his is passing the stalks through a series of horizontal
rollers to break further the woody matter and at the same time
separate the greater part of it from the fiber.

3. Scutching. The object of this process is to remove completely the
woody matter, and it is done by means of rapidly revolving wooden arms
or blades, which beat the firmly held flax until it is sufficiently
cleaned and separated.

4. Hackling. The scutched flax is drawn through iron combs which still
further open the fiber. Fineness of fiber depends upon the number of
times it is hackled, each time with a finer and finer instrument,
which secures the different degrees of subdivision. Then the fibers
are sorted and classified as to length and quality and laid in
parallel forms ready for spinning and manufacture into linen.

[Illustration: PULLING FLAX IN MINNESOTA]

=Bleaching.= Linen is bleached in the form of yarn, thread, and
cloth. This is a difficult and long process owing to the large amount
of natural impurities present in flax fiber, and the difficulty of
removing or dissolving them. Bleaching is now done as a rule by
chemical processes, and when chemicals are used great care must be
taken about their strength and about the time the cloth is allowed to
remain in them. In olden times sour buttermilk was applied to linen
and rubbed in, and then bleaching was finished out of doors by sun and
rain. "Unbleached" linen is treated in the same way as bleached, only
the process is not carried to such an extent. In Ireland, famous for
its bleaching, chemicals are used in the earlier stages of this
process, and then fine linens are spread out on the grass to improve
their color, and to purge them completely of any chemicals used. After
bleaching, linen is washed, dried, starched, and put through heavy
machines to give it a glossy finish, and it is then made up in pieces
for sale.

=Characteristics of Good Linen.= Linen is noted for its smoothness of
texture, its brilliancy--which laundering increases--its wearing
qualities, and its exquisite freshness. The celebrated Irish linen is
the most valuable staple in the market, and on account of its fineness
and strength, and particularly its bright color, it attains an
unapproachable excellence because the best processes are used
throughout the entire manufacture. Linen is less elastic and pliable
than cotton and bleaches and dyes readily.

Flax from all countries is woven into table linen, though very fin