ELAX MANUFACTURE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 732, 4 November 1869, Page 3

ELAX MANUFACTURE.

(Prom a Correspondent of the Southern Cross.) I lately paid a visit to the flaxdres sing establishment of Mr M'Laughlin, at Papahino, near Manarewa mountain. It was my special object to assure myself whether the native flax industry is the great success it is said to be; and as that factory has been frequently mentioned as reflecting credit on the proprietor as an architect and a business man, I ex pected that such a visit would settle the question in my mind one way or the other. Mr M'Latighlin's mill is situated at a distance of about two miles from the South road, and fourteen from Auckland, in a neighborhood which is barer of flax than most in the province, and in a position inconvenient to water-carriage. In fact, the only natural circumstance in favor of the situation is a moderately good command of water-power. The roadway for some two miles before reaching the mill is at present in such a state as to require a pair of strong horses to draw a load of 15 cwt; but, nevertheless, the supply of raw material is so great that no dilliculty is experienced in obtaining it at the same rate as is paid oi) delivery by mills close to the Great South Road. The price is £1 10s for green flax by the ton —not J£l,as stated by some. In passsing through the districts from Otanuhu to Papakura, one must wonder where flax is to be found to keep three mills going ; nor will the wonder diminish when it is ascertained .that Mr M'Laugblin has about 800 tons bespoken and has refused to undertake the purchase of considerable quantities. It must, however, be borne in mind that some parties cart their flax as far as 7 miles to him.

Oa a near approach to the flaxworks everything has the appearance of neatness. The buildings for the factory consist of two substantially-built wooden houses, each about 50 feet long by 14 feet wide, parallel to each other, one of which is used for the mill, and the other for a warehouse and packingroom. Closing in one end of what may be supposed to be the quadrangle formed by these two buildings, there is a store-room for the raw material, where all the green flax is weighed from the drays. For the site of these advantage has been taken of a neck of land, about 100 feet in width, between two creeks, one of which is dammed back, so as to divert its water by an artificial channel into the other at right angles. By this means a fall is obtained for water to drive the ma chinery. Three of Price's machines are connected with the fly-wheel by means of belts, in the simplest manner possible, and each machine, taking in a leaf at a time requires a strong boy to feed it, and a younger one to take the leaves from the machine singly, and throw them a yard or two on the floor. One strong girl collects the flax thus thrown on the floor by the boys, and throws it in small bundles down to a shed, where each of them is washed in the watercourse by a man, who then throws them in a heap, for a boy to remove in a dray to the bleaching ground. On the bleach-ing-ground two or three hands are constantly at work turning the flax, which is ready for being taken back to the mill for scinching in the course of a fortnight, or less, according to the weather. In the winter it is usually necessary to hang the flax on iron wire fences, or by some other means to expedite the drying process, immediately before taking the flax to J?e scutched.

The scutching machine is driven by a uelt connected with the same motive power as the Price machines, and in the same building. When scutched it is removed to the warehouse, to undergo the final operation of packing. This is accomplished by a powerful screw press.

Mr M'Laughlin's mill has been seven months in operation. About twelve aands are altogether employed in the manufacture ; about two tons of green (lax are required daily; and one ton of dressed flax is the average return for live and a half to six tons of raw material. The price which Auckland merchants give for the dressed flax is M 25 to £2Q ; but we understand that a considerable quantity is being .sent by the manufacturer to the English merchant on his own account. Seventy acres are planted on Mr M'Laughlin's farm with phormium. Some of it was put in nine months ago with the spado on ground which had not been recently ploughed, and where there is a good deal of fern; and that does not appear to have grown very rapidly. More roots of flax have been dug in on, ground just ploughed, and these appear to be more thriving.

I cannot name the twelve varieties of Phormium tenax, nor can I describe any one of them under its appropriate designation. This much, however, it may be useful for some of your readers to know: —The best kind of native flax for manufacture, both as regards the quantity and quality of tha fibre, is of a light green color, slightly inclining to yellow, and thrives v/ell on volcanic soils. It is not so broad in the leaf nor so dark in the color as most of that which is supplied to the mills. Young flax of any sort yields. a fine fibre, but as the quantity is small, it is doubtful whether it will ever pay so well to manufacture it as the full" grown. Some of your correspondents calculate on a crop, or rather cutting, of flax, every six months. ' From an experiment made in this neighborhood by cutting flax, now about a year since,, there can be no doubt but that a profitable cutting cannot be had off the same bushes oftener than once in eighteen months or two years. About two years is the time I should also calculate it will take a flax crop from planted roots to arrive at maturity. No one about here seems to know how long it will take a flax crop grown from seed to attain the proper state of growth. Several were anxious to make the experiment this last season,, but could not, as the seed did not ripen on the flax bushes. It is only in favorable years that seed can be obtained.