74 i r LAX. 9, 



ether circumftances. It ought to He until it 

 bp fufficiently tendered without being rotten ; 

 l?ut to catch this flate requires a nicety of 

 judgement, which can be learnt from long 

 practice only. It generally lies about ten 

 days in fteep ; fometimes a fortnight. 



From the (i line-pit" it is carried to the 

 *' rating - ground ;" a piece of unbroken 

 ^ftergrafs, where the Iheaflets are untied, and 

 the flax fpread thin upon the grafs. It is 

 calculated that a full crop ought to cover as 

 much ground as it grew upon. Here it lies 

 lentil it; be fufficiently " rated ;" namely, 

 iiptil the more woodlike fubftance of the 

 ftems will feparate freely from the filaments or 

 flaxen fibres, while thefe remain yet untainted ; 

 therefore the length of time of rating, like: 

 that of ileeping, depends much on the wea- 

 tlter, and can be afcertained only by the daily, 

 cbfcrvation of a peribn whofe judgment has 

 been matured by long experience. 



Jf when it reaches this ftate, the weather be 

 fuch that it' will not dry as it lies upon the. 

 grafs, it is fet upon its butts in parcels re- 

 f?mbling fugar-loaves, or large untied gaits, 

 dry, it is laid up in a barn or other 



con* 



