FLAX GOATSBEAKD. 19 



and c is a fibre treated with nitric acid and afterwards with sulphuric acid 

 and iodine, in which the nodes and spiral bands of fibrilla are well seen. 



The classification of flax staples is given in abbreviated form, 

 thus : 



K indicates Crown flax staple. 

 HK ,, Light crown staple. 

 PK ,, Picked crown staple. 

 HPK ,, Light picked crown staple. 

 SPK ,, Superior picked crown staple. 

 HSPK ,, Light superior picked crown staple. 



The above marks refer chiefly to Riga crown flax staples, but the 

 lower qualities include the following commercial abbreviated terms : 



W indicates Wracked staple. 

 WP White picked wrack staple ; 



and several others which indicate the commercial districts of the country 

 they are exported from and the general characteristics of each staple. 



Archangel flax is dew retted, and the staples are classified under the 

 various crowns of quality and of price. 



Pernau is a Russian port from which a large quantity of flax is 

 exported. The leading staples from this part are : 



LOD or Low Ordinary Dreiband (Threeband). 



OD Ordinary Dreiband. 



D ,, Dreiband. 



HD ,, Light Dreiband. 



R ,, Risten. 



C ,, Cut. 



M , , Marienburg. 



The quality of the above staples are stated in their order of merit, 

 similarly to the practice adopted for cotton, the lowest being LOD 

 and the highest M. 



In Schenck's system of flax dressing, which comprises the more 

 recent improvements, the plants are placed in vats and kept immersed 

 by a strong framework. Steam is admitted until the temperature of 

 the water is raised to about 90 C. Acetous fermentation is developed, 

 which causes the gummy cortex of the stem to be decomposed. 

 About sixty hours' maceration is sufficient for the retting. The flax 

 is afterwards dressed in the open air. 



G-oatsbeard (Tragopogon pratensis, Composite). The Goatsbeard 

 is a British composite flowering plant, with fine radiating, plumose, 

 ciliate fibres forming a starry parachute attached to the summit of the 

 pillars of the seeds. The plumes of fibres can readily be detached, but 

 their rotate shape renders them unsuitable for commercial purposes. 



