bundling the flax in sheaves

Traditionally, flax was bundled into easy to handle sheaves for storage and (hand) processing. Laying the flax out in even straight rows during pulling makes bundling simple; the long thin stems lend themselves to being rolled up, and an even spread makes measuring by foot dependable. Our cultivation supervisor showed us how it is done, in a couple of simple steps. Sheaves of sufficiently retted flax can be stood upright on the field until the full harvest is ready to be brought in. Under dry conditions, the retting process is halted when the flax is stood in sheaves.