170 PROCESS OF GROWING AND PREPARING FLAX. 



The early flax, in growing up more slowly, gets a strong, dura- 

 ble fibre, while the late flax, growing up more rapidly, obtains a 

 weak, soft fibre, less capable of enduring the process of prepara- 

 tion, whereby a considerable loss in weight is caused. 



In order to obtain a uniform, fine plant, the Belgian flax-grower 

 takes care that the field is uniformly manured with the above de- 

 scribed manures, and that the seeding is done properly and uni- 

 formly. Flax sown too thin will have thick halms, and be of a 

 coarser and inferior quality ; not sown uniformly, the flax will be 

 partly fine and par^y coarse, and must be sorted, which requires 

 much time ; sown too densely, the yield will not be satisfactory, 

 the flax remaining short. 



5. Weeding. When the flax has grown to the height of two or 

 three inches, the weeds are to be destroyed. Women, girls and 

 children, move on their knees through the flax, and carefully pull 

 out the weeds. It is done generally against the wind, in order that 

 the plants thus pressed down may be raised again. If later (when 

 the flax is seven to ten inches high,) and weeds should appear 

 again, the weeding is to be repeated. 



6. Signs of Ripeness — Gathering and Drying. In Belgium 

 there are various rules in regard to the time when the flax must be 

 pulled ; but it is not to be presumed that it must be pulled in this 

 or that state of ripeness, because, in this respect, everything de- 

 pends on the growth of the flax plant. In general, the flax is suf- 

 fered to get riper in the vicinity of Courtrai than in the neighbor- 

 hood of Doornik and St. Amand, where flax is grown mostly for 

 cambric weaving, especially in the sections around Bruegge, 

 Thourhout, Cankelaere, Roulers, etc., where it is the chief aim to 

 raise a good seed, the flax is suffered to stand longer. 



The common signs of the ripeness of flax are as follows : When 

 the leaves from below, for half the length of the stalk, are fallen 

 oflf; when the color of the halms turns from greenish to yellowish ; 

 when the seeds are no longer milk}', and the seed-capsulas become 

 yellow and hard. But this period is not waited for, if in a good 

 flax crop there appear red halms soon after blossoming, or if the 

 flax lies down. As to such flax as has suffered from rust or other 

 casualties, and, therefore, is of but little value commercially, the 

 chief aim is to obtain good seed from it ; and if there is a fair pros- 

 pect for this, the flax is left on the field until the seed has ripened 

 perfectly. A good crop is left standing as long as there appear 



