92 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



in such a manner as to form a groove or sufficient space to 

 allow the flax to be freely thrown in by the hand, but not 

 large enough to permit the seed bolls to pass between them. 

 A series of wooden bars, P, connect the bench M with a long 

 and continuous bar Q, so as to form a space, R, into which 

 the seed bolls fall. 



The unrippled straw may be laid on the cross pieces P and 

 from it the operator selects the handfuls and freely throws 

 them into the groove of bar 0. The bolls, being on the remote 

 side of 0, fall into the recess as the straw is gently pulled 

 towards the worker. 



An advantage of this arrangement is that it can be used 

 by boys or girls or any unskilled labour. 



85. Conveyer Belts and Oscillating Comb. The Fibre Cor- 

 poration, Dromara, Ireland, have recently devised a deseeding 

 machine in which the characteristic features are as follows : 

 The flax straw is continuously fed into the nip of a series of 

 conveyer belts, with the heads of the straw and the seed bolls 

 projecting about 1 ft. from the belts. As the flax heads pass 

 a given point an oscillating comb descends, and with its teeth 

 penetrates between the stems of flax and moving outwards 

 at right angles to the direction of the traverse of the conveyer 

 belts and straw, removes practically all the seed bolls. 



DESEEDING DRY STRAW 



In all cases where the flax has been harvested, with the 

 definite object of saving the seed for subsequent sowing, the 

 straw, together with the seed bolls, is thoroughly dried and 

 stacked as previously explained. The seed bolls may then be 

 readily, and they frequently are, removed by means of a pair 

 or multiple pairs of revolving wooden or steel rollers. 



The primary advantage of this principle is its relative speed 

 and the simultaneous removal of the seed bolls and the crushing 

 of same so that the seed is free to drop out though mixed with 

 chaff, leaves, and dust. 



An objection is sometimes lodged against this principle 



