1922] TANNER—FLAX RETTING 177 
dried. Different methods have been used, all of which rest on 
breaking the woody particles and mechanically removing them from 
the stalk. The fibers are finally combed to separate the “tow” 
from the fibers which are not long enough to remain in line. The 
latter may be used in paper, coarse linen, etc. The fiber from flax 
may be 30-40 inches in length, thus yielding a product which is 
valuable for spinning. 
Microbiology of retting 
Retting is indeed a natural process, and may be regarded as 
merely a step in the cycles of the elements. The various factors 
involved have been separated in an attempt to intensify certain 
ones in order to make the process shorter, and also to produce a 
better fiber. In retting flax man has simply made use of and intensi- 
fied a reaction which is always going on. 
One of the first investigations on the microbiology of retting 
was carried out by, VAN TIEGHEM in 1879, in his study of the process 
of water retting. An anaerobic organism named Bacillus amylo- 
bacter was reported as the organism which quickly decomposed the 
pectic materials of the flax stalk. In the same year VAN TIEGHEM 
stated that his Bacillus amylobacter was probably identical with the 
Vibrion butyrique. An aerobic spore-forming organism was also 
found by Wrnocrapsky.’ Frises, working in this laboratory, 
tried various disinfectants for sterilizing the flax, but finally used 
the method of heating in water at 100° C. for three successive days, 
or at 115°C. for fifteen minutes. Various aerobes and anaerobes 
were isolated, none of which seemed to have any effects on the flax. 
Finally a specific anaerobe was isolated. It was a spore-former, 
the young cells of which were tou to 154 by 0.8u. Glucose, sucrose, 
starch, and lactose were fermented if some nitrogenous matter was 
present. A quite similar microorganism was also isolated by 
BEHRENS® from the water retting of hemp. The organism was a 
Clostridium form fermenting the binding materials of hemp straw. 
3vaN TreGHEM, Sur la fermentation de la cellulose. Bull. Soc. Bot. France 
26:25. 18709. 
4 Wrnocrapsky, S., Sur le rouissage du lin et son agent Microbien. Comp. 
Rend. Acad. Sci. 121:742. 1895. 
5 BEHRENS, J., Cent. Bakt. 10:524. 1903. 
