FLAX 59 



stallation of tanks for their own use, and in flax-growing 

 countries small farmers could do the same by co-operation, 

 while rural authorities could also get local retting places con- 

 structed. Besides, the installations of some farmers, too large 

 for their own production, could by them be placed at the dis- 

 position of others for a small rent, so that the proprietor would 

 reap the advantage of being able to ret his own crop quickly 

 without having to leave his retting establishment inoperative 

 during the remainder of the season. 



These different combinations would, of course, allow the 

 farmer to continue retting his own crop and would also induce 

 him gradually to relegate it to specialists. It will easily be 

 seen that, according to circumstances, the retting could be 

 charged for while the farmer continued to scutch at home, or 

 the scutching also might be done by the retters either at home 

 or in steam mills, or else the farmer might sell his retted flax 

 to the scutchers or dispose of the straw " on foot " to the 

 retters, and so on. 



In Ireland and Russia the flax straw is pulled and retted by 

 the farmers and peasants themselves. The consequence is 

 that through lack of skill, care and scientific knowledge, dirty, 

 poor, irregularj over- and under-retted, water-slain and badly 

 handled fibre is produced which fetches less than one-half the 

 price which the same flax would if otherwise treated. 



In Ireland, flax succeeds best if sown after potatoes, wheat, 

 or oats. A very good rotation of crops is oats, turnips, wheat, 

 clover and grass, potatoes and flax, for flax should not be 

 sown in the same field more frequently than once in every 

 seven years. Care taken in the preparation of the soil is 

 amply repaid. Weeds allowed to grow up with the flax greatly 

 interfere with its subsequent handling and scutching, and 

 lower its value. After potatoes or wheat, one ploughing in 

 the early spring on light or medium land is sufficient, but in 

 heavy soil two ploughings are necessary one fairly deep in 

 the autumn and the other before sowing time. Harrowing is 



