IMPROVED FLAX PLANT

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1923, Page 4

IMPROVED FLAX PLANT

AW OP -MILT.HRS. PAI.MKKSTGX A'OltTil, J uly 11. ■‘There v. ill he no immediate effect on tite industry as a result of the abandonment, through lack of funds, of the experimental work which the Flaxiniilers’ Association is doing at Miranui in order to combat the yellowleaf disease in Ilex, but no doubt the industry will feel the effects in the future.” remarked Mr A. Seifert, who was a leading figure in promoting the experiments, in an interview on the subject of the Government's <les ision to agree to a subsidy cf £ for £ on the ’ additional grading fee of fid per i- ii on llax. the fund derived to ! ■ utilised for the purpose ol e intinuiio: the experiments. “'What the Government las dune, said Mr Seifert, ‘‘is to agree to subsidise us £ lor A up to £'_ ! !‘o, and although unaware- of the reason tor limiting ii. this sum, I presume, the foivernnient took last years grading quantity and based the subsidy on that. It will he lemembert d. however, that 1.j.-t year the market was in a very den essed ■■ miht ion. ■•\Vmih. the miller' '.dallied, s'id j Mr S.uisrt. “was a subsidy and tlie S i .-.in;:.is r a iixed .• uni which we were j prop: ;e 1 Vo subsidise by agreeing to ! a'i:r iva-'eii gtndiug charge. Our j in. iu r >a-o!i I'm •■oproacbitig the Govj enimettt •. n, t.. a-i. for support in the j v .irk of :• electing the vcy best liax 1 vmi-ih'. | rum which v.v could choose j i'-g. .Usui, t; L would give the j he-.; .|ii- >it V ; f fibre mi l ;>•> -■ how the . ..... re-i• tame to y 110-.-’eaf (ii-e'so. After so!.' ling st-.-h plants, we chord i t improving them by breeding. \\'<j were anxious to interest the small farmer, and. induce him to j butt a certain amount of Max. V. <■ could siljiply him with specially selected ,-ee:l lor sowing. The [tcople who bar e '.axon up experimental work think the iudmtrv could only placed on a le lly pw .. er-ii.s lo ting i;. im| roving and im r.-ising the pu'iiticy ■ f inv. mail rid. U'hf.t our Ini tire ] olii-y will ho with regard to expel imeutal work in view of the (luivnimeiit‘s offer 1 cannot say. but we shall consider t’ e whole question at a meet ing this v , ok.”