54 - 



from the impurities which the water carries. The case 

 when filled up, is closed with boards after the contents 

 have been covered with another layer of straw. The bal- 

 lon is then made fast with ropes and then let down into 

 the river and loaded with stones so that it floats under 

 water until the end of the operation. 



When taken out of the water, the bunches are untied and 

 placed in. meadows near the river in such a way that all 



RETTING FLAX 



parts of the flax are one after another exposed to the air 

 in order to hasten the drying. The flax has to go through 

 this treatment twice; after a first retting it is placed 

 for a certain time in stacks to be afterwards submitted 

 again to the same operation. Sometimes it needs to be 

 retted in water a third time when the first two operations 

 are insufficient. The retting time begins in April 

 and ends in October. This industry employs about 

 1 1, 800 labourers during those six months of the year. 



A curious crop is the catch or secondary crop of 

 turnips ; Do not leave your land bare seems to be 

 the motto of farmers in Flanders. As soon as the first 



