FLAX.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 11

FLAX.

A FABULOUS INCOME,

NINETEEN MILLIONS A YEAR

FROM A FLAX SWAMP

The above head-lines, represent the producing capabilities of the soil or the rich Piako swamp when it is properly drained and devoted to flax 011 lii^h-farming principles. . • Tho Piako swamp, so far as it is affected by the drainage scheme now begun, forms part of the valley of the Piako River, which empties into tlio Firth of Thames. It extends from the river mouth, almost as far as to Morrinsville, and for 40 miles it hugs the river-sides. Hundreds of tramways can lie laid to the water s edge, ana vessels already navigate the river to the few existing mills, and carry tlio fibre direct to Auckland. Ihe soil is rich, warm, and within easy roach c-i Auckland city; and nothing appears, lacking that could make it more lilted than it already is to'become a great fibre centre.

The Drainage Scheme,

The-drainage of .the Piako swamp has long been a dream of Aucklanders. Tho Government, in whose hands most of tho area still remains, lias at last committed itself to an oxtensivo drainago scheme, and put down JCGOOO as a preliminary contribution towar;; the cost. Mr. Breaknull, the engineer in charge, is now maturing his plans, .and, until they aro complete, it trill bo hazardous to guess at,bow-many scores of mijea of channels are to bo involved in tho network that, is to drnin the Piako territory. Statements havo beon madi' in departmental reports that the expenditure of £1' or £1 10s. per acre would raise the value'of Piako land to L 5 per acre, and much beyond that, figure. Tho whole area alfected comprises about 100,000 acres, of which 78,000 are still Crown lands. Possibilities. All ana of 78,000 acres is sufficientto give 122 settlers a square mile , oa'cK IF these 122 settlers go in for llax farming 0:1 up-to-date principle:;, —ploughing and aerating the land, growing the P.:i" in rows, maintaining • .•.url'ac:" ciilfiva;io» thereafter, and n:::::::ri:i", when that. bi.e:ii.".e:i iK.ecsiii,- of flax 1.,!: ..i-ii pur iicri' p.'r uniMii'.i.

1 or 32,000 tons per square mile. This is worth, lis green ■ ilttx at tlio mill doors, about il per ton, or £;J2,OUU for the .crop per year 011. each man's mile —or £3,004,000 per annum from the wholo settlement. If, however, the 122 settlers should co-operate, and run a mill of, their own, they would reap a double' harvest. Their flax, worth scarcely four .millions at tho mill-doors, would,'when converted into fibre, be worth in England five times as much.. Scvui tons of green flax, if properly cultivated, will yield .1 ton of finished fibre. Thus a little etilti-. vatioii will show'that a year's .output of finished fibre from, a mile of flax crop would bo about -1571 tons, worth ir. England about- £00 ;i toil—total per miie, £159,985; total from.tho settlement, &iy,018,170. . Nineteen aiid a half millions of pounds erery /jar to share among 122 people! : -At the present, time the whole of the population of New Zealand cany.ot ■ export .£19,500,000 worth of goods. Tlis Expsnccs. F rom the £19,500,000, however, would havo to be taken the expenses of production, and freight and" other charges. It is estimated that it costs £14.t0 produce a toil of finished fibre ready to leave the mill, and between this sum and tho £35 which it fetches in England there conies only the cost of grading, haulage, freight, brokerago, etc. On the whole, the prospects are. sufficiently bright to hurry along that drainage solieme, and provoke a spirited competition for the bits of freehold: QUEGTIOfiS ANSWERED. G. K., Wairarap.-u—You were apparently determined to appear in our first issue. The best lambing yet ru ported is from high country on the Tararua Ranges, where r.ll average of 135 per cent, is claimed in one Hoc!;. , , OUR DIARY. STOCK SALES. Sept. '2G.—Palmerston N., Upper Hutt, Waipukuran (horses). . Sep'- 27.—-Shannon, Waipukurau (horses), Feilding. Sept. 23. —Palmerston N. (horses). Sept. 30.—Waifeanac. Oct. I.—Jc'linsonville. Oct. 2.—Manakau, Addington, Dunodin, Wangaiiui,. WOOL S.ALES. " Wellington.—Nov. 15, Dee. 6, Jan. 17, Feb. 21.

Christchuroh.—Nov. 21, Dec. 12, Jan. S, Feb. 4. Auckland.—Nov. 27, Jan. 14, Feb. IS:- ■ Dunedin.—Dec. 19, Jan. 23, Feb, 14, March a. Timaru.—Nov. 27, Jan. 3, 30, Fob. 27. Napier.—Dec. 3, Jan. 14, Fob. 19. Gisbornc.—Dec: 5, Fob. 20. Irivorcargill.—Deo. 17; Jan. 27, Feb. 11. SHOWS. ' Sept. 2S.—Ashburtoir liorso' parade. Oct; 3, p.—Ainbcrloy. Oct. 16, 17.-f-Hav.k-3s Bav. Oct, 22, 23.—Poverty Bay.' Oct. 2,-1. —Ellesmcfo. , Oct. 25.—Northern (Rangiora). Oct, 30, .31.—'Timaru. Oct. 30, 31, Nov. I.—Manav/atu.' Oct.; 31, Nov. I.—Ashburton. Nov! G, 7, B.—Cnnt'erbiiry.'. Nov. 8, 9.—Waikatfl (Hamilton). Nov. 9.—Bay of Islands: Nov. 13, 14. —Wiingh'nuil Nov. 14.—Courtenay. " Nov. 14i—Waimat-e. " Nov. 14, 15. —North Otago. Nov. loi—Otago Central. : Nov. 20.—Horowhcnua (Horticultural). 'Nov.-20, 21,—Wairarapa. Nov. .21, 22. —Oamaru. Nov. 23, 24. —Auckland. Nov. 2G, 27. —Nelson'. Nov. 23. 2'3i —Otago. Dec. 5, G. —Gore. Dec. 10, 11.—Southland. Jan. 25, 2G. —Wairoa. Feb. 4, s.—Feilding. ■Feb. 18, 19.—Mastcrton. Feb. 2G.—Woodville. ' ! March 5, G.—Waikato Central (Cambridge). March; 2d,' 2G.—Horowhenua (Horticultural). ■ April.—Taieri. ■ ' ' MEETINGS. Agricultural associations, etc.: — \ Nelson second Saturday of each month; Wanganui second and fourth Wednesdays; Mastcrton, second Saturday; Wairarapa, third Friday.