April 2^th, 1922.] Proceedings. xxiii. 



Mr. E. Holmes Smith, B.Sc, read a paper entitled : — 

 '* Retting, and the production of Fibre Flax in Belgium 

 and elsewhere." 



This paper dealt with the history and origin of cultivated 

 flax. It was shown that the fibre flax plant cultivated to-day is 

 the very same as was cultivated 3,000 — 5,000 years ago by the 

 ancient Egyptians. It was introduced into the north of Europe 

 by the Finns, and afterwards into the rest of Europe by the 

 Western Aryans and Phoenicians about 2500 — 1200 B.C. It was 

 introduced into Britain by the Romans. The difficulties in the 

 way of successful cultivation were pointed out and the technical 

 processes of " retting " and ** scutching " were briefly described. 



A series of slides showing the cultivation, m.ethod of "retting" 

 and preparing of the world's finest flax fibre in Belgium were 

 shown, also the methods adopted in Ireland and Russia. 

 Specimens of all the principal commercial flax fibres were shown 

 with pre-w^ar and present-day values attached. 



Annual General Meeting, April 25th, 1922. 



Mr. T. A. Coward, M.Sc, F.Z.S., F.E.S. [President), in the 



Chair. 



The Annual Report of the Council and the Statement of 

 Accounts were presented, and it was resolved :■ — " That the 

 Annual Report, together with the Statement of Accounts, be 

 adopted, and that they be printed in the Society's Proceedings." 



A vote of thanks to the retiring officers and other members 

 of Council was passed unanimously. The following members 

 were elected ofiicers of the Society and members of the Council 

 for the ensuing year : — 



President : T. A. Coward, M.Sc, F.Z.S., F.E.S. 

 Vice-Presidents : Sir Henry A. Miers, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S. ; 

 W. Henry Todd; Arthur Lapw^orth, D.Sc, EL.D., F.R.S.,. 

 F.I.C.; C. E. Stromeyer, O.B.E., M.Inst.CE. 



Secretaries : H. F. Coward, D.Sc, F.I.C. ; T. H. Pear, M.A.,. 

 B.Sc. 



Treasurer : R. H. Clayton, B.Sc 



Librarians : C. L. Barnes, M.A. ; Wilfrid Robinson, D.Sc. 



Curator : W. W. Haldane Gee, B.Sc, M.Sc. Tech. 



Other Members of the Council: W. M. Tattersall, D.Sc; 

 F. E. Weiss, D.vSc, F.R.S., F.L.S. ; Francis Jones, M.Sc, 

 F.R.S.E., F.C.S. ; Laura Start, M.Ed.; Sydney Chapman, M.A., 

 D.Sc, F.R.S.; W. L. Bragg, M.A., F.R.S.; The Rev. A. L. 

 CoRTiE, S.J., F.R.A.S., F.Inst.P.; R. L. Taylor, F.C.S., F.I.C,; 

 William Thomson, F.R.S.E., F.C.S. , F.I.C. 



Ex Officio : The Chairman and the Secretary of the Chemical 

 Section. 



