542 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



poles or bars along upon them, which serve to keep the plant 

 from falling over. 



If flax of an extraordinary fineness is required, it is pulled 

 before the perfect ripening of the seed ; the superior fineness of 

 the fibre is considered as a compensation for the loss of the seed. 

 But if otherwise, an early is preferred to a late gathering ; as the 

 longer it is left to stand, the coarser and harder becomes the fibre. 

 The seed is generally taken off by a comb with iron teeth, made 

 for the purpose, as soon as the flax is harvested ; or the whole is 

 stowed away in a barn, to be taken off at pleasure. When the 

 flax is stowed away in a barn, and the seed not taken off until 

 the succeeding winter or spring, it acquires a ripeness which 

 gives it a superior value. After the seed is taken off, the flax is 

 set up in the field in a sort of windrow, the roots upon the 

 ground, and the tops inclined to each other, until it is sufficiently 

 dried to be placed away in a barn, or stacked with the roots out, 

 or steeped, preparatory to being dressed for the market. The 

 bright and beautiful silvery color of the flax is of great impor 

 tance, and so is the fineness of the fibre ; and all pains are 

 directed to secure these objects. 



There are several modes of steeping, or what is termed rotting 

 the flax, that is, destroying the bark of the plant so as to clean 

 the fibre. It is sometimes dew-rotted, that is, left upon the 

 grass, being occasionally turned ; it is sometimes rotted in stag 

 nant water ; it is sometimes rotted in running water. In Flan 

 ders there are persons who are employed as regular steepers of 

 flax ; and when the farmer sells his crop of flax before it is dressed 

 to the merchant or manufacturer, these persons dress and prepare 

 it for the market. The inhabitants of Courtray steep their flax 

 in the water of the River Lys, drawing off to the side in an arti 

 ficial basin, of sufficient depth and width, water sufficient for 

 their purpose. The flax is set upright, with the roots down 

 wards, in a sort of hurdle or basket, and it is with great pains 

 retained in its upright position, as being necessary to prevent its 

 becoming discolored. They are careful to keep the roots at 

 least a foot from the ground, or bottom of the pool. In many 

 cases, instead of water being drawn from the river into a pool or 

 basin, the flax is placed upright in hurdles to prevent its floating 

 away, directly in the running stream, with planks and weights 

 in all cases to keep it under the water, as the tops are longer in 



