10 On the Flax Husbandry of Irekmd. 



and smoke pervades every part of the flax, which is 

 placed perpendicularly above the hurdle. This pro- 

 cess is continued, and fresh quantities of flax regularly 

 added, till the whole crop is brought to a state of dry- 

 ness, which in that moist climate, can never be effected 

 by the sun and the weather : by this operation, a degree 

 of brittleness and friability is produced on the straw, 

 which greatly facilitates the ensuing work, and admits 

 of an easy separation of the fibre from the wood. It is 

 evident, that the less friction required in skutching, the 

 less waste and diminution must be occasioned in clean- . 

 ing the flax, and consequently, the greater must be the 

 grower's produce from the mill. This part of the pro- 

 cess is equally delicate with that described above, and 

 requires, if possible, still greater attention on the part 

 of the workmen, since it is clear, that by a careless ma- 

 nagement of the fire, the whole crop may be destroyed. 

 3. Cleansing and dressing. The flax husbandly of 

 Ireland derives no small benefit fiom the application 

 of hand labour in the beating and skutching of lint, 

 thus superseding the use of the mill. The most care- 

 ful and expert workmen are not always able to temper 

 the velocity of machinery so exactly, as to preserve 

 flax that has been over steeped or bleached to excess ; 

 while the steady and regulated impetus of the hand 

 skutching, can be easily modified, as the circumstances 

 of each case may require : a matter of obvious advan- 

 tage, because the best flax mills seldom produce an 

 equal quantity of lint, nor equally clean, with that which 

 is obtained bv the hand. 



