DICKSON’S MACHINE, 223 
rope thus made. The rollers, a series of twenty or thirty 
sets, are then put in motion, and a stream of water set flowing 
over them. The rope passing through in an endless round, 
the remaining particles of wood, or shoves, as they are techni- 
cally called, are rapidly separated from the fibre, the gluten and 
colouring matter washed out, and the fibre itself reduced and 
divided into smaller and finer fibres. After the process has 
been continued a few hours, the rope is withdrawn, much 
diminished in size, and quite white. On untwisting it, when 
dried, the product is “ Flax cotton.” This article is much 
more beautiful than the finest cotton: it is almost as soft as 
silk, and exceedingly glossy, but when closely examined, pre- 
sents many imperfections. 
In the year 1851, Mr. T. Routledge completed a machine, 
consisting chiefly of peculiarly formed rollers, under which were 
' passed the leaves of the Agave, Plantain, New Zealand Flax, &c. 
—that is, of all such plants as are arranged under the class of 
Endogens—then washing and separating the fibre. The machine 
was capable of turning out two or three tons of fibre per diem ; 
-and trials were made with it at Messrs. Pontifex and Co.’s. 
Mr. Dickson, of the Flax Works at Grove Street, Deptford, 
has for some years been engaged in perfecting a machine which 
will break, scutch, and heckle Flax, as it is taken from the 
field, without being retted or steeped by any process; and if 
’ the Flax be afterwards boiled in his patent flax-steep, it will 
not only remain strong, but become white. 
By this the expense of separating the fibre by hand is saved : 
this amounts to from 2s. to 2s. 4d. per stone of 16 lb., on an 
article the average price of which is from 8s. to 9s. per stone. 
It also supersedes the necessity of employing skilled hands, 
called scutchers, at 2s. 6d. or 3s. per day. 
In a recent statement, Mr. Dickson observes that “his 
machines produce in one day out of one ton of green Flax 
stalks, 920 lb. of fibre; that is, 53 lb. out of 14 Ib. of stalks. 
This, when prepared by his liquid, has produced 2b. 6 oz. of 
very fine fibre, or in all 515 lb. of fibre. fit for spinners’ use.” 
Mr. Dickson further contrasts his process with that of others, 
stating that, from many experiments caused to be made by that 
most important and useful body, the Belfast Flax Society, and 
who recommend Schenck’s process, it appears that Mr. Andrews, 
