FLAX GROWING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4727, 21 July 1924, Page 3

FLAX GROWING.

HIGHLY REMUNERATIVE WORK. COMPARISON .WITH DAIRYING. The advantages pf flax-growing as compared with dairying were discussed by Mr G. Smerle at Kerepeehi on Thursday will our Hauraki Plains representative. Mr Smerle is a practical agriculturalist who has made an exhaustive study of New Zealand flax both from a scientific and a commercial viewpoint, and is a man whose advice is much sought after by millers from all over New Zealand. He has obtained from the Government a lease of 376 acres of peat land situated at the corner of the Ngarua, and Pouarua roads, and with his son as a partner intends to plant a selection of the be't varieties for the purpose of studying their growth under local conditions. It is understood that no concession has been granted him by the Government, so ne will have to make his living from the land, and, on that account, will not be able to devote as much time to study as he would like to do.

Mr Smerle is so confldnet of doing well that he has refused very tempting offers to serve millers in an ad visory capacity. He is equally convinced that when other landowners on the Plains see what can be achieved by producing flax in a scientific manner they will follow suit. The district is, in his opinion, well suited for flax growing, but as yet the pub-, lie does not realise its value for this purpose. "It is pitiful,” said Mr Smerle, “to see the amount of labour expended by be soldier settlers round Ngarua and Vatetonga with practically no return when, if their energies had been directed towards flax growing they would now be well on the way to independence. In the clearing of their land for dairying thousands of pounds’ worth of flax has been destroyed.” Asked why it was that the value of flax has not been generally - recognised to any great extent, Mr Smerle said tnat it has only been during recent years that any attempt had been made to treat the subject scientifically. The old methods were crude and extremely wasteful, and it was not surprising that millers had to close down and that the plant was looked upon as little more than a pretty swamp weed. No plant responds more to economic treatment, and few offer such a wide field for research. As yet the fibre is only used for cordage, except in Japan, where New Zealand flax is grown and the fibres separated into hundreds of strands and used to adulterate silk. When the secret of this is discovered by other countries flax production was bound to become New. Zealand’s first industry. The method of side-leaf cutting, developed by Mr Smerle to combat the yellow leaf disease, has proved such a step in the direction of conserving the vitality of the plants and increasing the yield that the industry is now on a sound footing. Side-cutting is now demanded by the State from thpse millers who hold the cutting rights on Crown lands, and the method is rapidly being adopted by other millers. Under the old ruthless method of cutting it is estimated that for every 100 tons of green leaf cut 127 tons had been allowed. to decay. The bare patches of ground thus caused encouiH aged the growth of weeds, which, together with the dead leaves, constituted a dangerously inflammable mixture. Not only does side-leaf cutting give growers a better yield from their crops, but it also ensures the millers an even grade of fibre and the cutters an 'equal wage with only one-third of the bulk to handle. These points have been hard to drive home to the three groups of men who, like all primary industry workers, are very conservative and reluctant to change the methods they have been used to for years.

One instance showing the benefit of side-leaf cutting was quoted by Mr Smerle. A Manawatu miller who, by the old method, had in time so reduced the yield of his swamp that he could only get enough fibre to keep two of his seven strippers going, continuously adopted side cutting methods and in a few years was getting from a lesser area sufficient leaf to warrant the whole seven machines being brought into operation. Mr Pateman, the Torehape miller, now employs about 25 men. He has adopted side-leaf cutting, and expects in a very short time to have to increase his mill to three times its size and to employ three times as many men.

Seventy five men drawing good wages from an area which, if used for dairying would only give three settires an indifferent income, is a complete refutation to the argument for opening land for settlement —the generally accepted term for dairying. It would appear that this fact is now realised by the Government, and it 2s problematical if more land on the Hauraki Plains will be opened for dairying. It would certainly be a much better paying proposition for the Government if it employed compe-' tent men to establish flax where it is not now growing and sell or lease the cutting rights. A man holding from 50 to 70 acres of flax would make a very much better living than he could by dairying, and in addition would not have to work long hours seven days a week or employ any expensive plant. Ten such settlers could keep a three-strip-per mill going continuously. An acre of wild flax would produce by sidecutting 15 tons of green leaf a year, and for this the millers will pay about 30s a ton. The price fluctuates with the market, but while there have been some big depressions the tendency for the last fifty years has been for it to rise. Below £l6 or £l7 a ton it is not a payable proposition. As'a rule the grower gets Is in the £ on the market value of fibre. Fifteen tons at 30s a ton gives a return of £22 10s an acre per annum. Dairy farmers have only to compare this with their own returns to see which is the better proposition. One settler on the Ng?te&-

Kerepeehi road has already decided in favour of flax. It would be an easy matter tor a settler to cut a ton of green- leaf a day and cart it to the mill. An expert cutter in the Manawatu has cut 63cwt. by the side cutting method in a day. The usual price for cutting wild flax is 17s or 18s a ton, and side cutting makes the work easier and, consequently, less costly every year. For planted flax the cost is much less. Cartage can be reckoned at 3s a ton up to two miles. Asked if he would recommend settlers who were well established in dairying to change over to fiax growing, Kir Smerle s ; aid that this was for the individual farmer to decide. In his opinion all the land on the Plains was more suitable for flax growing than ior dairying, but- the excessive price paid for it had to be taken into consideration by the farmers. In the Manawatu land had been bought at £5O an a,cre for the purpose. If seeds were planted a crop could be harvest ed in four years, but two-year-old plants only cost a penny each. Sixteen hundred were necessary for an acre, and planting cost £5. From planted flax the first year’s cut would be three tons from an acre, the second tons, the third 10 tons, and so on up to 15 to 20 tons for a well, estab-, lished crop. From .these figures farmers could decide for themselves <f they should make a change. In the Manawatu district flaxmilleis who, by their obsolete methods, had not made a success of their operations, had spent £3O an acre in opening their swamps for dairying and later had seen their error and replanted the land m flax. Tn Germany the value of land went up 50' times when fibre growing was established. A grave mistake that must not be made was to think that grazing and flax growing could be carried on together. said Mr Smerle, A farmer does not run his stock in his maize paddock or his pigs on his potato patch. Two local instances also demonstrate the folly of this. On the Kerepeehi block three millers were cutting continuously for five years with no appreciable difference. Then the block was leased as a grazing run, and now there is not enough flax to keep a’ mill going for two months. This is also an instance of the effect of the agitation for opening land for settlement. The other instance quoted by Mr Smerle was on the Torehape Road, where on one side up-to-date methods were used and on the other “Mr Bullock” had charge. Not until flax is grown like any other crop and the fibre treated scientifically will the industry take its rightful place, said Mr Smerle. Cultivation. selection, and side cutting were steps in the rjght direction, but milling methods could yet be improved. Fibre produced by the Maoris retains its colour better than that produced by the most up-to-date mill machinery yet devised. “Ho.wever,” concluded Mr Smerle, “farmers are too conservative to experiment or to be convinced by talking. It is my intention, therefore, to show what can be (lone, and at the same time make a living for myself.” Under the terms of his lease the Government and scientific institutions have the right to inspect his work at any time, and there is no doubt that this will be done.