Spreading or Grassing.—When the flax has drained sufficiently, after removal from the rotting dam, it is conveyed to the spread-ground. This should be a field of clean, short, thick pasture, any tall weeds or grass being carefully mowed down. The beets are distributed at convenient distances ; the spreaders follow, and shake the flax out in a thin layer in even rows across the field. When turning is not intended, the top of one row should overlap the butt of the preceding, to the extent of about 2 in. This is done to prevent the scattering effect of a high wind; but it is objected to by some that it tends to cause entanglement in the subsequent lifting. The flax is sometimes turned by a pole 2-3 times while lying on the grass, in which case, it must not be allowed to lap. Turning doubtless produces a fibre of more uniform colour and quality; but it loosens it on the grass, and thus exposes it to the wind, which is a serious drawback in some districts. It is best done when rain threatens, as in that event the flax would be beaten down. After the first day's exposure, the stems will be found quite " tight," and the fibre will be most difficult to separate from the woody core, except with much rubbing. But in a day or two, if the retting has been properly conducted, the stems will begin to " bow "—the fibre contracts, and leaves the core, the two resembling a bow and string. When this occurs, and a slight rubbing suffices to make the woody core break and fly off from the fibre, the flux is ready for lifting.
Lifting.—Flax must never be taken off the spread on a wet day, nor while dew is on it. Great care must be taken to keep the butts or root-ends quite even. It is laid down in bundles of a size to make small beets ; these are tied moderately firm, and stooked for a few days, if the weather is settled ; but if the weather is doubtful, it is better to carry the flax to a loft, or stack it.
The above directions assume the existence of favourable weather. In the opposite ease, some deviation will be necessary. Thus, should unsettled weather threaten towards the end of the retting, the flax had better be taken out before it is quite ready, as, in the " hard " state, it can better withstand unfavourable weather while on the grass. Or, supposing the retting to have been complete, and either wet weather, or scorching dry weather, should occur when the flax is quite dry on tho grass, it is well to lift somewhat prematurely, and stack, as a few months stacking will produce the same effect as a prolonged and more favourable grassing; indeed stacking always improves it. If rain continues during the grassing, mildew and other injury can only be avoided by lifting the flux in large handfuls, and setting it up in the form of a hollow cone, as seen in Fig. 667, taking care to lift by the boll ends, and to slightly twist the top of the cone, to give it strength against the wind.
Drying.—If the grassing is properly performed, no other drying will be necessary. The application of fire-heat is always most pernicious. Drying in the field before retting is a Belgian practice, described further on. It has some advantages, and affords a convenient alternative when water is scarce at the rotting season.
Breaking.—The efficiently rotted and dried stems are next sub mitted to a process of breaking, to fit them for the final seutching.
The Irish method of breaking was of the rudest kind, but very effective machines are now made to perform this operation of bruising the stems, and breaking up the boon or woody portion, so as to loosen it from the fibre. One of the most simple machines for this purpose is shown in Fig. 668. It consists of two pairs of fluted iron rollers, and a table to receive the stems. The " straw " is fed in by hand between the first pair of rollers, which crush it somewhat, and pass it on to the second pair, with finer flutings, where the breaking-up is completed. The top rollers are free to move up and down, the requisite pressure being obtained by means of indiarubber rings, placed in recesses ou the tops of the sliding bearings, and kept down by cross bars.
Another simple machine, which, while having only a limited power of production, breaks a small quantity well, is shown in Fig. 669. In a frame A, it has two fluted rollers, which effect a reciprocating motion from the crank B upon the fluted cylinder C.
Figs. 670 and 671 represent two flax-breakers on the Hodgkin-Brazier principle. The recipro cating motion is given to the large cylinder, and is communicated by the flutes to the rollers. The cylinder oscillates under the rollers, and is provided with a forward movement in excess of the backward movement, so as to deliver the fibre at a certain rate upon the endless travelling lath. This system possesses the disadvantages that the great strain thrown upon the cylinder frequently causes it to break, and the crushing between the flutes is practically repeated upon the same spot, and tends to cut tho fibre.
Tho machines shown in Figs. 672 and 673 are a great improvement upon the preceding ; they are the invention of Samuel Lawson and Sons, Hope Foundry, Leeds. Their essential difference consists iu having pairs of rollers, instead of rollers working upon a cylinder. Each pair of rollers is driven by a pinion gearing into the large internal wheel A, the strain being thus equally divided. A second similar wheel on the other side drives half the number of pairs of rollers. By this system, 8, and even 12 (Fig. 673) pairs of rollers may be driven in one machine. The rollers may also be made to vary from coarse to fine fluting, so as to operate gradually upon the stems. An arrangement is provided for regulating the amount of for ward motion in the reciprocating rollers, so as to deliver the stems more or less quickly, thus re taining them for a longer or shorter time, as required. Another advan tage is the con stantly changing action of the rollers upon both sides of the stems. The spaces also between the rol lers allow the dirt and impuri ties to fall freely away. These pow erful machines act with equal effi ciency upon other fibrous stems which need "breaking," as hemp, jute, &c. The six-pair one can break daily 3-4 tons of jute, or 1-2 tons of hemp, and a proportionately larger quantity of flax.