PULLING- AKD HARVESTING. 49 



growers is this : as soon as the stalk is yellow up to the 

 top, and all the leaves fa!], and the seed-vessels begin to 

 open in the sun, they pull it up by the roots, and lay it 

 on the ground in not too thick rows, in order to let the 

 sun penetrate it thoroughly. Afterwards, afc the end of 

 the week, it is turned with a pole or stick, and left four 

 or five days longer with the other side uppermost ; it is 

 then lifted up in brassees, armfuls or sheaves, not bound 

 together; two armfuls are set with their heads leaning 

 together, leaving a vacancy at foot to allow a current of 

 air to pass between them. It is left standing thus five 

 or six days longer, and then tied together in bottes, 

 bundles or sheaves, formed by the union of two firassees, 

 or armfuls ; it is then loaded on carts or wagons, to be 

 stored for a while in barns, or other buildings under cover. 



In England, unfortunately, the details of flax-growing 

 are matter of experiment rather than of regular routine. 

 Mr. Warnes has devoted his best energies to introduce 

 flax into his native county, we therefore quote the result 

 of his experience as to the best time for pulling the plant. 



" With respect to pulling flax before the seed has 

 arrived at sufficient maturity for preservation, I desired 

 to test the experience of my Belgian workmen, and 

 therefore produced authorities to prove the necessity of 

 sacrificing that important part of the crop, in order 

 to secure the finest fibre. They insisted upon the 

 absurdity of the recommendation ; observing, that unless 

 the formation of the seed were completed in the bolls, 

 the flax would be defective ; but, if allowed to obtain the 

 proper degree of ripeness, both could, under their treat- 

 ment, be brought to perfection. I inquired when my 

 flax w r ould be ready for pulling ? They replied, * in two 

 weeks.' I then directed them to pull some of the ripest 

 and steep it immediately. About a hundred sheaves 

 were accordingly placed in the water ; the men declaring 

 that good flax would be found only in the middle, and 

 bad at both ends of the stalk. 



"At the expiration of a fortnight, some more were 

 pulled ? and, except being stooked and thrashed, were 



E 



