BREAKING AND SCUTCHING OF FLAX. 219 
The broken Flax held in handfuls in the left hand is inserted 
in this slit, so as to project to the right, and a flat wooden 
sword, eight or ten inches broad, generally of shape of fig. p; 
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the breadth of this knife is important; when too narrow it 
easily causes the Flax to twist round it, and thereby tears a 
portion of the fibres. With this knife the Flax is repeatedly 
struck, parallel to the board (and close to the slit), with per- 
pendicular blows, to scrape off its wooden asperities, The part 
which lies in the slit is continually changed by a motion of 
the left hand. 
“Tn flax-mills, the operation of breaking is performed by 
passing the stems between three fluted cylinders, one of which 
is made to revolve by horse or water power, and carries the 
other two round. That of scutching is accomplished in the 
same mill, by means of four arms projecting from a horizontal 
axle, so as to strike the stalk or boon in a slanting direction, 
until the useless parts are beaten away. The operation of 
these mills was at first much objected to, on the ground that 
they destroy much of the fibre before the woody part is all 
separated ; but their mode of action has been greatly improved, 
and such mills are now very generally established in 
Ireland.” 
So great is the importance of properly made scutch-mills, 
that the Royal Irish Society have always made the state of the 
machinery employed for scutching Flax a principal object of 
attention. In the year 1852 an Act was passed by Parliament, 
