506 



Flax Industry of Courtrai. 



river." It is a curious fact worthy of some notice that the 

 special properties of the Lys do not extend throughout its 

 entire course, but are confined to that portion of the stream 

 which flows between Comines (Pont Rouge; and Deynze 

 (Barriere d'Astene). From Comines to Menin, the L}-s forms 

 the boundary between France and West Flanders, but 

 it is between Menin and Vine St. Eloy that the retting is 

 principally carried on, and at Wevelghen, half-way between 

 Menin and Courtrai, the industry reaches its fullest 

 development. 



The demand for flax prepared in the Lys has greatly 

 increased during the past ten years, and the amount of fibre 

 brought for treatment in that river becomes annually larger. 

 The local crop no longer suffices to meet present require- 

 ments, and immense quantities of flax arrive from foreign 

 countries, especially Holland and France. The north of 

 France, the Pas de Calais, and the Riverine districts of La 

 Somme supply the greater quantity of French raw flax intro- 

 duced into Courtrai. Other departments contribute to a 

 certain extent, but not in quantities comparable with those 

 sent by the districts mentioned. Of late years small con- 

 signments of flax for retting have also reached Courtrai from 

 the Argentine Republic. 



The quantity of flax straw retted in the River Lys last 

 year was calculated at about 90,000 tons ; some 12,000 to 

 15,000 labourers being employed during the six months from 

 April 15 to October 15 — that is to say, the season during 

 which retting takes place. 



After the retting processes are finished the flax is stored in 

 barns and sheds until winter, when the scutching, that is 

 cleaning the fibre of the woody parts, takes place. This 

 was formerly all done by hand, but at present steam power 

 is largely used, and much is also done by a sort of treadmill. 



About 10,000 tons of scutched flax were sent last year to 

 (Treat Britain and Ireland, the greater quantity going- to the 

 latter country. 



It is much more difficult to compute the quantity sent to 

 other countries than to the United Kingdom, owing to the 

 different ways and means by which it is carried. For 



