The industrial resources of Ireland / By Robert Kane.

  • Kane, Robert, 1809-1890.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The industrial resources of Ireland / By Robert Kane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    350/492 (page 328)
    FLAX- FLAX-STEEP EXTRACT STEEP EXTRACT. WITHOUT ASHKS. UAEDOR, ys oe eect ele OD) 52°93 Hydrogen, oc. oe wetter eae 7°31 ENICKOG@ON, bonne nes ete: eee mmenatet 3°86 OXVPON, ye nde eee is Ue oe et 35°90 ASHES SS ore Mao ee eee op 100-00 100-00 It is thus seen, that the steep-water dissolves out a great quantity of nitrogen, and of the inorganic materials of the stem; in fact, that it removes from the plant almost every thing that the plant removes from the soil. This is confirmed by looking to the composition of its ashes, which are shewn by the following analytical results. There are found 42 parts of ashes, in every 100 parts of flax-steep extract, consisting of UChloride-of potassium, =<10,, 7 7.* :. 2. Ss se Sulphate of potash}? = seer? Si. S288 ae Cakbonate of potash. ... sos so. wis oi ade wen EN Cnrhonate, 1.6004, o:2 | ae ase wikis Ra ee Oe pili, os kita. ose hee ome tee 5:5 Phosphate of iron and.alumina, . . . . 3°2 Phosphate-of lime, ... <5 4155 Soe Reseed Garlonnte.of UMC. . casts oleae ces inet Sie ee aa Carbonate of-magnesia, ........ . . 20 otal quantity, %.. 94° 3 ahs 0) ve: “ope ue ORCC ern The steep-water thus dissolves, especially, the alcaline in- gredients, and the phosphates of the plant, and hence leaves the rotted stems in a condition of almost pure ligneous matter. The stems of the plant, after having been thus steeped, un- dergo a rough bleaching and drying, by being grassed for some days. They are then broken by the hackle, and finally, the fibre separated from the residual woody pith or chaff, by the operation of scutching. ‘These operations may be carried on either by hand or by machinery, and the relative value of the — systems may hereafter require attention. The fibre, after these processes, is sent to market; it passes into the hands of the