AND USE IN UNITED STATES. 53 



the pools, and in this operation too much 

 care cannot be used. Hooks or pitch- 

 forks injure the fibre, and the bundles 

 must be handed out by a man standing 

 in the now disgusting pool. In fact, the 

 water in the pool forms an excellent liquid 

 manure, and is sometimes strong enough 

 to kill fish, when allowed to escape into 

 the stream. The bundles are drained on 

 the bank, and then carefully spread out to 

 dry, evenly and -thinly over the grass, the 

 flax being occasionally turned with long 

 wooden poles. When the plant is thor- 

 oughly dry, it is again gathered into 

 bundles and housed. 



It is evident that this retting process 

 requires great care and skill. Repeated 

 attempts have been made to expedite the 

 process with hot water or steam, but none 

 have been successful, or able to supply the 

 place of water retting. Much of the value 

 of the flax depends on the retting, and the 

 quality of the water used has much to do 

 with the success of the operation. Thus 

 flax retted in the river Lys in Belgium 



