DRESSING. The process first gone through after pulling is rippling, which consists in tearing off the seeds by pulling the stalks through a flax comb, which consists of a series of iron teeth IS inches long, placed within a distance of half an inch of each other. These are fastened in a block of wood. which is placed at the end of a plank or long stool, on which the operator sits. Often the seeds are separated from the stalk by threshing or hammering, but this process, as already stated, is objectionable, as it soils and breaks the stalk. The next process is to obtain the flaxen fibre or lint, free from the woody core or boon of the stem. This is effected by steeping the bundles in either stag nant or running water till the boon begins to rot, in which state it is readily separated from the fibre. The operation is called rotting, or vetting, and requires to be managed with great care, as by continuing it too long decomposition might extend to the fibre, and render it useless; while by discontinuing it too soon the separation could not be effected with sufficient ease. The time is generally determined by the nature and temperature of the water and the ripeness of the flax, decomposition taking place more rapidly in soft, stagnant water than in running streams, in which the retting is sometimes conducted. Three natural modes of steeping, or retting, the straw are recognizcd—dew-retting, pool-retting, and retting in running water. There arc also many processes for quick retting, where the temperature of the water is controlled, and also where cereals are used; but the flax of the world is largely rotted by natural methods rather than by 'processes.' For dew-retting a moist meadow is the proper place, the fibre being spread over the ground in straight rows at the rate of a ton to an acre. For pool-rotting the softest water gives the best results, and where a natural pool is not available, such as the 'bog-holes' in Ire land, 'steep holes' are made. The sheaves are kept entirely under water, but without touching the bottom. The fibres sink when decomposition has been carried to the proper point. If the woody portion or core pulls out easily, leaving the fibre intact, it is ready to come out. The opera
tion usually requires from five to ten days. Dew retting is the safest and least offensive method, but it requires much longer time, and in a coun try where land is valuable would become very expensive. On the whole, the mixed method of tetting, is preferable—that is, to steep till de composition of the boon is well advanced, and then to complete the process on the grass. It has been attempted to separate the fibre by ma chinery, without subjecting the flax to retting; but the article so produced has hitherto been re jected as inferior in quality.
Attempts to hasten the process of rotting by placing the flax in tanks and using warm water or steam instead of cold water or dew have been more successful. According to the process intro duced by Schenk, the flax is placed in vats, in which it is kept down by means of st rong frame work. Water is allowed to pass into the vats, to become absorbed by the flax; steam is next ad mitted, till the temperature of the water is raised to. and maintained at, about 90°. Acet oils fer mentation ensues in a few hours, and after being maintained for about (10 hours, the decomposition of the gummy or resinous matter in the stalk is completed. The mucilage water is next with drawn from the vat, and the flax taken out, sepa rated, and dried, either in the open air or in desiccating-rooms, according to circumstances. Betting in water is usually followed by bleaching on the grass, to secure an even color. This is often accomplished in a few days, but may re quire several weeks.
The whole process of retting is a typical fer mentation. A disagreeable odor arises from the fermenting flax, and the liquid, after the fer mentation, is filled with products which make valuable manure. The bacillus which produces the retting has been identified, and it has been shown that the retting is a process of decompo sition of the pectin cement. No method of sepa rating the linen fibres in the flax from the wood fibres has yet been devised which dispenses with the aid of bacteria. (See Conn. Story of Germ Life, New York, 1900.) In chemical retting, however, dilute sulphuric or hydrochloric acid is used which completes the process in a few days.