Agricultural and Technical. 



3rd. By scutching, 39 '5 tons of steeped straw, yield of 

 dressed flax 5'9 tons. 

 Of tow and pluckings 1*47 tons. 



This process is so simple, and the advantages over the old 

 method so manifest, both in respect to time, quantity, and 

 quality of produce, that it is somewhat remarkable that, notwith- 

 standing the knowledge which existed of the value of tempera- 

 ture in respect to fermentation, even in reference to flax itself, 

 it has only quite recently been practically employed. In look- 

 ing back we find that in 1787 great interest was excited in 

 Ireland by a plan to immerse flax in scalding water — a large 

 portion of the vegetable matter was extracted, and fermentation 

 was more readily set up. 



In India, the practice of partially steeping flax and other 

 similar fibres in hot water has existed for many centuries past. 

 According to Dr. Campbell, at Bencoolen the process followed 

 is to steep the hemp in warm water, in which it is allowed to 

 remain for two or three days. In the presidency of Bengal, at 

 Rungpoor and other places, the same practice exists ; which 

 appears also to have been followed by the Malays for a long 

 time past.* 



An old German process, termed " Molkenrost," in which the 

 flax is steeped in sour whey mixed with warm water, is well 

 known to generate a quicker fermentation, and to produce the 

 finer qualities of fibre. In this the advantages appear to be 

 threefold : the temperature of the mixture is favourable to fer- 

 mentation, which is assisted materially by the nitrogenized com- 

 pound (the caseine) of the milk ; while the solvent powers of 

 the lactic acid probably aid generally in the disintegration of the 

 straw and the more perfect separation of the fibre. The relation 

 between temperature and fermentation was very clearly shown 

 and described by Hermbstaedt, whose experiments in reference 

 to the chemical principles involved in steeping flax and hemp 

 were conducted at the commencement of the present century. 



Many plans have been devised for dissolving out the azotized 

 extractive matter of the straw by means of chemical solvents, both 

 acids and alkalies, and thus doing away Avith the tedious and 

 noxious process of steeping. Both weak acid or alkaline solutions 

 appear to a certain extent to have this property. These are also 

 rendered more effective by an increase of temperature. Recently, 

 about two years since, the attention of the public was called to a 

 process patented by M. Claussen, in which an alkaline solution 

 was employed for effecting the preparation of flax fibre in a pe- 

 culiar manner. The attempt itself, however, to cottonize flax 



* See Jury Eeports, Class 10, p. 96. 



