RETTING 115 



dew retted flaxes, is allowed to remain stationary for some 

 time, the portion of " rove " in the water separates. It is 

 therefore necessary at the end of each day and week to run 

 off the water and again refill when the spinning operation 

 recommences. With water retted flaxes this operation is not 

 necessary. 



5. It is the experience of many flax spinners that it is best 

 to put dew retted flax through the processes of preparing, 

 wet spinning, reeling and drying as expeditiously as 

 possible. 



6. Dew retting has long been successfully practised in the 

 various regions of Imperial Russia, including Jaroslav, Pskoff, 

 Livonia, Vilna, Kovno, and Petrograd. 



7. In Belgium and the western parts of Europe, dew retting 

 of some of the poorer qualities of the straw is sometimes 

 adopted in the autumn and winter months. 



8. Generally speaking, though dew retting may be success- 

 fully accomplished and good yarns spun from the flax, it is 

 only advisable to adopt this method when retting in ponds 

 or rivers is not available. 



100. Artificial or Warm Water Retting. The chief reasons for 

 devising means of artificial or warm water retting are 



1. To reduce the time usually occupied in natural retting 

 in ponds or rivers. 



2. To be able to ret all the year round. 



3. To ret the flax under controlled conditions. 



4. To handle and treat large quantities of straw in centrally 

 situated localities. 



Retting in warm water is no new process. In 1846 Schenck 

 patented a method for retting in water between 80 and 90 F. 

 which was practised and found much favour for a time, but 

 it was allowed to drop because it did not pay. A method was 

 adopted, about the same time in U.S.A. of retting in wooden 

 tanks, prepared with perforated false bottoms underneath 

 which a coil of steam pipes was placed, and by which means 

 the water was heated to and maintained at an average 



