Book VI. FLAX. 849 



finer parts of the flax itself must necessarily be destroyed by this degree of putrefaction ; and if the putre- 

 faction does not arise to such a degree as to destroy the cohesion of this membrane, the fibres of the flax 

 will adhere so strongly to the reed, that the force necessaiy in scutching will prove equally detrimental to 

 the flax. The practice adopted in some parts of Britany seems therefore much more rational, which is, 

 to ripi)le the flax after it has lain in the air two or three daysj but even one day will be suflScient, if the 

 weather is dry. 



5308. In the process of rippling, which is the next operation, a large cloth should be 

 spread on a convenient spot of ground^ with the ripple placed in the middle of it. In 

 performing this business, the pods containing the seeds are forced from the stalks by 

 means of the iron comb called a ripple, fixed on a beam of wood, on the ends of which 

 two persons sit, who, by pulling the seed end of the flax repeatedly through this comb, 

 execute the operation in a very complete manner. It is remarked by the author of The 

 Present State of Husbandry in Great Brit aint that '* those who bestow much attention on 

 the cultivation of flax in Scotland generally ripple off the seed, even when there is no 

 intention of saving it j as it is found, when flax is put into water without taking 

 off the pods, the water soon becomes putrid, in consequence of which the flax is greatly 

 injured." 



5309. The management of the capsules and separation of the seed, is the next operation. 

 The capsules obtained should be spread in the''Sun to dry, and those which separate from 

 the pods of their own accord being the fullest and ripest, should be set apart for sowing, 

 in case the precaution of raising some flax purposely for seed has not been attended to. 

 The capsules are then broken, either by treading or by threshing, in order to get out the 

 remaining seeds, the whole of which, as well as the former, should be carefully sifted, 

 winnowed, and cleaned. When the seed is laid up, it must be frequently stirred, or 

 ventilated, to prevent its heating. Even this second seed affords a considerable profit, 

 by the oil which it yields, and also by being used when broken for fattening of cattle. 



5310. To facilitate the separation of the fibre from the bark, it is necessary to accelerate 

 the process of decay or putrefaction. This may be done in differentw ays, but the chief 

 are those of bleaching alone, or of steeping and bleaching. Bleaching is a tedious and 

 laborious operation M'hen it is intended as a substitute for steeping, but it is the most 

 certain for not injuring the fibre, and may be adopted on a small scale when steeping 

 places are not at hand. In Dorsetshire, and some other places, flax, instead of being 

 steeped, is what is called dew-retted ; that is, the stalks are allowed to arrive at that state 

 in which the harl or woody parts, separate most easily from the boon, reed or fibre, by 

 a more gradual process, that of ripening by the action and influence of the dew. This 

 is nothing more than exposing the flax to the influence of the weather for a longer 

 period than is necessary, when the operation of watering has been previously performed. 

 Steeping, however, is the most universal practice both in Britain and on the continent. 

 Of late, an invention has been made by Lee of Middlesex, by which with the aid of 

 soft soap and machinery, the fibre is more completely separated than by steeping, and 

 uninjured by that process. When flax is to be separated by this new process, the 

 cultivator has only to pull it in handfuls, dry it, bind it into sheaves or faggots, and 

 put it up in stacks like corn, till wanted by the manufacturer. 



5311. Steeping or watering, however, is and will be the general practice till flax 

 dressing machines come into universal use. In performing this operation, the flax, 

 whether it has been dried and rippled, or pulled green, is loosely tied into small bundles, 

 the smaller the better, because it is then most equally watered. These sheaves ought to 

 be built in the pool in a reclining upright posture, so that the weight placed above may 

 keep the whole firm down. The weights made use of are commonly stones placed on 

 planks, or directly on the flax. 



53 1 2. The Flemish mode of steejringjlax, as described by Radcliff, is said to improve the 

 quality of the flax ; and greatly increase its whiteness. This mode differs from the common 

 practice, in placing the bundles in the steep vertically, instead of horizontally ; in im- 

 mersing the flax by means of transverse sticks, with that degree of weight annexed 

 which shall not push it down to the bottom, but leave it the power to descend sponta- 

 neously towards the conclusion of the steepage ; and in leaving at first a space of at least 

 half a foot between the bottom and the roots of the flax. The spontaneous descent of the 

 flax is an indication of its being sufficiently steeped ; and the strength and quality of the 

 fibre are said to be much better preserved by this mode, in which the temperature of the 

 atmosphere acts with most force on the upper part of the plant, which needs it most. 



5313. The water most proper for steejring flax should be clear, soft, and in standing 

 pools. Compared with running water, pools occasion the flax to have a better color, to 

 be sooner ready for the grass, and even to be of superior quality in every respect. When 

 soft clear stagnating water cannot be obtained without art, a pit or canal is commonly 

 formed, adjoining to a river or stream, whence water can be easily brought. This pit 

 or canal is filled with water for some time (a week or two) before it be proposed to pull 

 the flax ; by this means the water acquires a greater degree of warmth than river-water 

 possesses, and which contributes gn lly to facilitate the object farmers have in view in 



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