90 FLAX. 



of the comb-blocks. The circular hole, H, is perforated 

 in the plank merely for the purpose of hanging the 

 instrument out of the way. G- is a gap or interval be- 

 tween the blocks, about half an inch in breadth. The 

 upper block, B, is covered with an .iron plate, studded 

 with iron teeth, an inch long, standing perpendicularly 

 all over its surface, in quincunx order, but crowded 

 more closely all round the outside. Counting the teeth 

 straight across horizontally, there are about eight or 

 nine teeth in each row ; while the outside row on each 

 side contains double the number. The lower block, B b, 

 is covered with a brass plate, and studded with brazen 

 nails, of the same length, and also perpendicular, but 

 more closely crowded together. The operator, seated on 

 her chair, sets the foot of the comb on the ground before 

 her, in a slanting position, making the instrument lean 

 against her knees, of course with the teeth pointing 

 outside. She then takes a handful of the scutched flax, 

 and draws it carefully first through the upper iron coarse 

 comb, changing the ends of the flax from time to time, 

 and afterwards through the brazen teeth, that are studded 

 in formidable phalanx over the surface of the lower 

 block, till the original handful of scurfy-looking flax is 

 reduced to about one-half in weight, and becomes a soft 

 and silken tress, which has sometimes been compared in 

 appearance to a lady's back hair, after it has undergone 

 the mysterious manipulations of the toilet. But .it 

 ought to be strong as well as soft. Those who are not 

 accustomed to the process will be surprised at the 

 strength of a single fibre of good flax in this state when 

 they attempt to break it. The tow, which is the refuse 

 left after the combing, is used for the manufacture of 

 coarser fabrics. 



In flax-spinning mills, the combing is also done by 

 hand, but it becomes a man's instead of a woman's busi- 

 ness, and is not performed in the somewhat lazy way of 

 letting the comb lean against the knees. The combs, 

 mostly of brass, and of various degrees of fineness, but 

 al \vays with at least two different degrees for each opera- 



