STUDIES ON FLAX RETTING. 
33 
1 placed close together, standing on the bank for at least 6 hours to allow the 
water to drain off. When they become firm enough to be transported, they 
are spread out for drying. When the drying has attained the proper degree, 
they are again bound into large bundles and kept in a store house for future 
; technical manipulations. 
The duration of immersion depends largely upon the temperature of 
water and air, the qualities of stems and other natural conditions. 
In our study, the retting period ranged from the twelfth to the eighteenth, 
inclusive, of August 1909. During our observation the temperature of the 
water in the crate varied as follows : 
Table 1. 
Date. 
6 A. M. 
2 P. M. 
7 P. M. 
Aiigust 
Upper Middle Lower 
part. part. part. 
Upper Middle Lower 
part. part. part. 
Upper Middle Lower 
part. part. part. 
Weather 
12th. 
19°C. 18PC. 18°C. 
20°C. 19°C. 19°C. 
20°C. 19°C. 19°C. 
fair 
13th. 
18°C. 19°C. 19°C. 
24°C. 24°C. 23°C, 
24°C. 24°C. 23°C. 
14th. 
20°C. 20°C. 19'C. 
22°C. 21°C. 21°C. 
22°C. 21°C. 21°C. 
15th. 
20°C. 19°C. 19°C. 
23°C. 26°C. 22°C. 
23°C. 22 C C. 22°C. 
16th. 
23°C. 22°C. 22°C. 
24°C. 22°C. 22°C. 
23°C. 23°C. 23°C. 
17th. 
21°C. 21°C. 21°C. 
23°C. 22°C 22°C. 
25°C. 22°C. 22°C. 
18th. 
21°C. 21°C. 21°C. 
22°C. 22°C. 
From the table, we see that the temperature in the upper part of the 
• crate is generally a little higher than that in the middle or lower portion and 
that it is lowest in the early morning, rises gradually up to the middle of the 
• day and keeps on until seven P. M., showing that the most powerful and 
active period for organisms concerned in retting must be in the afternoon. 
From this fact, we notice that the proper time for drawing out the retted 
•stem from the crate should be either in the morning or in the evening. Our 
samples were selected from the retting tank every 24 hours in the morning 
