The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-12-21
Of The methods Of preparing FLAX,
after 1t IS pulled. TcowcLUpEp. !
(BY A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY,"


VIZ shall next then borrgw Information
from D.. Recess Cyclopedia ;(article FLAG.
Flax should be sorted in The field. not
only acc 3rd'ng 70 is length, but its gu lily
That the miller may not be blamed for re
turning short measure, in conseuoe nee of
the loss occurring at the mill, when the AJAX
il not uniform.
Flax being hnlted in handfuls, ought TO
remain in handfus, where it is ripnled di
feclly as i viii be saving OF time and if
the ripping be in the open air, the ripple
should have cloth under it Those seeds
ars best for sowing, which separate them
selves from their pods.
The pond used for watering fax should
be filled with its water, q week before il is
wanted that the water may have time TO
become warm (and perhaps. like river
water. il becomes softer by having some Of
It's mineral substances neuiral,zed in their
new situation Such fax as is not kept
uniformly under water, is sp, to grow block.
The field for giassirg should have The
grass short, that il may not rot the fax the
flax should be spread hin and regularly !;
and the end of one row should overlap the
end # another few inches, 10 check the
power of The wind
Middlf-mep Cor fax jobbers) in some
paris OF England leave nothing for the far
mer to do. thai is beyond his skill
Fine FIX designed for c7mbrics. fine
linen, thread and lace, after beng coarsely
sku:ched is sometimes cleaned md scrapcd
on the knee OF workman who has leather
apron ard the spinner, with a brush
straighteus and dresses each parcel before
il is spun.
Dr. Rees's work quotes Swedish meth
Cd from the swedish Transactions for
l747) for rendering fax white and soft
(like cotton, and also tough. A little salt
water being put into an iron pot, or into q
copper kettle without tin, equal parts oil
birch-ashes and quicslime are strewed up
on The water after which small parcel Of
fax is spread over the whole; then follow
other layers ofsshes and Of fax and so or
alternately, till the vessel is filled The
FAX is then boiled for ten hours, salt waite
being constantly added, u prevent the A 4,
from becoming dry. After this and Will,
1t is hot , the AK is taken out, and WASHED
in basket with saltwater. by the help of ,
smooth stick. When cool enough to b,
handled, il is rubbed, washed in soap laig
to bleach, and turned and wstered daily 70
some time; the washing with soap bein{
repeated at intervals TO quicken the bleact
ing The fax being now beaten and again
we'll washed is dried and being aft-rward
worked and carded like cotton, il is pressed
for forty-eight hours between two boards
when it is ready 10 be applied to the fires
uses, with the loss OF halfits weight. - BE- j
observed however, that this care about I'm
fax occurs in Sweden, (Which lies to III
Worth of Germany and of Poland bttweer
So and sof North latitude.)
II would be desirable to know the pro
ceedings Of the Dutch il. Z-slsnd respeci
ing A x; particularly as the seed of tia
province as well as Riga in the North, i
in better esteem than any other produced il
Europe and The Zsalsuders are said I
raise it without injury to their fax. Nj. d.
Hsmel Tin his Elements OF Agricul,ur