102 PREPARATION OF FLAX 



Plants attacked by dodder should be pulled up and 

 burned . 



PREPARATION OF FLAX FIBRE 



Flax fibre consists of the bast tissues of the stem, 

 and is situated immediately beneath the epidermis 

 and surrounds the woody core. The fibrous fila- 

 ments are naturally united to one another by gummy 

 substances, known as pectoses, and in order to effect 

 the isolation of the fibre in a suitable condition for 

 the manufacturer, these substances must be removed. 



Rippling. The first step in the treatment of the 

 flax stalks or " straw " is the removal of the seed 

 capsules, which is effected by the process of " rippling " 

 or " seeding. " A handful of the straw held in such a 

 manner that the upper ends are spread out, is pulled 

 through the teeth of the rippling-comb which consists 

 of a vertical row of round steel teeth, firmly fixed in 

 a block of wood. In the best rippling-combs the teeth 

 are about 1 8 inches long, T \ inch apart at the bottom 

 and | inch at the top, the tapering being confined to the 

 last three inches. The process is sometimes carried out 

 by means of the seeding-machine, which consists of 

 two heavy cast-iron rollers, revolving within a cast- 

 iron frame ; the lower cylinder is driven from pulleys, 

 whilst the upper one turns in contact with the lower, 

 and releases the seed by the pressure of its weight on 

 the capsules. More complicated machinery is some- 

 times employed. 



In the case of the Courtrai flax, the stalks are not 

 rippled directly they have been pulled, but are dried 

 and stacked until the following season. 



After the straw has been rippled, it is tied up 

 in small, loose bundles, and is then ready to be sub- 

 mitted to the retting process. 



Retting. This is the most important process in 

 the preparation of the fibre. It consists essentially 

 in submitting the straw to the action of water and 

 allowing fermentation to take place. This effects the 

 conversion of the insoluble " gummy " matter into 

 soluble substances which are removed by the water. 



