FLAX 55 



high winds may prevail, and the flax, when turned, lose the 

 hold it had on the short grass and be tossed about and injured. 

 When turning is resorted to it is conducted as follows : A light 

 rod, firmly held, is steadily pushed under the heads of the flax, 

 and the entire layer folded quickly over, by which means the 

 underside is brought uppermost. The operation is carefully 

 carried out down each row till all the flax is headed in an 

 opposite direction to the first spread, but in this partially 

 dry state it will not adhere to the ground as firmly as when 

 brought from the dams, and for this reason it is better to turn 

 before rain, so as to assist the stems as much as possible to 

 adhere to the grass and resist the effect of high winds. Three 

 or four days are often sufficient for this stage, but as much as 

 ten days is sometimes required, for the softening influence 

 of the weather should be complete before the straw is again 

 put into bundles. The straw, being dried and bundled, is 

 either stacked on the farm or at the scutch mill until the 

 scutching commences. It is unnecessary to recommend that 

 the straw should never be lifted in rainy weather, as it would 

 then be liable to heat. The greatest care should be taken in 

 lifting to have the root ends even, because in whatever manner 

 it is tied up at this stage, so it is put into the hands of the 

 scutcher. If put up in a slovenly and irregular manner, it 

 leads to much unnecessary waste at the mill. There are few 

 seasons when there is not sufficient sunshine and dry weather 

 to have the flax lifted off the spread, tied up, and stocked in 

 good order. Under no circumstances should the old practice 

 of drying on a kiln be resorted to, as it is very injurious to the 

 flax and lowers its market value very much. If the weather 

 should unfortunately be so inclement as to make sufficient 

 drying in the field impossible, the straw may be removed to 

 some barn or loft, and carefully watched until all danger of 

 heating is past. If properly dried it will safely keep, and 

 storing it for some time has a good effect upon the quality of 

 the fibre. 



