18 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



gramme weights. It is then put into a small glass stoppered 

 bottle of known absolute dry weight and from which all the 

 natural moisture has been just previously driven. 



The unstoppered bottle, containing the seed, together with 

 the detached stopper, are next placed into the hot air in the 

 oven and the door tightly closed. 



The temperature of the air in the oven may be raised to 

 100 Centigrade or 212 Fahrenheit, though it is better to dry 

 the seed in a slightly lower temperature until all the moisture 

 is driven off, when it will cease to lose weight and be then 

 absolutely dry. 



It is then necessary to replace the glass stopper into the 

 bottle and immediately weigh the dry bottle and seed against 

 the selected units of weight. The difference between this 

 weight and that of the dry bottle and. untested seed repre- 

 sents the direct loss of moisture from the seed from which data 

 the direct loss per cent, of moisture may be readily ascertained, 

 or the necessary regain of moisture per cent, to restore the 

 seed to its original weight, and this when compared, with the 

 standard or commercial allowance, readily reveals any excess 

 of moisture which the seed contains. 



Incidentally, it should be pointed out that any standard 

 commercial allowance of moisture in any textile material must 

 be based on the absolute dry weight. 



The following actual test was made with apparatus as 

 described above 



Weight of dry bottle and stopper . = 165 grains 



seed to be tested . . = 185 ,, 



untested seed and dry bottle , = 350 ,, 

 ,, absolute dry seed and bottle . = 333 



Net direct loss of weight of moisture . = 17 grains 



.*. Direct loss of moisture per cent, from the 

 17 X 100 



' -.....= 9-2% 



