted over and tied up into bundles 

 and these were packed vertically in the retting tanks and over 

 them some hurdles were placed upon which rested a heavy piece 

 of timber to keep the bundles in position. Water was allowed to 

 enter the tanks from a neighbouring stream and then a sufficient 

 weight of large stones was distributed over the hurdles to keep 

 the entire mass uniformly submerged. 



After about a week had elapsed the water in the tanks was 

 run out into a settling reservoir, fresh water was admitted from 

 the stream and the retting allowed to proceed. Although in the 

 first instance retting in the cement-lined tank commenced later 

 and proceeded at a slower rate than in the wood-lined tank, 

 after the first batch had been retted no such difference was 

 apparent. When the straw was sufficiently retted the tanks 

 were again emptied and the straw was removed to an adjacent 

 field where experiments on drying were made on the lines of 

 those practised in other countries. 



The attempts made to construct a filter bed to purify the 

 tank effluent were not altogether satisfactory, although the 

 analyses of the liquor made before and after filtration indicated 

 the possibility of success attending further experiments. 



The work done last year took more the form of a preliminary 

 trial of the more difficult operations of flax growing and fibre 

 separation, namely harvesting and retting ; experience was also 

 gained in carrying them out under very adverse circumstances. 

 It is anticipated that during the present year it will be possible 

 to make arrangements to study further the problem of purifying 

 the effluent and also to conduct more systematic experiments 

 with a view to ascertaining more exactly what would be the best 

 provision to make for establishing a small retting station. 



