1922] TANNER—FLAX RETTING 185 
Summary and conclusions 
1. Retting of flax in the preparation of linen fiber is a natural 
process, and an attempt on nature’s part to keep the elements 
moving through their cycles. 
2. The organism isolated as the specific one in retting flax was 
Clostridium amylobacter. It is an anaerobic spore-forming bac- 
terium which quickly hydrolyzes the carbohydrate “binders” in 
the flax stalk. It was found to be commonly present on flax stalks 
and widely distributed in nature. 
3. Symbiosis of this organism with common aerobic bacteria 
did not seem to decrease the time required for retting or produce 
conditions under which the anaerobic Clostridium amylobacter could 
work better. 
4. Temperature is an important factor in that it retards or 
increases the activity of the fermentation involved in retting. The 
best temperature seemed to be 30° C. 
5. The retting process can be shortened and a better quality of 
fiber produced by carrying it out under controlled conditions where 
the optimum environment may be maintained. 
6. Previous sterilization of the flax did not seem to affect the 
retting process. The flax retted as quickly when put into the 
water without previous treatment as when it was boiled or heated 
in the autoclave. 
7. No real success was vee by the use of fifteen common 
aerobic bacteria and five yeastlike fungi 
8. Flax raised for seed was salnsdy: retted, although the fiber 
was not in as good condition as that prepared from flax raised for 
fiber. 
UNIVERSITY oF ILLINOIS 
~ Ursana, IL. 
