FLAX-DRESSING. For many ages it was the practice to separate the boon or core from the flax, which is the bark of the plant, by the following simple hand methods. First, for breaking the boon, the stalks in small parcels were beat with a mallet; or, more dexterously, the break (Plate CX. fig. 1. and 2.) was used thus: The flax being held in the left-hand across the three under-teeth or swords of the break (A, fig. 1. and a, fig. 2.), the upper-teeth (B, fig. 1. and b, fig. 2.) were with the right-hand quickly and often forced down upon the flax, which was artfully shifted and turned with the left-hand. Next, for clearing the flax of the broken boon: the workman with his left-hand held the flax over the stock (fig. 3. and 4.) while with his right-hand he struck or threshed the flax with the scutcher (fig. 5.).
These methods of breaking and scutching the flax being slow and very laborious, a water-mill was invented in Scotland about 40 years ago; which, with some late improvements, makes great dispatch, and in skilful and careful hands gives satisfaction. It has been generally constructed to break the boon by three dented rollers, placed one above the other. The middle one of which, being forced quickly round, takes the other two along with it, and one end of the handfuls of the flax being by the workman directed in between the upper and middle rollers, the flax is immediately drawn in by the rollers; a curved board or plate of tin behind the rollers directs the flax to return again between the middle and undermost rollers;—and thus the operation is repeated until the boon be sufficiently broke. Great weights of timber or stone at the ends of levers, press the upper and under rollers towards the middle one.
The scutching is next carried on by the mill in the following manner: Four arms, something like the hand-scutchers before described, project from a perpendicular axle; a box around the axle incloses these projecting scutchers; and this box is divided among the workmen, each having sufficient room to stand and handle his flax, which, through slits in the upper part and sides of the box, they hold in to the stroke of the scutchers; which, moving round horizontally, strike the flax across or at right angles, and so thresh out or clear it of the boon.
The breaking of the flax by rollers is scarcely subject to any objection, but that it is dangerous to workmen not sufficiently on their guard, who sometimes allow the rollers to take hold of their fingers, and thereby their whole arm is instantly drawn in: thus many have lost their arms. To avoid this danger, a break upon the general principles of the hand-break before described, has been lately adapted to water-machinery, and used in place of rollers. The horizontal stroke of the scutchers was long thought too severe, and wasteful of the flax; but very careful experiments have discovered that the waste complained
of must be charged to the unskilfulness or negligence of the workmen, as in good hands the mill carries away nothing but what, if not so scutched off, must be taken off in the heckling with more loss both of time and flax. But to obviate this objection of the violence of the horizontal scutchers, an imitation of hand-scutching has lately been applied to water. The scutchers then project from an horizontal axle, and move like the arms of a check-reel, striking the flax neither across nor perpendicularly down, but sloping in upon the parcel exactly as the flax is struck by the hand-scutcher. This sloping stroke is got by raising the scutching-stock some inches higher than the centre of the axle; and by raising or lowering the stock, over which the flax is held, or screwing it nearer to or farther from the scutchers, the workman can temper or humour the stroke almost as he pleases.
A lint-mill with horizontal scutchers upon a perpendicular axle, requires a house of two stories, the rollers or break being placed in the ground story, and the scutchers in the loft above; but a mill with vertical scutchers on an horizontal axle, requires but one ground story for all the machinery.
Another method of breaking and scutching flax, more expeditious than the old hand-methods, and more gentle than water-mills, has also been lately invented in Scotland. It is much like the break and scutcher giving the sloping stroke last described, moved by the foot. The treadle is remarkably long, and the scutchers are fixed upon the rim of a fly-wheel. The foot-break is also assisted in its motion by a fly. These foot-machines are very useful where there are no water-mills, but they are far inferior to the mills in point of expedition.
The next operation that flax undergoes after scutching is heckling. The heekle (fig. 6.) is firmly fixed to a bench before the workman, who strikes the flax upon the teeth of the heekle, and draws it through the teeth. To persons unacquainted with that kind of work this may seem a very simple operation; but, in fact, it requires as much practice to acquire the slight of heckling well, and without wasting the flax, as any other operation in the whole manufacture of linen. They use coarser and wider toothed heekles, or finer, according to the quality of the flax; generally putting the flax thro' two heekles, a coarser one first, and next a fine one.
Flax for cambrick and fine lawn, thread, and lace, is dressed in a manner somewhat different. It is not scutched so thoroughly as common flax; which from the skutch proceeds to the heekle, and from that to the spinner: whereas, this fine flax, after a rough scutching, is scraped and cleansed with a blunt knife upon the workman's knee covered with his leather-apron; from the knife it proceeds to the spinner, who, with a brush made for the purpose, straights and dresses each parcel just before she begins to spin it.
FLAX made to resemble Cotton. In the Swedish transactions for the year 1747, a method is given of preparing flax in such a manner as to resemble cotton in whiteness and fineness, as well as in coherence. For this purpose, a little sea-water is to be put into an iron pot or an untinned copper-kettle, and a mixture of equal parts of birch-ashes and quicklime strewed upon it: A small bundle of flax is to be opened and
Flax and spread upon the surface, and covered with more of the mixture, and the stratification continued till the vessel is sufficiently filled. The whole is then to be boiled with sea-water for ten hours, fresh quantities of water being occasionally supplied in proportion to the evaporation, that the matter may never become dry. The boiled flax is to be immediately washed in the sea by a little at a time, in a basket, with a smooth stick: When grown cold enough to be borne by the hands, it must be well rubbed, washed with soap, laid to bleach, and turned and watered every day. Repetitions of the washing with soap expedite the bleaching; after which the flax is to be beat in again well washed; when dry, it is to be worked and carded in the same manner as common cotton, and pressed betwixt two boards for 28 hours. It is now fully prepared and fit for use. It loses in this process near one half its weight, which is abundantly compensated by the improvement made in its quality.
Earth-Flax. See AMANTHUS.
New-Zealand Flax-Plant. See PHORMIUM.
Toad-Flax. See LINARIA.