G2 FLAX. 



which are called the Mlaye, or weathering, the 

 or bruising, and the ecouchage, or scutching proper. 



Flax is weathered in various ways ; in the sunshine, 

 in bakers' ovens, and in stoves expressly made for the 

 purpose. The French flaxmen dry their flax only in the 

 sun. They set it upright against a sunshiny wall or 

 hedge, where the ground is clean and the aspect airy, for 

 four or five successive days. They take it in every night, 

 being careful not to let it be exposed to the dew. Weather- 

 ing in the sun, especially with ilax which has been kept 

 some little time, is the most advantageous and economical 

 practice ; the fibre so obtained is always both stronger 

 and softer than that which is the result of any other pro- 

 cess, and, moreover, incurs no risk of injury from fire. 

 Eut as sunshiny days are unfortunately rare in certain 

 seasons and certain climates, artificial modes of obtaining 

 the same result have of necessity been adopted. 



Some make use of bakers' ovens, putting the flax into 

 them, in bundles, as soon as the bread is taken out. 

 Others erect round and conical stoves either of clay or 

 brickwork, with an opening at the top to allow the steam 

 and smoke to escape. The dimensions of such stoves or 

 ovens are about five feet in diameter at the base, and 

 seven feet in elevation. They are divided horizontally at 

 about half their height by a wooden trellis or grating, 

 and on this trellis the flax is laid. A fire of flax-chaff is 

 lighted beneath, and carefully tended, to make the flax 

 dry equally, and to prevent it from catching fire. But 

 both these methods are liable to great objections. In 

 the bread ovens, the heat is often too fierce at first, and 

 injures the fibre by affecting its natural qualities. More- 

 over, the vapour which is disengaged, having no outlet, 

 is condensed again upon the flax when the oven cools ; 

 the steins become soft and flexible, and the fibre loses a 

 portion of its brightness and its strength. As to the 

 conical stoves, they only succeed in drying the flax im- 

 perfectly, while they often cause it to be smoked, and 

 even scorched. 



In order to weather flax effectually by artificial means,. 



