Although the scutch mill was invented in Scotland and introduced into Ireland about 1725, it was not popular: the Irish model appeared about 1760. Water power was used to turn the scutching blades to imitate hand scutching over the stock (as in Plate 4). Scutching was carried out in the autumn after the flax was retted so that the scutched flax could be sold by November, when rents were due. When scutching was in full swing the air in the mills was full of dust called `pouce', which workers inhaled into their lungs.