88 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



iron base A, provided with twenty-four rectangular spaces B 

 into which steel pins C, rectangular in cross section, are 

 inserted and fixed in parallel and vertical positions. The 

 twenty-four pins are each |in. diameter, 13 Jin. long, A in. 

 apart, and set over a distance of 20 in. They taper to a blunt 

 end at the top and where the space is consequently larger and 

 therefore less liable to injure the fibre, when the straw is being 

 driven into the comb. The foundation plate is provided with 

 four bolts so that it can be securely fastened to any con- 

 venient plank, which in turn must be mounted securely to a 

 rigid fixture. Some ripples are made to two-thirds of the 

 dimensions given. If the weather is favourable, the rippling 

 is performed in the field, where provision is made to receive 

 the seed bolls as they fall from the ripples, either into a bag, 

 box or sheet, spread under and for as wide a distance around 

 the rippling apparatus as is possible. Fig. 45 is a photographic 

 illustration of war-time volunteer ripplers. 



If desired two ripplers may sit or stand facing each other, 

 and work at one ripple, but a relatively larger amount of work 

 can be done with one rippler to each machine. The rippler 

 takes a handful of flax from the beet an easy matter if the 

 beets have been crossed diagonally at the time of pulling as 

 previously detailed. Each handful is then freely thrown, 

 fanlike, over the points of the ripple. They must not be 

 driven into the combs since any undue severity is liable to 

 damage the fibre. 



First the seed capsules near the . ends of the stalks are 

 removed, then the remaining parts are drawn alternately 

 " over " and " under " hand through the teeth of the comb 

 until the bolls are removed. It is advisable rather to leave a 

 few bolls on the stems than to draw the flax too often through 

 the comb, lest by so doing the fibre of the plant may be 

 damaged. An experienced rippler will practically cover the 

 whole of the pins with each throw and remove the seed bolls 

 at two throws after having first removed the bolls from the 

 entangled ends of the straw. This is always all that is 



