FLAX RESEARCH

Chronicle (Levin), 7 November 1947, Page 3

FLAX RESEARCH

FOXTON LEADS THE WORLD That Foxton was the best place in the world to visit in a worldwide search for knowledge in flax growi'hg and processing was the opinion expressed by Mr. F. Laubscher, a South African scientist who spent last week in Foxton. Mr. Laubscher arrived in the Dominion about ten days ago after visitmg Europe and North America. He expressed himself as very pleased at the assistance and co-operation he received from. the Scientific and Industrial Research Department and New Zealand Woolpack and Textiles, Ltd. During his sojourn in Foxton he was conducted over the factory there, and the Moutoa and Makerua flax growing areas, by representatives of New Zealand Woolpack and Textiles, Ltd. Jnterviewed while in Foxton, Mr. Laubscher said that New Zealand's native flax bids fair to become one of the main stays of fibre producton in South Africa. A small plantation had existed at Melmoth, in Natal, for a number of years, and the results obtained there gave rise to hopes that the plant would be one of the most useful additions to the fibre industry in the Uuion. In common with most other countries, South Africa experienced a severe shortage of fibre for baling material during the war years, and, in an effort to attain as great a degree of self-sufiiciency as possible, was now going ahead with the growing of those fibre plants which were found suitable to her climate and soil conditions. Considerable experimentation was bemg instigated and the experience gained in research would serve as a guide as to which plants should be grown. South Africa was mainly interested in fibres suitable for bagmaking, and there was no intention to undertake the growing of linen flax. Linen flax was grown for very highly specialised reasons, and the best results could be obtained only in areas particularly suited to its cultivation. Mr. Laubscher said that before any gr.eat expansion of flax growing was undertaken, it was thought desirable that as much information as possible should be secured as to the best methods of growing and processing it. For this purpose Foxton was the best place in the world to come to, and that was why he was visiting New Zealand. Mr. Laubscher is head of the College of Agriculture at Potschefstroom,- in -the Transvaal, about 75 fililes, ' oii: .^ohannesburg, where .hiuch .fif hisrlmme has been spent "on resekrcfr on wheat and maize. Before coming to New Zealand he visited the United Kfingdom, Belgium and the United States, where he inspected the work which was being done on fibre plants. He hasbeen in Foxton, studying the re-t. search work dorie • there bii fla3c? the conditions under which it is grown and the factory processing methods employed by the New Zea-. land Woolpack and Textile Company. He expressed himself as being very pleased with the co-operation and assistance he had received in New Zealand, and added a word of praise for the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, which, he said, impressed him greatly by the efficient and thorough way in which it was tackling many of New Zealand's problems.