52 CORDAGE FIBRES 



pared, and either supplied with water or in such a position that 

 water can be turned on at pleasure, the flax is arranged in the 

 following manner : A row of beets or sheaves is placed against 

 the end of the pond, almost perpendicularly, but, of course, 

 leaning against the bank. Then the next row is placed lean- 

 ing against the first one, and so on until the dam is filled. The 

 beets should be all placed with the root ends down, though 

 in some cases every second row has been reversed without any 

 appreciable effect; flax will ret in any position. The reason, 

 however, given for keeping the head of the plant up is, no 

 doubt, a good one, namely, that the finer end of the stem 

 requires more retting than the coarse, and, being next the air 



FIG. 10. 



and heat, this process is accelerated. If the dam is not too 

 wide say 8 to 10 ft. a plank or two across the top will facili- 

 tate the work, and save the workers from standing in the water, 

 and if it is 4 ft. deep the beets set in on end will not reach the 

 level of the bank, and a layer may be placed flat on top of the 

 others. Next a covering of straw or rushes is spread over 

 the whole, and securely covered with sods well fitted together. 

 If these are not convenient, old boards with stones on the top 

 are made to serve the purpose, or, if broad flat stones are at 

 hand in sufficient numbers, boards are dispensed with, the 

 object in view being to keep the flax below the surface from 

 8 to 10 in. During fermentation, at an early stage, a certain 

 amount of inflation takes place, and additional weight is put 



