NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2477, 24 January 1871, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

We beg to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the progress report of the Flax Commissioners. Tho Commissioners state that they have arranged to send to England a sample of one ton prepared in each of the following processes :—lst, Maori dressed ; 2nd, machine dressed by simple stripping and washing and drawing in the sun; 3rd, machine dressed by rolling or other process, followed by retting or steaming and chemical bleaching ; 4th, chemical process, founded on experiments made in the laboratory. The report states that steps are being taken to secure chemical analysis and microscopic examination of the fibre in England, and Dr Hooker has been requested to select a competent person to conduct the same, and to furnish fresh leaves from the gardens at Kew for the purpose. also, with'reference to the cultivation and mode of dressing the Manilla hemp has been sought from various authorities in England, India, and Manilla, and from the Spanish Government, and samples of all the fibres which can compete with New Zealand flax have been ordered from England. The appendix contains several interesting papers. A letter from Messrs White, Kennie, and Co,, of London, ,states that the Maori-dressed flax is worth from L6O to L7O per ton. The following extract from a letter of Mr Rees, of Rangitikei, dated 29th November, 1870, will be interesting to those engaged in flax dressing:— From close observation of this laud (clean burnt, four years ago last February), I find that each fan has produced two leaves each year, as under Length -First year’s growth, sft. Gin. ; leaf now 54 mouths old.

' cngfch—Bcconi year's growth, sft. 9iu. j leaf now 42 months old.

Length -'Bird year’s growth, 6ft.; leaf now 30 months old.

Length -Fourth year’s growth, Gft. 6in. ; 1 af now IS mouths old.

So that the leaf of only eighteen months old has the advantage over the four year old leaf, 'f hese measurements were taken from the fan as polled out of the ground, an 1 cut at such distance from the root as would be required for manufacture. The outside leaf (in each stem (or- four year old) was very much spotted, and unfit for manufacture. The three-year old was also spotted, and exhibited signs of decay ; but the two-year old was a fine strong leaf without blemish, and the sort of leaf we have found it the easiest to prepare. The eighteen months leaf was hard y fit to work, the fibre being hardly firm enough. In my opinion, the leaf at from twenty-four to thirty months old is in its best stage for manufacture, although leaves of eighteen months growth make good soft fibre of six feet long, but not so strong. These observations were made upon medium fiax land (wet toe-toe flats).