FLAX CULTURE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2065, 27 April 1907, Page 1

FLAX CULTURE.

Air. \V. Puller, of Keri Iveri, Bay of Islands, gave a lecture on (lax eul. turn at the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s moms ,011 April 2l)th. Air. I). .limes, president of the. North Canterbury branch of the Farmers’ Union, was in the cliair, and there was a fair attendance of members of the Union and others in. terested-

Mr. Fuller. in opening liis lecture, exhibited several .strands of different varieties of flax, which wore tested by members of the audience for their breaking points. The. various breaking points recorded were 301 b. 121 b. 101 b and 181 b. There were, he, continued, many varieties of flax, some giving much hotter financial returns than others. It was generally understood that flax would only thrive in damp localities, but as a matter of fact flax did not require too much water, and some of the finest fibre he had on exhibition had been grown on a hill-side hundreds of feet above the sea level. Flax grown on dry land produced a better fibre than that grown on wet land. Any of the land round about Christchurch was most suitable for flax cultivation. The hind should bo ploughed to a good depth and the, flax plants put in about six feet apart. At that distance it required 12-10 plants to the acre. During the first two years root crops could he grown between the '■mvs. hut after that the plants would become too large to allow of such cultivation between the rows. After the third year onwards to about 100 hi of flax per acre could be cut from the plants. The method of flnx dresling was not always fully understood, •Mid it frequently happened that the fibre was mined in the dressing. He estimated that, fullv .EInO.OOO annually was lost owing to the improper dres ■big of flax. Willi nroner dressing there should he onlv half a hundred? a eight of tow to the ton. whereas at present the tow frequently reached is much as 21 to 3 cwt. per toil. In renly to onestions Mr. Fuller •toted that the beat varieties of flax /•> nlant were the To Anri and tile Oil uknna.