280 THE FLAX CROP. 



surface and rolling after the seed is got in been attended 

 to, there is no reason why we should not avail ourselves 

 of the "mowing machine/' which is now- doing such good 

 work in our grass fields, and cut down our flax as near to 

 the ground as possible in the same manner. The machine 

 would make better work of it than of grass, as it would clog 

 the knife less, and we might readily count upon 10 or 12 

 acres being cut in a working day, at a cost not exceeding as 

 many shillings; or even a good scythesman would readily 

 cut down from 1 to 2 acres in the day, at about double 

 the above rate. Hitherto we have always fallen in with 

 the idea that it is necessary that flax should be pulled up, 

 root and all, in order that the greatest possible length of 

 fibre may be secured. For all textile uses, the portion of 

 the fibre of any value exists only in the stem above the 

 ground ; and to obtain this in a separate state, a chemical 

 process of disintegration has to be carried out in the first 

 place, which is then followed by a mechanical process of 

 separation, viz., breaking and scutching. At the lower 

 part of the plant the fibrous tissues assume an altered 

 condition, and are strengthened by an increased propor- 

 tion of woody tissue, and these are finally sealed up by 

 the roots, which terminate the plant. If this lower part 

 were removed, which it would be by the method of har- 

 vesting now suggested, the first process of disintegration 

 in the "steep" would be carried on more rapidly, and 

 also more regularly, where large quantities were operated 

 upon, as the dried juices of the plant would be more 

 regularly acted upon and extracted, while, at the same 

 time, it is most probable that we should lose nothing in 

 the length of the dressed fibre, if we take into account 

 the injury it sustains when the ends or butts of the 

 steeped straw are submitted to the action of the scutching 

 frame. 



When they have arrived at the desirable state of dry- 



