STEEPING PROCESS DESCRIBED. 291 



reached the desired condition, and the object of the opera- 

 tion of steeping is effected. The frame is then hauled up 

 to the surface, and a man goes into the water and care- 

 fully hands each bundle Separately to others on the bank, 

 who set them up in long rows for the water to drain from 

 them. The following day they are usually ready for 

 drying ; the bundles are then opened and the straw spread 

 out thinly on the ground, which is kept always in grass 

 for that purpose. They remain on the ground generally 

 about eight or ten days, during which time they should 

 be turned three or four times, especially if rain falls during 

 the interval. When quite dry, on breaking the straw it will 

 be seen that, owing to the absence of the cementing extrac- 

 tive matter, and the difference in the contraction of the 

 ligneous and fibrous portions, these are now completely 

 detached from each other, and may be separated without 

 much difficulty, which is the next operation the straw has 

 to undergo before the process of preparation is complete. 



This method of "steeping," though less tedious than 

 the "dew-retting," still requires a considerable time for 

 its operation in pools or tanks, from ten to fourteen 

 days are required; in streams, where the temperature 

 is generally lower, from fourteen to twenty-one days 

 are consumed. In both cases much depends upon the 

 quality of the water, and upon the average temperature. 

 Any impurities, especially salts of lime and of iron, are 

 very injurious; they retard the fermentation, and affect 

 the fibre. These irregularities, both as regards the time 

 required and effect produced by the cold steeping, led 

 to the consideration of another method, by which a 

 regulated temperature could be obtained, and the time 

 and risk of the old method lessened. The merit of prac- 

 tically employing heated water for this purpose is due to 

 Schenck, who took out a patent for it in 1846, though the 

 principle was not at all new, and had indeed been partially 



