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the bank, a few hours, to drain. Afterwards they are untied, 

 and formed into what are called caps, not unlike soldiers' 

 tents. The rapidity with which this operation is performed 

 is perfectly astonishing ; for in a few minutes a whole field 

 will assume the appearance of a Lilliputian camp. By this 



means the stalks are quickly dried, collected into bundles, and 

 sent home. Where the process of bleaching or grassing is con- 

 ducted by the owner at his leisure — that is to say, if not con- 

 venient to prepare the flax for market immediately, — it is 

 carefully stacked till the following spring, a delay that con- 

 siderably enhances its value, particularly with respect to 

 colour. On these accounts the system of steeping flax one 

 year and of grassing it the next, is now extensively adopted 

 in those parts ; a system that will, I think, be found best 

 suited to the general routine of farm-business in this country. 



I had some flax steeped in water, approved by the Belgians, 

 several miles from my own house, according to the above plan ; 

 and found in this, as in every other department, the superiority 

 of their practice. I shall, therefore, in future, send my best 

 flax to any distance rather than risk its value at home. 



By the rivers and streams that meander through our own 

 country, many places might be foundwhere competent persons 

 could be located, who, at a reasonable charge, would steep the 

 grower's flax upon the Belgian plan, and thus relieve him from 

 the weight of that all important operation; the after-processes 



