138 FLAX FARMING THE CONTINENT. [Sept. 189^. 



ployed. The latter process consists in steeping the bundles of 

 ilax in tanks or pits filled with water for a period ranging from 

 5 to 10 days, according to circumstances. When the crates 

 containing the bundles have been removed from the water the 

 flax is spread out on the fields to dry previous to being broken 

 and scutched. Sometimes branches of alder are placed in the 

 retting pits to impart colour to the flax. 



The operation of retting in the River Lys, or as it is some- 

 times called the " Golden Lys/' has been described as follows :^ — 

 " On both sides of th^e narrow stream, reminding one more of a 

 canal than a river, though there was no tow-path, back for 50 

 rods or more, and as far into the distance as the eye c(jjild 

 reach, one saw only flax. There were immense stacks contain- 

 ing tons, and thatched as carefully as the roofs of the peasant 

 cottages. There were acres of ' hedges,' as the ' cord wood ' piles 

 are called, and long lines of the big bundles made up ready for 

 immersion, while farther back in the fields were the opened 

 bundles or beets, tied at the top and spread apart at the bottom 

 in. circular form, like bell-tents, the plan always adopted for 

 drying the flax that has been immersed. This is the manner 

 of packing the bundles for immersion : crates or frames of wood 

 are used, having solid floors of boards, the sides being open. 

 These measure about 12 feet square and perhaps a metre in 

 height, or a little over a yard. First a strip of jute burlap is 

 carried round the four sides, on the inside, coming well to the 

 top rail of the crate. This is to strain the water, or to keep 

 out floating particles or dirt which would injure the flax by 

 contact with it. The bundles, which measure 8 to 10 inches 

 through, are composed of beets laid alternately end for end, so 

 that the bundle is of uniform size throughout. They are stood 

 on end and packed so tightly into place that they cannot move, 

 each crate holding out 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of straw. When 

 a crate is filled, the entire top is covered with clean rye-straw 

 and launched and floated into position in the stream. It is 

 then weighted with large paving blocks or other stones until 

 it has sunk to the top rail, when it is left for the forces of 

 Nature to do the remainder. The time of immersion is from 4 to 

 15 days, dependent upon the temperature of the water and of the 

 air, the quality of flax, and other influences. There are several 

 delicate tests which indicate when the flax should come out, 

 although the near approach of the time is made known by the 

 self-raising of the crate out of the water (often a foot or more), 

 caused by the gases of decomposition." 



It is usual to repeat the retting process, and the better kinds 

 of flax are sometimes steeped three times. The breaking and 

 scutching of the flax are now performed for the most part in 

 factories. 



The cultivation of flax in Flanders has been decreasing for 

 several years past owing to the fall in price of fibre. It is ex- 

 pected, however, that with an improvement in prices the crop 



* Flaa- Culture for Fibre, by C. R. Dodge. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

 1892. 



