STEAMING PROCESS DESCRIBED. 297 



The practice, however, although frequently commenced, 

 has never retained its hold on public opinion, or kept its 

 ground in practice, as the ingredients used are expensive, 

 a portion of the products rendered useless, and the fibre 

 liable to be injured, unless proper care in the manipula- 

 tion be taken. 



We now come to the third division of the processes 

 or methods adopted for the separation of the fibre from 

 the other portions of the straw. Here we make use 

 of only the solvent power of water at a high tempera- 

 ture, or in state of steam, to effect our purpose. This 

 mode of treating flax was patented by Watts in 1852, and 

 was a very great and important advance upon any of the 

 old methods. The tediousness and irregularity of the 

 steeping process, whether cold or hot, with all its noisome 

 consequences, were avoided; no expensive chemicals, in- 

 volving considerable and careful manipulation in their 

 application were required; the chance of injury to the 

 fibre was lessened ; while, at the same time, the whole of 

 the products of the operation were rendered available by 

 the manufacturer. The operation was simple in the ex- 

 treme. The whole working arrangements were inexpen- 

 sive, and required but little space for their organization 

 on a suitable manufacturing scale. The straw, de- 

 prived of its seed-bolls by passing it through smooth iron 

 rollers, was placed in bundles in a steaming chamber 

 of suitable dimensions and shape, the upper part or 

 top being formed by an iron tank or vessel containing 

 cold water, and acting as a refrigerator, and the lower end 

 having a perforated false bottom, elevated about 12 inches 

 above the bottom of the steaming chamber. Steam at a 

 low pressure was blown from the boiler into the lower 

 part of this chamber, and passing upwards through the 

 layers of flax straw, came in contact with the iron cold- 

 water tank at the top, by which it was speedily condensed, 

 VOL. II. 52 



