54 FLAX CULTURE 



brings twenty-five per cent more in price 

 than flax grown on equally fertile soil and 

 retted in France. There is no other place 

 in Europe where the same quality is ob- 

 tained, and it is not improbable that there 

 is no water in America that has the pecul- 

 iar chemical qualities of the Lys. 1 



The next process in the preparation of 

 the flax for market is the "scutching," or 

 removal of the woody pith. This is accom- 

 plished by breaking and beating the flax, 

 when the wood drops out, and the fibre is 

 left. This may be done by hand or by 

 machine. The operation, when performed 

 by hand, is very dirty and disagreeable, 

 but is a necessity unless there is a flax-mill 

 close by, as the scutching machine is an 

 expensive piece of machinery. 



The last process is the " hackling," a 

 combing process, by which the chaff and 

 short tow are removed, and the long, clean 

 flax fibre left ready for spinning. This 

 process also is performed either by hand 

 or machine, but mostly by hand, even in 

 large mills. 



1 Rep. Tar. Com., p. 1526. 



