FLAX. 17 



by means of a water-wheel, or other motive power, 

 is made to revolve with a quick motion, which is 

 imparted to the other two through the intervention 

 of cogs. The stalks are introduced between the 

 upper and middle cylinders, a curved surface behind 

 causes the flax to return again between the middle 

 and lower cylinder, arid this operation is continued 

 till the 60071 is completely broken. The upper and 

 under rollers are pressed against the middle one by 

 means of weights. 



The boon being now thoroughly broken, the fibres 

 are freed from it likewise by means of the same mill, 

 which gives motion to four arms projecting from a 

 horizontal axle, and so arranged as to strike in a 

 slanting direction on the flax, imitating as much as 

 possible the action of the hand-scutcher. 



It is evident that this process cannot wholly free 

 the fibrous parts from the smaller pieces of the reed, 

 or from the gummy substance which still adheres to 

 the filaments. To effect the entire disengagement of 

 all extraneous matter, and to disentangle the fibres 

 from between themselves, recourse is had to another 

 operation called heckling. 



The heckle is a square frame of hard .wood 

 studded with rows of sharp-pointed iron pins about 

 four inches in length, half an inch in circumference, 

 and an inch apart from each other. The teeth are 

 set in rows disposed in a quincunx order. By this 

 arrangement they more effectually divide the flax 

 than if they were placed square ; the teeth in that 

 case would scarcely produce a better effect than a 

 single row. Coarse or fine heckles are employed 

 according to the quality of the flax ; a coarse one is 

 generally first used to disentangle the filaments, and 

 then a finer one gives to them the last degree of 

 preparation. 



The heckle is firmly fixed to a bench before the 



c3 



