HARVESTING 



305 



thrashing machine. The flax straw which has run through the 

 thrashing machine is not used as a high grade fibre. It is, however, 

 sometimes put through a retting process and a low grade fibre is 

 obtained for use in making fibre tubs and other vessels, and 

 sometimes a fibre useful in making bagging. 



High grade flax fibre is obtained from a different \ iriety grown 

 densely on the field. Harvesting of the crop for .his purpose 

 is done chiefly by hand (Fig. 197). No weeds or other refuse 

 materials are allowed to become mixed with the flax. The roots 

 are pulled up, as much of the best fibre is in the stubble and roots. 

 As much hand labor is involved in this work, the chief production 

 of high grade fibre is less profitable in America than in Central 

 Europe and Russia. 



FIQ. 199. Flax hackles. Dressed or hackled flax is prepared by drawing the scutched fibre 

 first over the coarse hackle, then over the finer ones, combing out shives and coarse and tangled 

 fibres. (U. S. D. A.) 



During the harvesting process the fibre is tied in small bundles 

 of about one handful each. Afterward the seed is thrashed out 

 by hand or by pulling the bundle between rollers. The small 

 bundles of straw are then spread out for the retting process. The 

 purpose of this is to prepare for the removal of the fibre from the 

 pith, wood and bark of the stalks. Retting consists in spreading 

 the straw on the ground or clean grass where it remains for several 

 weeks exposed to the rain and weather. The next step is to put 

 the straw through the breaking process. By use of sticks, wooden 

 mallets or some simple machine (Fig. 198), the straw is broken in 

 very short joints. This in itself will remove much of the refuse 

 material from the fibre. The fibre is then put through the scutch- 

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