The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-12-07
From aie Committee oi Publications of The AZ

~ i"1 WtHtOuo " pfcVoJtHS 4 LAX
after Il Is pulled EcosT,sUEpl
Our NEXT authority resrbcring the prep
ara'ion Of Flax according TO the wet meth
Cd is that Of the late MIR. Scmerville d
Scotland whose Essay en- Flax was pub
I'she'I by the Ensash board Of Agriculture
10 1878: his information in an abridged
form being as follows
When the crop is tuiled, the roots are :.
be struck against the foot Of the laborer, q
Shake eff, tie earth. But it is propose
that The pulling should take place in divi
si5ns by laying hold Of the tyhs OF the plant:
aud grasping none but tn oss of tie same
height az any one pull !; and then laying
tthem dcwn 90 tie ground according to theil
lengths that th Jse ct The same length may
go together, IN order 10 preveat the loss OF
injury Arising from short plants being dres.
SD with such as are longer.
! The intention of watering fax in the frs
instance, ought TO be to remove the mucil-
aglnous and other juices, which unite The
ripd 10 the fibrss, and the hbrcs to each
other: and the next object ought 10 be to
wash out the coloring matter, which pass
s from the refuse parts of tie plants 20 the
tlbrous parts Pu:reiaclion however follows
the attempt, when made in stagnant water
in warm weather; and If carried 100 fart for
a little fermentation is allowed to be useful,
Il not only affects the refuse parts of The
| plant but the more valuable parts also. In
stagnant water liScwise when the weather
is warm, and evaporation lakes place, the
| water becomes muddy and thus NO, only
das less fpzcer asa solvent; blu, the plants
lying in it become covered vita slime, which
he says (and The fact will be worth remem-
bering, as having its applications hereafter,
makes the flax of 6taish or 6lackiSh color.
The waller therefore IN Which AJAX is steep.
ed, should have some motion both that it
may remain cooler and also that whatev-
er is dissolved may quickly be removed
from the plant The sheaves also in which
tie flax is put, should be small and be bound
loosely, that the water may easily penetrate
and then pass awsy.-Before sleeping The
fax, it is proposed to dip it handful by
handful, In a kettle of boiling water, kept
~ hand, In which a quantity OF good potash
has been dissolved aud when this is done,
!, Is said taat he fax viii Instantly give Out
deep brown color, when stepped, aud will
continue 10 do SO for fortnight !; and iha;
lis ceasing 10 90 SO is proof that the steep
ing has performed its duly he repetition
OF this dipping In hot water is recomnien-
ded before iht fax is lcrd on The grass
where the fax IS again exposed to the oper-
- al u IN ~
drying being here useful for getting rid OF
What IS external, as well as TO serve some
Of the purposes of bleaching. Last the grass
should become too dry, spot should be
chosen where water can be obtained to ap-
ply 10 the flax Whenever requirrd,-Bul
surely these are burthensome practices.
FiaS thus prepared, ii is said will in the
end become white and soft, and split in;o
The fihesi flamenis easily yielding to the
remaining operations which il has 10 under
go; and escaping much Of The severity snd
expense commonly employed in bleaching;
cloth being, often $ more than half porn IN
NE bleaching"
SQUEEZING the stalk is designed to fatten
and break the husk ; and ought now to
follow by means OF frequent operations O!
fluted rooieis; and as The country people
make much destruction In FAX by the use
Of ooarssr methods, This part Of The prepa-
| ration ought 10 be performed a, mill
g the txpense Of tie mill being scarce D
third OF hat is required to do it by hand %
! he hfckilng (or nackling) which is The
next thing in course,is intended 10 soften
the sem and s,rsighten the 6bres; and
should be accomplished BY succession OF
machines made Tor The purpose, each finer
than the other. The AJAX Will, thus be op
ened, the fibres laid parallel, and the ends
saved from being brostn and shortened-
provided the hsndiuls taken up to feed the
machines, be sufficiently small, to admit OF
being held Win Il rnEess
Such in general is the authors account
of the several processes suitable Cor prepsr-
ing f. Y in the mois: method and he Ter
inmates il wilh new PROPOSE ions on the sub
icctu hich he leaves 70 be examined BY 9th
ers We shall borrow howeser,a few ter
miscellaneous assertions and fscts, and her
quiz them. Isl. He inlimates that hay
which is allowed beer seed. is not oniy
TIE sghixesf and easiest 10 be prepared. bu'
is by no means coarser than young rsx