BOOK XIX. II. 15-111. t8 



made, the plant beina: soaked in water for ten days; 

 the Ethiopians and Indians make thread from apples, 

 and the Arabians from gourds that grow on trees, as 

 we said. * xii. 38. 



III. With us the ripeness of flax is ascertained by Modeof 

 two indications. the swehing of the seed or its assuming fl^f^'^ 

 a yellowish colour. It is then pkicked up and tied weaving 

 together in Uttle bundles each about the size of a ' " 

 handful, hung up in the sun to drv for one day with 

 the roots turned upward, and then for five more davs 

 with the heads uf the bundles turned inward towards 

 each other so that the seed mav fall into the middle. 

 Linseed makes a potent medicine ; it is also popular 

 in a rustic porridge with an extremelv sweet taste, 

 niade in Italv north of the Po, but now for a long time 

 only used for sacrifices. When the wheat-harvest is 

 over the actual stalks of the flax are phmged in water 

 that has been left to get warm in the sun, and a 

 weight is put on them to press them down, as flax 

 floats verA' readilv. The outer coat becoming looser 

 is a sign that they ;ire completely soaked, and they 

 are again dried in the sun, turned head downwards 

 as before, and afterwards when thoroughlv dry they 

 are pounded on a stone with a tow-hammer. The 

 part that was nearest the skin is called oakum — it is 

 flax of an inferior quaHty, and mostly more fit for 

 Uimpwicks ; nevertheless this too is combed with iron 

 s])ikes until all the outer skin is scraped off. The 

 pith lias several grades of whiteness and softness, 

 and tlie discarded skin is useful for heating ovens and 

 furnaces. There is an art of combing out and 

 separating flax : it is a fair amount for fifteen . . .<• 

 to be carded out from fifty pounds' weight of bundles ; 

 and s))iniiing flax is a respectabU^ occupation even for 



43T 



