434 [Assembly 



dered obsolete the clauses in old leases, prohibiting the culture 

 of the plant, and the antiquated notion tliat fibre and seed can- 

 not be secured at the same time. So far, therefore, as the ex- 

 haustive character of the plant is concerned, there appears to be 

 no sufficient ground for entertaining such an opinion. 



Preparation for Market. — A farther objection to the growth of 

 flax is, however, to be found in the nature of the process hitherto 

 required to be employed previous to its preparation for market. 

 So long as it shall continue to be considered necessary for the 

 grower to embark in the present troublesome and uncertain pro- 

 cess of steeping the Flax in the straw, it will be in vain to expect 

 any very general or extensive growth of the plant. Although 

 considerable advance has no doubt been been made in the pre- 

 paration of the fibre during the last few years, still the present 

 mode is far from being suitable to the great body of the farmers 

 of the United Kingdom. 



Dew Rotting. — Under the system of preparing the flax hitherto, 

 four modes of steeping or rotting the plant are resorted to. The 

 first consists of the plan of " dew rotting," or allowing the flax to 

 remain exposed on grass land for a considerable number of days 

 exposed to the action of the rain and dews, and atmosphere. 

 The plan, however, is one which, from its obvious inconveniences, 

 is not calculated to meet with general approval in the present 

 advanced state of agriculture, and is indeed very rarely adopted. 



Steeping in Streams. — Probably the best mode of steeping the 

 flax is that of placing it in running streams, according to the 

 mode adopted in Courtrai, the principal flax -producing district 

 of Belgium. The flax so prepared generally realizes a much 

 higher price than any other description of flax. There are, how- 

 ever, certain peculiarities in the water of the river Lys which 

 makes it admirably adapted for steeping purposes, and which are 

 not possessed by any other streams in this country. Independent 

 of the peculiarities of the water, the steeping of flax in running 

 streams cannot be made generally available in this country, as 

 they are mostly too rapid in their character. 



Steeping in Pits. — In the absence of suitable streams, recourse 

 is had to a mode of steeping in pits or pools sunk in the ground. 



