98 



pond ; it carries off impurities, and does not at all impede due 

 fermentation — flood and all impure water should be carefully 

 kept off. The Dutch test of being sufficiently watered is 

 certain and perfect, at least I never found it otherwise. It is 

 this : — Try some stalks of average fineness, by breaking the 

 woody part in two places about three inches apart, at the 

 middle of the length ; catch the wood at the lower end, and if 

 it will pull out (downward) for those three inches, freely, with- 

 out breaking or tearing the fibre, it is ready to take out. This 

 trial should be made every day, after fermentation subsides, 

 for sometimes the change is rapid. Flax is more frequently 

 injured by too little than too much of the water. Great care 

 and neatness are necessary in taking out. Broken or crumpled 

 flax will never reach the market. Spread the day it is taken 

 out, unless it is heavy rain — light rain does little harm ; but, in 

 any case, spread the next day, for it will heat in the pile, and 

 that heating is destructive, 



"Spreading. — It should be spread even, straight at its 

 length, not too thick, and well shaken, so that there shall be 

 no clots ; indeed, if possible, no two stalks should adhere. I 

 have ever found it injurious to keep it long on the grass; it is 

 in the steep the wood is decomposed; on the grass the fibre is 

 softc ned, and the wood little, if at all, affected. I rarely let it 

 lie more than five days, sometimes only three — this year it had 

 only three days, and I never had better flax. It should never, 

 if possible, be spread on the ground flax grows on ; it claps 

 down, and the clay and weeds discolour it ; clean lea, or lately- 

 cut meadow, is the best. 



" Lifting — Like all other operations, requires care and 

 neatness, to keep it straight to its length, and even at the 

 roots. This operation is too frequently hurried, and coarsely 

 done. 



'^ Drying. — If the steeping and grassing have been perfect, 

 flax should require no fire ; but, to make it ready for breaking 

 and scutching, exposure to the sun should be sufficient; but if 

 the weather be damp, the flax tough, and it must be wrought 

 off, then it must be fire-dried. Such drying is always more or 

 less injurious; the flax is absolutely burned before it is dry. 



