ITS YALTJE. 81 



first tried the effect of verbal teaching, through a 

 Belgian, whose directions, not being supported by the 

 actual production by himself of the work that he expected 

 from his pupils, they considered the performance of his 

 injunctions impossible ; nor, till other Belgians were em- 

 ployed to scutch at a stipulated price, did our own men 

 discover that they possessed powers equal to the 

 foreigners employed to instruct them. 



" It is true that the direct cost for hand is more than 

 for mill- scutching, perhaps double ; but the economy of 

 the former system fully compensates for the extra 

 expense. Of this I was assured by an experiment upon 

 my own premises last winter, when I engaged a first-rate 

 Irish mill-scutcher for a month, who was also in other 

 respects much experienced in flax aifairs. During that 

 time, equal quantities of flax-stalks were dressed both by 

 the mill and by the hand-swingle. In every instance, 

 the greatest weight of marketable flax was produced 

 from the latter. I have also seen the destruction of flax 

 by scutching-mills in Ireland, and believe that the evil 

 cannot be removed except at an expense equal to that by 

 hand-scutching. Such being the case, who would not 

 prefer the human to the iron arm, and confer upon his 

 neighbours the blessing of employment at adequate 

 wages ? 



"Amongst the numerous instances of benefits con- 

 ferred upon the working classes, and upon rate-payers, 

 through the employment afforded by flax culture, the 

 following stands pre-eminent ; and the relation, I hope, 

 will act as a stimulus to the poor of Ireland, and as an 

 encouragement to provide the w r ork. 



" Richard Grey, a jobbing carpenter, with his wife and 

 six children, was compelled last winter to resort to the 

 union-house ; after remaining there some time, at a cost of 

 about 22s. per week, he obtained a little temporary work, 

 and the two elder children returned to their former 

 employment of flax-dressing. Becoming again destitute, 

 he was on the point of demanding an order for re-admis- 

 sion to the union, when he was advised, rather than 



a 



