Description of a Gypsey for Spinning Hemp and Flax. 349 
held about his waist, or upon a distaff. I here speak of flax 
and hemp in their ordinary state, or having their fibres unbroken ; 
in which state very little success has attended the numerous at- 
tempts to form them into threads, by machines worked without 
the direct aid of human fingers. 
To spin flax or hemp by machines of that kind, it has, hitherto, 
been found necessary to subject them to a process which shortens 
their fibres to the length of a few inches, bringing them at the 
same time into a state in which they resemble a roving of cotton. 
They are then spun by machines not differing in any essential 
degree from the water spinning-frame or throstle. It has not 
been found practicable to apply this method to the spinning of 
hemp for cordage or lines of any kind; the cost of the dressing 
and preparation, not to mention the loss of strength produced 
by the breaking up of the fibres, in forming the roving, being too 
great to bring it into successful competition with hand-work. 
It is however applied, to a considerable extent, for spinning flax, 
particularly for coarse cloths. 
{t will be. understood, from the preceding statement, that in 
the spinning of flax or hemp by machinery, as hitherto practis- 
ed, one machine alone is used which is peculiar to that manufac- 
ture, the machine by which their fibres are shortened and 
formed into a roving. ‘This machine consists of a cylinder 
about the periphery of which are placed numerous steel points. 
Near this cylinder is a pair of strong rollers. The cylinder 
and the rollers are geered, and, when in motion, the face of the 
rollers has six or eight times the velocity of,the cylinder. The flax, 
being supplied to the cylinder, and passed between the rollers, 
is drawn through the points as through a hatchel. Several of 
these rovings are then just put together, and the process is repeat- 
ed until the fibres are sufficiently reduced for spinning. ~ 
83 
