STEEPING, KETTLN'O, Oil WATEEING. 59 



mineral or other matters in solution or suspension. The 

 sheaves ought not to be laden with stones, or other 

 weights to make them sink ; but every day each bunch is 

 turned with a pole, to make the uppermost side change 

 to the undermost. There is no fixed time for the flax to 

 remain in the water to be sufficiently steeped. The 

 period will vary according to the temperature of the 

 season, the quality of the water, and the nature of the 

 flax itself. Its duration may be from four or five days to 

 four or five weeks. The flax must be examined from 

 time to time. When in breaking the stem in the middle 

 with the fingers, the fibre separates easily from the woody 

 part, the steeping has gone far enough, and it is time to 

 take the flax out of the water. This is effected by an 

 implement called a tiroir, or drawer, which admirably 

 answers the purpose of landing the flax with as little 

 disturbance as possible. It is a most useful contrivance ; 

 for, to repeat Mr. Henderson's observation, " great care 

 and neatness are necessary in taking out. Broken or 

 crumpled flax will never reach the market." But a 

 heavy and water-logged mass of fragile material is not an 

 easily-managed affair. The " drawer " obviates every 

 difficulty. 



Fig. ii. The Tiroir, or Drawer. 



The implement is stoutly made of elm-wood. Its 

 extreme length, following the curve, is sixty-four inches 

 (see fig. ii,). B B are cross bars to hold it together firmly. 

 The length, Ii Ii, of the first bar, or handle, is twenty- 

 three inches. The way in which the machine is used is 

 obvious. The sheaf of flax being towed with a pole to 



