FLAX-GROWING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXV, Issue 4789, 15 December 1924, Page 3

FLAX-GROWING.

DEMONSTRATION at kaihebe. USEFUL KNOWLEDGE IMPARTED. Forty pounds sterling a year from an acre of Hauraki Plains land from flax. The above will perhaps be read by many farmers who, thinking the rest of this article will be extravagant claims of the value- of flax, will read no further. Not so those dozen or so settleis who were present on Mr G. Tizard’s farm, Kaihere Road, on Saturday afternoon and saw for themselves that this is quite possible, and that it is not an exaggerated estimate. One root of flax was cut by the side-leaf cutting method, and the cut leaves weighed. The clump was about four feet in diameter, and the leaves obtained weighed 1901 b. If there were a thousand such plants on an acre of land ,and a simple calculation shows that this is a conservative number, and the cutting rights were sold to a miller on the basis of 10s a ton, another calculation would show that the return would be over £4O for the acre. This demonstration will prqbably carry more weight than the statement that in the Miranui district two tons of dressed fibre is being obtained from an acre of land, and fibre is selling at from £35 to £3B a ton. It is doubtlessly because this plant grows without cultivation and has hitherto been looked upon as a weed that statements, of the big returns have been doubted. Arguments are brought forward that the present price may not last and over-produc-tion may glut the market. The action of growers and millers answers this, for they would not advocate increased •.production as strenuously as they do if it wds at all likely to bring down the price. It is because they know ’ that a continuity of supply would develop the market and mean an increase in the price that they are so keen to extend and to see others join the indusstry. Many plants do better or countries other than the country in which they are indigenous. For example, tobacco, maize, and potatoes are natives of the tropics yet better returns are obtained from countries with temperate climates. Phormium ten.ax is not appreciated in its native country, New Zealand, as it deserves, and it is being introduced into other countries. It would be a pity to see it developed to such a state in another country to the detriment of New Zealand. This is no idle fear, for phormium tenax in its wild state produces a greater amount of fibre than any highly developed fibre-producing plant of any other country. As the famous plant breeder, Luther Barbank, says, ‘‘No one can estimate the immense possibilities of. a wild plant until it has been- brought into cultivation.’’ Thus it can be seen that flaxmillers and growers welcome any opportunity of demonstrating the advantages of flax production. Arguments in favour of flax production from a national and individual viewpoint have been given in previous issues of this paper. Suffice it to'say that for every 500 acres in flax 75 men will be found employment at .wages which, according to figures given at an Arbitration Court sitting recently, range, for cutters, up to £l4 a week. At the request of Mr G. Tizard, a flaxgrower and farmer .of Ngarua Road, Kaihere, Mr G. Smerle, the well-known flax expert, gave a demonstration on Saturday last. There were only twelve farmers present, but many of them came from distant parts.of the. Plains. Men with quantities of growing flax on their sections were conspicuous by their absence. r Mr Tizard has a big area of; growing flax, and he has kept careful note of the dates of cutting. Plants cut just a year ago by the old method were pointed out, aiid it was seen that the bob-tailed leaves (those which had been cut) had grown about 4ft and were commencing to die, while the new leaves were only afout sft • long. Other clumps cut by the sideleaf method at the same time now show a vigorous growth of millable flax ten or twelve feet high. Another >lump cut by the side-leaf method six months ago was also millable, and a chimp cut on September 30 showed a growth of 3ft 4in. Three days prior to the demonstration Mr Tizard side-leaf cut a plant, and it was seen on Saturday that the middle leaf had grown feur inches and the two outer leaves l%in and lin, respectively. Another root alongside, cut at the same time by the old method, showed a growth in the middle leaf of one inch and practically no growth in the outer leaves. The reasons for these differencejs were explained by Mr Smerle, and were as previously stated in this paper. He also showed the other advantages of cutting, and the effects of allowing cattle to graze in flax areas. With a pocket microscope he showed the fibre content of various varieties, and pointed out that, contrary to the t usual, the more fibre there was in a leaf tne better the quality. He ex- * plained why side-leaf cut plants contained more and better quality fibre, and why such plants were not attacked by disease, blights, and insects. Numerous questions were asked and an intelligent interest taken in the demonstration and lecture. In reply to a question Mr ; Smerle said that he had found on his section that flax w’ould grow on peat land where previously there was nothing growing, and that it’ would also grow on peat on which ti-tree had been growing. Seeds could be planted from spring until early autumn, and could be collected from the swamp. Asked if flax required manure, Mr Smerle said that most of the land on the Plains was deficient in potash and phosphoric acid, and it would be beneficial to supply these.