296 THE FLAX CROP. 



had prepared both hemp and flax in the same manner, the 

 detailed particulars of which were given in the Transac- 

 tions of the Society of Arts for that year. Previous even 

 to Lady Moira's successful experiments, the action of 

 alkaline solutions on flax fibre had been described by 

 Lilljikreuses and Palmquist, who, in 1745, had made use 

 of a solution of caustic potash for the purpose. In 1777, 

 Baron Meidingen proposed the use of alkalies in the pre- 

 paration of " flax cotton," and subsequently established a 1 

 factory for the practical operation of his process, at Berch- 

 toldsdorf, near Vienna; and similar methods were also 

 brought before the notice of the public by Kreutzer in 

 1801, by Stadler and Haupfner in 1811, by Sokow in 

 1816, and subsequently by several others in different parts 

 of the Continent. 1 



The action of acid solutions has also been rendered 

 available for the same purpose. In 1842, M. Rouchon, of 

 the Ecole Polytechnique at Paris, devised a method for 

 preparing flax by means of immersion in a weak acid 

 solution for a short period, and then placing it in a mass, 

 kept moist by repeated arrosions. These were care- 

 fully repeated every twenty-four hours, until the desired 

 effect was produced. The flax was kept tied up loosely 

 in small bundles, which were turned over every day ; and 

 a man and a boy could attend to and work about two tons 

 per day. 



The use of chemical solvents has the advantage of effect- 

 ing a great saving of time as compared with either the 

 cold or hot process of steeping, and of being carried on 

 without its unpleasant accompaniments. From twelve to 

 twenty-four hours are sufficient by this principle of action, 

 instead of the three or four days required by the hot- water 

 steep, or the two to three weeks by the ordinary processes. 



1 Roy. Agri. Soc. Jour., vol. xiv. p. 200 "Flax, its Treatment, Agricul- 

 tural and Technical." 



