418 On the Modes of Culture and Preparation of Flax, 
the fibre contracting, leaves the core and forms a string. When 
this takes place, and a slight rubbing causes the woody core to 
break and fly off, leaving the fibre entirely, it is ready to lift. 
Never take flax off the spread unless on a dry day, nor if the 
dew is on it. In lifting, great care must be taken to keep the 
butts or root-ends very even. Lay it down in bundles of sufficient 
size to make small beets, then tie moderately firm and stook for 
a few days if the weather is settled ; but if doubtful, carry it to 
a loft or stack, it being now ready for the scutch-mill. 
The foregoing directions as to these very nice operations 
assume that the weather has been such as is calculated to pro- 
duce the most favourable results. If the steeping process is ap- 
proaching its final stage, and the weather should appear unsettled, 
with a falling barometer, the flax should be taken out of the 
dam before it is quite ready ; it would in this condition (being 
what is termed " somewhat hard ") be better able to stand with- 
out injury unfavourable weather on the grass. On the other 
hand, if the flax had been sufficiently watered before leaving the 
dam and got thoroughly dry on the grass, and there appeared 
an indication of rain, or, as occasionally occurs, that dry weather 
would set in with a scorching sun, it should be lifted and put 
in stacks, where in a few months it will attain that condition 
which a longer time on the grass under favourable circum- 
stances would have effected : indeed, it is advisable not to take 
flax immediately to the mill ; stacking will improve it, and 
make it in better condition for scutching. If, as frequently 
happens, a continuance of rain occurs while flax is on the grass, 
and before it can be got properly dried, it will do it much 
injury, causing it to mildew, more especially when the grass 
begins to grow up through it. In this case it is recommended 
to be lifted in large handfuls, and set up in the shape of a 
hollow cone (Fig. 2). Lifting flax when dry off" the grass is 
done by gathering the root-ends in 
rig. 2. the hand ; but lifting to be put in 
these cones must be done by the 
boll ends, and, when formed into 
the cone, the straws should be 
slightly twisted at the top so as 
to make the cone stand, and, to 
some extent, prevent wind blowing 
it down ; but, from the dread of 
high winds, caution must be used 
in adopting this practice. 
A few words are necessary re- 
garding seed, the supply of which is principally foreign. In 
this climate home production would be too precarious to de- 
