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ery. On the other hand, our cereal grains have occupied the more level- 

 surfaced areas. There has therefore been far less demand for machinery in 

 flax harvesting (even proportionately to the magnitude of the crops) than for 

 grain harvesters. 



(b) The weeds and dirt pulled with flax when a machine is used are an 

 inconvenience. Machines have no power to separate short or inferior flax from 

 long flax, good or bad. 



(c) In America, genuine flax operations have been centred about small 

 mills, with no co-operative spirit among them. 



(d) When flax becomes lodged, the task of pulling by machine is 

 extremely difficult, if not impossible. 



(e) The demand for a pulling machine has not been strong until recent 

 years. 



It is therefore unreasonable to expect that any flax-pulling machine should have 

 attained the -efficiency of the self-binder. Relief to the extent of a machine that 

 would pull all the clean standing flax, leaving to hand pullers the task of gathering 

 the remainder, is, however, a boon that appears to be within the grasp of Canadian 

 flax growers. At least one machine of Canadian invention, of the old belt-pulley 

 type, has proven in various trials that it can do that. By such means the cost of 

 harvesting would be greatly reduced, and the crops gathered in a more satisfactory 

 condition. 



FLAX PULLING MACHINE. 



A pulling device invented by Charles H. Vessot of Ottawa, Ontario/ taking the place of the 

 cutting bar on a self binder or grain harvesting machine. The flax is pulled, thrown 

 on the cable, elevated, and bound like cut grain. 



FIRST GRADING. 



As flax spinners hold uniformity of fibre to be of high importance, progressive 

 flax growers have seen the advantage of starting the grading process in the harvest 

 field instead of only later on at scutching time in the mill. The Canadian practice 



