Dutch flax

Flax, Broken - Scutched flax which is less than 20-in. long and therefore unfit for hackling in the spinning mill. Flax, C.D. and T. - Graders' marks which denote the type of scutched flax: c (chaine) to represent warps, D (demi) to represent medium warps, and T (trame) to represent wefts. Flax, Green, or Natural - Scutched flax produced from de-seeded straw without any intermediate treatment such as retting. Flax, Line - The hackled flax produced by a hackling machine or hand hackling. A term sometimes erroneously applied to scutched flax. Flax, Retted - Scutched flax produced from straw which has been retted. Usually divided into three main classes, namely, water retted flax, dew retted flax, and chemically retted flax. Flax, Scutched - The product from the delivery end of a scutching machine or from scutching flax straw on a wheel. It consists of the long fibre strands in a parallel condition and substantially free from wood and other extraneous material. The yield of scutched flax is commonly expressed as stones (14-lb.) per acre, but in Ireland it is sometimes expressed as stones per peck of seed sown. The average yield per acre of scutched flax has varied according to year from about 20 stones per acre to 40 stones per acre, with occasional exceptional yields of 80 and 90 stones per acre. Grader, Flax - The man who places the scutched flaxes in their appropriate grades of quality by eye judgment and feel. Grades, Flax - Tank retted flaxes are graded from A through the alphabet in ascending order of value. Dam retted flaxes are graded from 1-7 in descending order of value. Dew retted flaxes are graded 0-6 in descending order of value. Grades, Tow - Green tow is graded 1-8 and then 9a, 9b, Z, Z₂, and beater tow in descending order of value. Tank retted tow is graded I, II, III, 1, 2, 3, 3X, 3XXX, in descending order, whilst dam and dew retted tows are I, II, II, 1, 2, 3. Pluckings - The short, clean fibre produced at the end of the scutching machine where the operatives dress and square the pieces of flax ready for selection. In grading pluckings are classed as tow (q.v.). Root Ends, Straw - The broken-off roots which fall from the straw under the breaking rollers. Rug, Scutching - All the detritus which falls below the two compartments of the scutching machine after the shives have been shaken out of it, or the waste made when producing scutched flax on a wheel. It consists of partly scutched short straws, broken straws, weeds, and beater tow. It is classed as root end rug or top end rug, according to which end of the flax it comes from. Selection - The preliminary sorting of the scutched flax into main grades at the delivery end of the scutching machine. Shives - The short pieces of woody waste beaten from the straw during scutching. Tow - Any substantially clean but tossed and tangled flax fibre of less than scutched flax length. Tow Baling - The operation of making-up tow into bales. Tow, Beater - Short, fine, clean fibres which fall from the last third of the compartments during scutching. Tow, Inferior low grade (Green) - Green tow of a grade lower than 9a. Tow, Inferior low grade (Retted) - Retted tow of a grade lower than 3XXX. Tow, Machine, or Cast - Tow produced by the hackling machine. Tow, Rejected - Tow unsuitable for spinning on flax tow machinery. Tow, Rescutched - Two scutched on tow handles or a tow scutching machine. Tow, Rolled - The product from passing scutching rug through tow rollers and highspeed shaker. Tow, Rolled and Beaten - The product from passing scutching rug through tow rollers and beaters, and a high-speed shaker. The principal flax markets of the world are at Courtrai, Bruges, Ghent, Lokeren and Zele in Belgium; Rotterdam in Holland; Riga in Latvia; Leningrad, Pernau and Witebek in Russia; Douai and Flines in France; Newry, Rathfriland, Strabane, Ballymoney, Lisnaskea, Ballybay and Armagh in Ireland. Courtrai flax is the finest produced. It is uniform in fibre, strong, clean and of a good colour. Yarns up to 200's lea are spun from it. Irish flax comes next in spinning qualities from 90's to 120's lea are produced. As a warp yarn it is much preferred as the strength is greater than other types. Flemish flax is dark in colour, dryer than others, strong, and can be spun up to 120's lea. Dutch flax is clean, good colour and spins into yams up to 90's lea. Russian flax is coarser than the above types and is usually spun up to about 70's lea.

- Dutch flax
- dwarf flax
- fairy flax
- false flax
- pale flax
- perennial flax
- spurge flax
- wild flax
- yellow flax

Aspirator Boll Crushers - A pair of rollers used for crushing the bolls and releasing the seed, when the bolls have been removed by combing. Bough - The seed branches of the flax plant. Cavings - The reject arising from the bottom riddle of a roughing-out machine and consisting mostly of bough, bits of broken straw and some root ends. Conabings - The term usually applied to the short straw rejected by a de-seeding machine. De-seeding - The operation of removing the seed bolls or capsules from the flax crop. De-seeding Machine - A machine fitted with a comb or combs and a conveyor system for combing off the bolls mechanically or with rollers for crushing the bolls and thus releasing the seed. The latter machine is known as a Dutch roll. Ripples, or Ripple Comb - A large iron comb used for de-seeding flax crop by hand. Roughing-out Machine - A machine for roughly separating the seed from the chaff, short straw, weeds and other extraneous material produced during de-seeding. Screenings - Broken flax seed or flat flax seed unsuitable for sowing, but suitable for selling for stock feed. Seed Cleaner, or Dresser - A machine for finally cleaning the seed to the required purity for sowing. Straw, De-seeded - Flax crop from which the seed capsules have been removed. Usually about 70 per cent of the crop weight. Straw, Tow - Flax straw in a tossed and broken condition. The term is sometimes applied to the short straws combed out by a de-seeding machine, but usually to the straw resulting from the threshing a flax crop too poor for normal processing.

A variety of cotton tapes known about 1850 in widths of ¹/₄-in. to 1¹/₂-in., made in black and white. Of British make and were very strong. They were numbered from 11 to 150 according to the number of threads from which they were made. Originally they were made of flax yarns.

A Dutch grown flax with long, fine and lustrous fibres.

The flax canvas fabric made specially for His Majesty's Navy. There are eight classified numbers in 24-in. and must be made from the best long British, Irish, Riga or Reval flaxes, or from the best long white Dutch, Flemish or Friesland flax. The Royal Navy canvas is made from 25-in. to 28-in. wide and is required to pass a breaking test.