486 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



tropical fibres, can be 'satisfied by reference to the book from 

 which I quote. 



After Mr. Sanford's machine had been brought to perfection, 

 the question arose whether the machine or the principle upon 

 which it was constructed, might not be applied to the dressing 

 of flax. We tried it, and the experiment was so far satisfactory 

 that we immediately set to work to modify the ma( hine, and at 

 the same time commenced an earnest study of the nature of flax, 

 as well as of the various proce£;ses and modes of dressing through 

 which flax straw has to pass on being prepared for textile fabrics. 

 We have examined all of the machines and processes now in 

 use, as well as many of the most promising inventions which have 

 proved failures; our object being to learn the real difficulties to 

 be overcome, as well as the cause of the failure of so many inven- 

 tions. AVe finally discovered not only the difficulties to be sur- 

 mounted, but also the reason why others have failed in tneir 

 efforts ; and that I may be perfectly understood, I propose to 

 commence with the hand bench break and hand scutcher, stating 

 the objection to that mode of dressing flax, and then to notice 

 brieflv the flax dressing machines now in use in this and other 

 countries ; stating the objections to the present mode of dressing 

 flax, its wastefulness and danger, and also the reason why not 

 only the present machines and modes of dressing flax should be 

 abandoned, but the reason why flax dressing should be taken 

 altogether from the mill owner and left to the farmer by Avhom 

 the flax is. grown. Flax straw, after it has been rotted, still con- 

 tains sufficient gum to cement the fibres quite firmly to the woody 

 stalk, and in order to remove the boon or shoove without injury 

 to the fibre, it is necessary first to separate the fibre from the 

 woody part longitudinally, and secondly, to break the boon of a 

 length not to exceed one-fourth of an inch ; and as the edge of 

 the Avoody particles, when broken, are sharp, and act like knives 

 upon the fibre, it is necessary in order to remove them without 

 injury to the fibre, that the material should be acted upon in such 

 a manner as to open the fibres, allowing the shooves to drop 

 through them. 



The construction of the old hand break is such as to break the 

 boon too long, leaving a great portion of it still adhering to the 

 fibres. In using this machine, the operator, after breaking the 

 straw, takes a handful of the material thus prepared and beats it 

 with a knife or swingle for the purpose of removing the pieces of 



