302 ON THE CULTIVATION AND 



this purpose sliould be soft, pure from all mineral substances, 

 clean, and clear. The sheaves of flax are put into a frame 

 made of common poles, something- like a larg-e earthenware 

 crate, with the root end uppermost. The whole is immersed 

 in the water ; a covering- of straw, to shade ofl' the light, is 

 found to be advantageous. When covered over in this man- 

 ner, stones are placed upon the frame, till the whole is sunk 

 a little under tlie surface of the water. The bottom should 

 not touch the ground, so as to allow the water to flow over 

 and under it. A gentle stream should, if possible, always 

 pass over the pond ; it carries ofl" impurities, and does not at 

 all impede due fermentation ; it is essential to produce flax of 

 g-ood colour ; flood and all impure waters should be carefully 

 kept ofi^. The test for knowing- when the flax is sufficiently 

 watered is this : — Try some stalks of an average fineness, 

 break the woody part in two places, about three inches apart, 

 at the middle of the length ; catch the wood at the lower 

 end, and if it will pull out (downwards) for those three inches 

 freely, without breaking' or tearing- the fibre, it is ready 

 to take out. This trial should be made every day, after fer- 

 mentation subsides, for sometimes the change is rapid. It is 

 safer to steep it too short a period, than ever so little too 

 long. In the first case, merely a little more time is required 

 in the future processes ; in the second, the strength and texture 

 of the fibres may be injured. When the flax is sufficiently 

 watered, it is taken out of the pond, and placed on the banks 

 to drain for a few hours. 



Spreading. — Short and close pasture land is the proper 

 place on which to spread the flax, and in this operation it is 

 important to distribute it evenly over the surface, and to 

 make the rows perfectl}' straight, to prevent confusion in 

 tui-ning. The intention of this process is to wash and bleach 

 the flax by exposure to the sun and rain. After remaining 

 two, three, or four days, according to circumstances, it is 

 turned over by long poles or wattles, run under the rows , 

 beginning witlx the first row, and proceeding, so that the 

 second falls upon the ground occupied by the first. The 

 length of time during- which flax should remain on the grass 

 is variable, depending- on the weather and state of the flax. 

 If possible, it ought not to lie longer than five days. 



Breahwg. — The flax is bruised by an instrument called a 

 break; which consists of two frames fixed together at one 

 end by a hinge, and works the one into the other ; or by 

 passing- it through a breaking machine, which consists of 



