THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1864, 11 June 1888, Page 4

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

4 _ The Flax (Phormwm Tenax) Industry Is taking another spurt. Noarly twenty years ago a moit praiseworthy attempt wps ,rx>ade to establish this industry In Taranaki and In other parts of New Zealand, but the price for the fibre pot ao low thnt. st last it did not pay to export it. In 1869 there w«s no lees than se^on mills at work In different parts of the dlstrlot, of whioh two wore at work at Opanake. Owing to the failure of tho Manilla orop last season, tbe pno» of New Zealand bemp, as it should be called has increased m prlo«, ond this has been the cause of eO muoh caplt»l being, in~ Tested m therevivalof anoldiuduotry. We think, however, If thosj who are likely to go Into this speculation were at the si mo time to cultivate the Irish fhx they would find It would prove a more profitable'lnvestment than depending solely lon phormium tewaw. Tho i» no question as ■ to oar being able to produco tho very beat deioription of flax for linen manufiotarlDg.pnrpoees, for which there Is a practically unlimited demand ; but the difficulty m tbe way of establishing the industry would seem to be the firs: expense of the new patent torching msohlnes. The best plan would be to form oomptnlei whioh could purchase from the growers the stanalug crops «nd prepare the fiix by proper process from beginning to end. The Idea is at least worthy of consideration The enterprise holds % out a fair ohauco of success ; In whioh cano tbe ben. fit to the colovy would bo very appreciable.—-" Taranaki Horold."

Clergyman sometimes eeleot odd texts on which to hang their sermons. Here are two which were chosen by a divine who recently died at Wellingborough :— " And he took from the lion's mouth two legs and the part of an ear " 5 " Four-and-twenty knives and a fork." But still more curious is the one that was chosen by a olergyman m the days of chignons : — " Top not come down." On Borne of bis congregation wailing upon him to ask m what part ol the Bible he had found it, he referred them to Matthew XXIV., 17, " Let him whioh is on the house-top not come down." When Dublin Cathedral was reopened after restoration at the expense of Mr VJise, the Archbishop took for bis text, " Go thou and do likewise." Not to bo outdone, a olergyman m his dioaefao, when opening a ohurch built by a brewer, said his text waß to be found m Hebrews XXX.—" Truth." In this colony, whioh oontains little more than half a million inhabitants, no less than 170 newspapers are published. Such is the number of New Zealand papers comprised m a collection whioh has just been made by the Minister of Education — ranging from tho voluminous weekly-of 20 or 40 pages to the substantial daily edition of the large towns, or the modest little rustic bi-weekly. The collection, which is intended for an interesting exhibition of tbe journalistic literature of the world, which will shortly take place at Aix-le-Chapelle, has been forwarded to its destination through Mr F. Krull, of Wanganui, German Conßul, The American oolony here (writes a Paris correspondent) is busy discussing the rumour that Mrs Mackay, wife of " the richest man m the world," has lost the whole of her private fortune m a gigantic wheat speculation, inspired by the belief that war was on the point of breaking out, a few months ago, between France and Germany. The lady is said to have been led into this unluoky speculation by General Boulanger, whose advent as Dictator would doubtleßS be speedily followed by the hoped-for conflagration, m tbe kindling of which the new idol of the frivolous but violent populace of Paria hopes for the aid of the Northern Bear: HOLLOWAY'B OINTMBNT AND PILLS. — Old Wounds, Sores and Ulcers. — Daily oxpe^ience confirms the fact which has triutr ((over all opposition for more than forty years, viz ; that no means are known equal to Hollo way 'a remedies for curing bad legs, bad breasts, Bores, wounds, diseases of tbe skin, erysipelas, abscesses, burns, soalds, and, m truth, all maladies where the skin is broken. To oure these infirmities quickly is of primary importance, as compumory confinement indoors weakenß tbe general health. The road; means ol oure are found m Holloway'B Ointment and' Pills, whioh heal the sores and expel their cause. In the very worst cases the Ointment has eucceeeed m effacliog a perfect cure after every other means had Ailed m giving adequate