31 



India (which are made into rosaries by Brahmins), and CASE 

 E. grandis, F. Muell., of Australia. 17, 



Flax Order (Lineae). A small order of trees, shrubs, 

 or annual herbs, with showy, fugitive flowers, character- 

 ised by the tenacious fibre of the inner bark. The most 

 important species is the common FLAX {Linum usitatis- 

 simum, L.), specimens and products of which are 

 exhibited in this case. Note a series of mounted speci- 

 mens of fruits and seeds from the screenings of imported 

 Linseed. 



No. 82. Linseed, the seeds of the Flax plant, from 

 Russia, Sicily, Egypt, India, and America. The husk, or 

 testa of the seed, abounds in mucilagp, which is set free 

 in water. Largely used for the expression of Linseed oil, 

 the residue being — 



No. 83. Oil-cake for cattle-feeding. 



No. 84. White Linseed from India. It yields 45 

 per cent, of oil of a very light colour, recommended for 

 use by artists on that account. 



No. 85. Specimens of Flax as harvested. 



No. 86. Same, steeped and " broken," ready for the 

 operation of '* scutching," which, whether by hand or 

 machinery, consists in beating and shaking the '' broken " 

 flax, in order to free it from loose and useless particles. 



No. 87. Flax, as imported, of Russian and other 

 growths. 



No. 88. Hand Hackles, of two degrees of fineness. 

 Through the upright pointed wires of the hackling-frame, 

 the stems of flax are drawn to disentangle or comb 

 them out, being freed, at the same time, from residual 

 extraneous matter. The wire pins are arranged on 

 different frames, in progressive degrees of fineness. The 

 process is now performed by special machinery. 



No. 89. Linen cloth used to envelop the dead by 

 ancient Egyptians, among whom Flax was cultivated 

 from remote antiquity. 



