PROCESS OF GROWING AND PREPARING FLAX. I7I 



no dead and dry halms, in order to obtain as good a crop as possi- 

 ble ; but as soon as some of the halms begin to die off, pulling is 

 commenced at once. 



After pulling, the better flax is put up on the field to dry. This 

 is necessary, because the supply of water for rotting the flax in a 

 green state would prove insufficient for the vast quantity grown 

 there. The rottiug-pits in the northern provinces are scarcely 

 sufiScient to rot the inferior sorts in a green state, and to transport 

 the flax in a green state from various sections a distance of ten 

 hours travel to the Lys, would be impracticable, because it would 

 be heated ; besides the Lys could not obtain the immense quantity 

 of flax, if it were not properly distributed along its course, during 

 the summer. 



Since the same field often will produce an article varying in 

 length and quality, it is carefully assorted while being pulled, and 

 great care is taken lest the good and long article becomes mixed 

 with the short or such flax as contains red halms, which are to be 

 removed very carefully. Such assorting is very important, for 

 flax of different qualities and strength will not rot uniformly, and 

 red halms in it deteriorate its value considerably. 



The pulling of the flax is done in Belgium in the same manner 

 as in other countries where flax is gro^n, but proper care is taken 

 that the halms be laid even. On account of the greater weight of 

 the seed ends, sometimes the flax gets entangled, which is reme- 

 died by taking hold of the root ends and shaking it till it has its 

 proper shape again. As the flax must not become wet while it 

 lies upon the ground after pulling, it is put up in shocks generally 

 on the same day. In putting them up, three persons always work 

 together, two of whom carry the flax, and the third puts it up in 

 shocks, by means of a spade stuck in the ground, against which 

 the flax is leaned. Proper care is to be taken that the halms re- 

 main in a smooth, even position. The shocks are put up to a 

 length of six to eight feet, and consist of forty-five to sixty hand- 

 fuls of flax. Whenever a shock is done, some halms are drawn out 

 at the ends, and the upper parts of the shock are tied together 

 with them, lest they fall down. The shocks are put up so as to 

 have the opening towards the north-west and south-west, in order 

 that both sides be exposed to the rays of the sun. In these shocks 

 the flax remains standing until the inner halms, being less exposed 

 to the sun, have dried out to such a degree as will cause the 



