Here are some of the prices paid for labor in the flax fields of the Brabant, gleaned from an interview with a large grower and scutcher near Gembloux: workmen in field, 2.50 francs per day, not boarded (equal to 50 cents American money); women, 1.50 francs (30 cents); weeders, boys 80 centimes, and women 1.25 francs per day (16 to 25 cents); spreaders, when flax is dew-retted, boys at various wages, from 75 centimes upward, and women 1.50 francs. Seed was quoted by the 100 kilograms, at 24 francs (approximately $4.75 for 220 pounds). Belgian “blue flax," dew-retted, 80 francs per 100 kilograms (8 cents per pound), though it is estimated that these prices are too low to pay. Russian flax retted under the snow is sometimes sold in Belgium at 75 francs per 100 kilograms, or a half-cent less per pound than the above. Naturally, the production of the cheaper grades of flax is declining under this competition.

FRENCH CULTURE.

The flax culture of France is confined for the most part to the departments of Nord, Pas-de-Calais, and others contiguous in the North, Lille being the center of the industry. I visited Lille, but found nothing especially different in methods of culture and after-treatment from the practices pursued in Belgium, though I was surprised to learn that most of the flax grown in this section is transported to the River Lys, or its tributaries, for retting. Flax culture in France has suffered a considerable decline in late years, having ceased entirely in some departments, while the quantity has diminished in nearly all, save perhaps in Nord, in which the city of Lille is located. It may be stated on the authority of M. Alfred Renouard, jr., of Lille, that the preservation of the industry in Nord is owing to the proximity of the Lys, and to the great sacrifices which the agricultural people of the section impose upon themselves in transporting the product to this stream. Were this form of retting (the river-retting as practiced in Courtrai) abandoned, the culture of flax would decline at Lille as in other districts, because the sales from other systems of retting, such as the pool or dew-retting, making dark fiber, would bring such return as would only cause a loss to the producer. In other provinces the culture has fallen off twothirds in the last thirty years, the most rapid decline being noticed since 1875.

The French flax that finds its way to the Lys is retted at Bousbecques and all along the stream at Flives, les Rauches, Hasnon, etc. It is the most expensive form of retting practiced, known as "rouissage au ballon"; but, on the other hand, it gives that value to the flax which makes its culture profitable. The product goes to England chiefly, a little of it being used in France for the manufacture of sewing thread.

I append prices of the different forms of flax fiber produced in France, from M. Renouard :

Dew-retted, 75 to 100 francs per 100 kilograms (about 74 to 10 cents per pound). Tank-retted, 100 to 150 francs per 100 kilograms (about 10 to 15 cents per pound). River-retted, 150 to 300 francs per 100 kilograms (about 15 to 30 cents per pound). The cultivator receives from 300 to 1,000 francs per hectare for the raw product; that is to say, approximately, $24 to $80 per acre. But the net cost of cultivation per hectare is said to be 600 francs, or in American money about $48 per acre rental included, so that the farmer grows flax at a loss if his sales fall below this figure, and at a profit if the price realized gives him more than this sum per acre. Unfortunately, there has been loss in many districts in late years, which accounts for the decline of the industry in France.

METHODS IN IRELAND.

My visit to Belfast, in the latter part of October, was mainly for the purpose of examining special flax machinery; so, little time was spent in studying the Irish methods of culture, and of handling the product after the crop is pulled.

In Ireland, as in other flax-growing countries, clean land, in good state of fertility, and with proper drainage, is required for the crop. A systematic rotation is followed, with a most thorough preparation of the land by deep ploughing, harrowing, and pulverizing (the latter especially in heavy soils), and subsequent rollings. The best of seed that can be got is sown at the rate of two bushels to the acre. On heavy soils the Dutch seed is considered the most suitable, while the Riga seed is thought to answer better for the light or medium soils. The ground is kept free from weeds, the weeding being done when the flax is 4 to 7 inches high. The crop is pulled when ripe and immediately rippled, if it is desired to secure the seed, many of the Irish peasants of late years, I am informed, paying little attention to saving the seed. "Dams" or pools are employed in the retting, these being dug out in the winter, though some of the peasantry are content to use bog-holes, soft water being requisite. While the Irish peasant farmer is perhaps less careful than his Belgian confrère in pursuing this industry, it will be observed in studying the system in vogue in Ireland that success is only attained by skill and close attention to details.

Mr. John Orr Wallace gives me the following general instructions in regard to Irish flax culture:

Any good soil that will produce a good crop of wheat, oats, or barley will suffice for flax. The soil should be in good condition, but must not

1 Says Michael Andrews, honorary secretary of the flax supply association: "Riga seed should be cleaned with a flax-sieve previous to sowing to get rid of the weed seeds; this will save expense and labor when weeding time comes round. Dutch seed being much better cleaned, will seldom require this operation,"

have had manure recently applied before sowing the seed; plowing should not exceed four inches in depth. The best rotation is to sow flax after oats from lea ground; that is, grass land which has been prepared for and has produced a crop of oats, the stubble plowed in autumn, again in February or March, harrowed and rolled until the soil is thoroughly pulverized; destroy all weeds before sowing flax seed. This seed should be sown about the second week in April. When the plants are about four inches high all weeds must be pulled, the boys and girls who do the work to proceed against the wind, that the flax plants may be blown erect when the weeders have passed on.

When the straw begins to turn yellow and the foliage within six inches of the ground is drooping, pull at once. At this stage the seed in the bolls is changing to a dark green or brownish tinge. Tie the straw in small bundles and stand on end to winnow. When quite hard and dry put in stack. There is a larger and better yield of fiber when the straw is kept until the year following its growth. If fiber is required at once the seed can be rippled and the straw steeped in soft water, that is, rain water, or, if this is not attainable, in pits of water in which vegetable matter grows, and which has been exposed to the sun's rays for a period of five or six weeks. The straw should be protected from the earth at the sides of the retting pits; place the straw in layers until the pit is quite full; stones, or planks of wood with stones on top to keep the straw entirely under the water, are laid upon the top layer of flax straw. If the temperature of the water is 80° Fahrenheit or upwards, about six days will be sufficient to ret the straw. From the fifth day examine a few straws, at different parts of the pit, several times daily, and when the fiber pulls readily and entirely off the woody core it is time to remove from the pits. Stand the sheaves on end to dry; pull the band or tying on each sheaf close to the top and spread out the root ends, so as to expose to suu and wind. When perfectly dry stack for a few weeks. This improves and mellows, or brings "nature," or a soft silky feeling to the fiber. It is now ready for the machine. There are many interesting details regarding the Irish practice, but owing to limited space the complete account, should it be thought necessary to give it, must await the publication of the final report.

FOREIGN FLAX-CLEANING MACHINERY.

There was little of novel interest that could be classified under this head at the Paris Exposition; nor could I learn of anything of recent invention that was to be seen in successful operation in Belgium. In England and Ireland, however, there are several machines that should be mentioned in this communication, and one, the mechanical device invented by John Orr Wallace, of Belfast, that I wish especially to report upon, having spent several days in this center of the Irish linen industry, where I saw it in operation.

THE WALLACE MACHINE.

This is a flax-scutching machine. It occupies a comparatively small floor space, being 4 feet wide and but 5 long; its height is 6 feet 6 inches. It consists of an upper feed-table, on which the straw is fed to three pairs of fluted rollers, which deliver the flax downwards between five pairs of pinning tools alternating with six pairs of guide rollers. The pinning tools somewhat resemble hand-hackles, and are attached to two vertical frames, to which a horizontal to and fro motion is imparted, and the pins interlace as the two sides approach. The fibrous material is drawn downwards by the rollers, which have an intermittent motion, and at each momentary pause the pricking pins enter the material and are rapidly withdrawn from it. By degrees this fibrous descending curtain is delivered on to an endless apron at the bottom of the machine, the woody substance falling in a crushed and semi-pulverized condition and free from fiber beneath. After the fiber has been taken from the machine it is shaken once or twice and immediately subjected to a buffer, a few revolutions of the blades, comparatively, brushing or beating out the loose bits of woody matter or "shive" that may be adhering.

Referring to the illustrations, Fig. 1 is the breaker. A is the feed table, B is the endless apron, C is the buffer, and D the hand of the operator who presents the broken and semi-cleaned fiber to the action of the wooden buffing blades. A platform should be erected in conven

ient position for the attendant who feeds the machine; or, when a set of three machines are employed, the platform is extended, as in Fig. 2,

one feeder being able to attend the three machines. Mr. Wallace informed me that three assistants are necessary; on the breaker or machine proper one person, a boy or a girl, to prepare the straw in bundles and one boy to feed. To attend the "buffer" one man, who takes the flat mass of disintegrated fiber as it comes from the machine and subjects it to beating blades to remove the shive. It was also explained that in the old system, as pursued at the Irish scutch mills, one attendant carries the straw to the breaker, one opens the sheaves or "beets" and hands to the man who feeds the straw into the fluted rollers, one ties the sheaves, one or two prepare the rolled straw into "strikes" or bundles for the men at scutching stocks, which are in sets of two and sometimes three men; that is, one man who puts the straw on the first stock where the blades are broader on edge and act as a further "break" on the straw; he passes the bundle to the second man, who finishes dressing, or, as is sometimes the case, passes it to a third man, and frequently these sets of men have an attendant who keeps them supplied with the "strikes" or bundles; a total of eight or ten men.

Where large quantities of flax are to be worked there will be a considerable gain by the use of two or three machines, as the two attendants who prepare the bundles for and feed the single machine can attend two or three as well. One buffer will be required for each machine, however. With a set of three machines and buffers the work can be done by-one or two to prepare bundles, according to speed of machines, one to feed, and three to buff-a total of three boys or girls and three men, or six persons. One machine will work from 10 cwt. to 20 cwt. of retted straw per day. If the straw is properly retted and of fair length the yield of clean fiber will amount to 25 per cent. Mr.

Wallace says that good Irish has given 30 per cent. and Belgian 33 per cent., and he has obtained 24 pounds to the cwt. from straw which was so tender that no fiber could be yielded by the common system of cleaning in vogue in Ireland. He explains that the average yield under this system is but 12 per cent. For comparison of the cost of cleaning fiber by mill-scutching and by the Wallace machine the statement was