MEMORIES OF THE 



making business, and required much knowledge, skill and good 

 taste. Some of the dyes and coloring materials were home- 

 made, but answered every purpose, often proving better than 

 the purchased dyestuff. 



The woolen goods were of the most importance and greatest 

 value to the family, but the flax work was the most interesting, 

 and the linen goods could not be neglected. 



The manufacture of fine linen for clothing, for tablecloths, 

 napkins and various other uses, was the most delicate, high- 

 class work in the line of home manufactures. I will not under- 

 take to follow it in close detail, but will give the methods fol- 

 lowed in as few words as possible. 



To obtain the necessary stock, a field large enough to supply 

 the same was annually sown. On good land ilax grows about 

 two feet high, and in bloom is a very pretty sight, being a mass 

 of sky-blue blossoms; when ripe, each stalk has a large number 

 of little bolls filled with seed. In the fall it was pulled by the 

 roots from the ground and bound in very small bundles in order 

 that the seed might quickly dry. 



When dry it was taken to the barn and a large, round stone 

 placed in the middle of a blanket on the barn floor. The 

 blanket was used to save the fine seed which would otherwise 

 run through the cracks in the floor. Taking one bundle at a 

 time, it was pounded on the stone with a wooden mallet and 

 whipped and beaten over the stone to get out the seed and 

 break ofl the little sprangles and roughness. It was then drawn 

 to the flat near the creek, or to some other smooth, grassy 

 ground, unbound and evenly spread out to rot. The rotting 

 was to get rid of the woody center of the stalk, the outer cover- 

 ing or fiber being the part required to make thread and cloth. 

 It had to be watched closely while rotting and occasionally 



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