WATERING OR RETTING FLAX. 



29 



being once removed by chemical compounds, the fibre 

 becomes almost worthless. The question then is, how can the 

 fibre be freed from the wood without injury ? the only answer 

 that I can at present give, is, be guided by the following 

 directions and you are certain to separate the fibre from the 

 stalk on which it has grown, without injury to the spinning 

 qualities of the Flax, such as are still generally used in making 

 yarns for linen goods. 



If the grower be near to a river, or small stream of soft 

 water, he should dig and prepare his pit, as near as he could, 

 by a sluice, fill it at any moment. He should dig down, from 

 three feet and a half, to four feet deep, and make from ten to 

 twelve feet broad, and judge of the length according to the 

 quantity of Flax he has to steep ; and as water, coming from 

 iron or copper minerals should never be used, spring water, 

 on this account should be avoided, but if used, it should be 

 collected some months before being used, so that the air and 

 sun may extract the gaseous impurities ; therefore, river water 

 being the best, let the pit be filled from two feet to two and 

 a half feet with water, and let one or two persons strip and 

 go into the water, and take the bundles of Flax one hy one 

 and pack them in a leaning or a sloping position, the root end 

 downwards, and the top leaning off : let this be done from the 

 upper part of the pit downward, packing the sheaves in rows, 

 and by that time, the two and a half feet of water will cover 

 the Flax, and the pit will lastly have in it three and a half 

 feet of water. It is then necessary to cover it with rushes or 

 ragweeds, previous to covering closely with moss, sods, or old 

 lea sods, which may be used as they are the most easily gotten. 

 The cover is to prevent the air and light affecting it. The shear 

 end of each sod should be fitted so as to make a perfectly close 

 cover ; and as the fermentation will cause the Flax to swell, 

 additional weights should be laid across it, such as planks or 

 poles of timber. It having been proved that the water in 



