278 PROCESS OF GROWING AND PREPARING FLAX. 



is awaited, if possible, and it is done in localities situate at moist 

 places. 



The breaking- is done on a smooth, level floor, where the flax is 

 spread according' to its toughness. The breaking-hammer consists 

 of a piece of hard wood one foot long, six inches wide, and five 

 inches high. The lower sides have seven notches, one to one and 

 a half inches deep. The upper corners are ruuuded oft" a little. 

 The handle is three feet long and curved. The laborer first steps 

 upon the head ends of the flax, and beats first the root ends, mov- 

 ing forward his foot as he advances with the hammer to keep the 

 beaten flax in its smooth position. When the upper side of the 

 layer is suQiciently crushed by its continual beating, the flax is 

 turned over, and the beating proceeds again in the same way. 

 After the breaking is done, the laborer steps with both feet cross- 

 ways upon the flax, near the root end, seizes the beaten off roots, 

 and separates them from the stalks, lest they iinpede«swingling ; 

 then he seizes the flax at the top ends, thrusts it once or twice 

 down upon the floor to make the root ends smooth and straight 

 again, whereupon the swingle is put into requisition. 



In swingling the laborer divides the mass in such parts as he can 

 comfortably hold in his left hand, parts this handful, and pulls out 

 at the foot end, adding the best of the pulled out halms to the hand- 

 ful again, thrusts them twice or tlirice upon the ground to make it 

 even, seizes it firmly with the left hand two or three hands' breadths 

 from the root end, lays it against his left thigh, and breaks it with 

 the right hand near the left. Then the handful is laid iu the incis- 

 ion of the swingle board, and rubbed at various places, so that it 

 hangs down close to the swingle-board. The better the flax is 

 rubbed down at the swingle-board, the less the foot ends will bo 

 knocked ofl\ After this the flax is laid in the incision of the swin- 

 gle-board, so that one-third of its length comes under tlie stroke, 

 but the other two-thirds hang down at the back side of the board. 

 Now the laborer seizes the swingle-staff, and beats the part 

 brouglit under the stroke ; at every stroke he brings a little more 

 of the part hanging down at the back side uiider the stroke, until 

 half the handful is under the stroke, strikes yet several tinies upon 

 the whole, turns the lower side up, and repeats the same operation. 

 As circumstances may require, it is turned and beaten twice or 

 thrice. Then the whole handful is taken out of the swingle-board. 



