render the pectose soluble and then by removal of the flax, which 

 still contains the pectose but now in a soluble form. The flax is 

 now dried and returned to the water. The water now immediately 

 commences to dissolve the soluble pectose before a fresh fermen- 

 tation has time to be set up, consequently the fiber is uninjured 

 and a more valuable product is procurred as the result. 



As the duration of the submergence depends in a great meas- 

 ure on the temperature of the water and conditions of the straw, 

 coarse straw retts more quickly than fine and no fixed time can 

 be set. Each lot of fax must be treated as separate entity and 

 varies from five to fifteen days. As before said, the straw will 

 first have a tendency to rise to the surface of the water and the gas 

 will bubble up. The straw then softens and sinks. When this 

 occurs it must be closely watched and tested from day to day as 

 well as several times a day. When found to respond to the sev- 

 eral tests, it must be removed without delay. 



The following are some of the tests generally applied: Some 

 straws (a dozen or two) are pulled out from the center of a bundle 

 and taking them in both ahnds with an inCerval of two or three 

 inches between the hands, it is crumbled up by rubbing together 

 between the thumbs. If the chive breaks short off and separates 

 freely and the fibers are easily separated from each other it is 

 retted enough and must come out of the water. Before removing 

 this test should be applied to several bundles taken from the dif- 

 ferent parts of the pool. Left longer in the water it becomes harsh 

 and the life and softness will be taken out of the fiber and is called 

 "water slain." 



Again, take three or four straws which will be covered with a 

 green slimy substance. If this can be wiped off the surface by 

 delicately passing between the finger and thumb, it is an unmis- 

 takable sign of sufficient retting. 



Again, bend a single straw over the forefinger. If the chive 

 freely separates and starts up from the fiber, it is retted sufficient- 

 ly. Retting is the most critical and important process in flax ma- 

 nipulation, as either under or over retting affects the flax injuri- 

 ously. As soon as the proper stage of retting is reached, as shown 

 by the above tests, the flax must be removed from the water and 

 allowed to drain for a few hours and then set up to dry. 



GRASSING. 



After the flax is taken from the water and has drained awhile, 

 the bundles are untied and spread very thinly upon the grass to 

 dry and bleach for eight or ten days, according to the Irish sys- 

 tem. This is another troublesome and unnecessary process that my 

 American system may ignore with profit. I have tried this grass- 

 ing process along side of the Scandinavian plan of drying astride 

 a fence or poles set up for that purpose, with no material difference 

 in result, except that this grassing requires three times as much 

 surface of ground as it took to grow the crop. It is not always 

 practiceable. Consequently, 1 cut off another useless corner, in this 

 American system, and instead recommend a modification of the 



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