1 May, 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 849 
This is a blade made of wood having a handle, and what we call a “tail” to 
weight it with. 
We used to pay a carpenter 2s. each to make them. The handle and tail 
¢an be made out of one piece of wood shaped like a boomerang 18 inches long, 
including handle and tail. We generally keep two or three near at hand on 
pegs—one heavy one to commence with as the stalks come from the break, and 
the other a little lighter to finish off with. To begin the operation stand 
up fronting the board, and you will have the stump between your legs. Take a 
handful of flax in your left hand, and spread it over top of the board: Now, 
take your swingle in your right hand, and chop away at it as hard as you can, 
taking care not to chop your fingers. A little practice will soon make you 
master of the work. Keep the left hand moving as well as your right to 
keep the fibre spread over the top of the board. If your board leans over 
too much you can knock it off the stump and fix it up again. You must use 
some stout board, or else it may split. We used to use English ash, as it was 
nice and smooth. There is one more tool you will require, and that is what is 
called a comb for combing out the tow and keeping the fibre straight. This is 
very easily made. ‘Take a piece of 2-inch plank 9 or 10 inches wide and the 
same in length. - Bore about thirty holes in it in three rows with ten holes in 
each row. Then drive into the holes 7 or 8 inch wire nails. Set up a post near 
the board where you are working and drive a large spike into a hole bored for the 
purpose in your comb. Drive it into the post, leaving your comb on a pivot, 
thus enabling you to turn it as well to any side you like. Now you have your 
outfit complete. Any handy man can make the whole lot for himself. I have 
prepared a good many pounds of flax for market by the above method. We 
used to get from 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per 12 1b. for preparing it ready for market. 
With good flax, we could do from 20 to 80 lb. per day, and the hand-dressed 
flax was always in more demand and commanded a higher price than that done 
by the scutching machines. In a village I once visited in the old country they 
had the new scutching machinery driven by a water wheel. If the industry 
were tried here and proved a success, I think it would be a very good thing to 
try the water plan here. How would those artesian bores out West do for 
irrigating the flax and also for dressing same? In conclusion, I hope that these 
few notes on flax-growing and dressing may be some guide to intending growers. 
If the industry were once established it would provide profitable work for many 
-of the unemployed. 
The following are the dimensions of the parts of a Break :— 
Bottom frame blocks, 6 x 6 inches by 18 inches in length. 
Side board to receive axles of top frame, 6 x 8. 
Battens, 6 x 14 inches by 6 feet in length. 
The batten for the top frame and the block with axles are of the same 
‘dimensions as those of the bottom frame. 
ESSENTIALS FOR A SUCCESSFUL BUTTER FACTORY. 
An American exchange gives as the necessary elements of success the 
following :— : 
1. A good substantial building. 2. Milk from at least 600 cows. 3. A 
first-class butter-maker. 4, A manager who knows all about factory work. 
5. A. competent secretary. 6. A board of directors composed of men who 
appreciate their position, and who will work for the factory’s interest instead of 
ee own. 7. Suppliers who will bring clean milk, and lots of it. &. Suppliers 
who are up to date in their ideas of dairying. 9. Suppliers who will stand up 
for their factory. 10. A uniform quality of butter the year round. 11. Good 
drainage at the factory. 12. A separator that will get practically all the 
cream. 13. Machinery all of the best that money can procure. 14. A desire 
on the part of both butter-maker and suppliers to bring the factory to the 
front. 15. A spirit of harmony among all interested. 
