FLAX GROWING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4818, 4 March 1925, Page 3

FLAX GROWING.

MEETING OF SETTLERS. AN ASSOCIATION FARMED. - The adjourned meeting of flaxgrowers called to discuss the advisability of forming a flax-growers’ association was held at the residence of Mr W. Suckling, Kaihere Road, on Saturday evening, Mr T. McLoughlin presiding over Messrs G. .’lizard, W. Suckling, H. Dare, F. Woodbridge, G. Smerle, T. Lynch, N. Torr, R. Penny, J. Lynch, and R. Dibble.

’ Upon being called upon to address the meeting Mr G. Smerle explained that the flax industry was one of the ol lest industries in New Zealand, but was still carried on with wild plants, whereas .practically all other plants used for commercial purposes were cultivated. Luther Burbank, the famous plant breeder, had said that no one could estimate the immense possibilities of a wild plant until it has been brought into cultivation. Big returns had been obtained from seme patches of wild flax, but it was obvious that by breeding, selecting, and cultivating much biggel' returns could be consistently obtained. Even by filling the gaps in areas of wild flax a great improvement could be made. It had been found .in one flax area that the average return was 46 tons to the acre. Assuming the return was 40 tons to the acre and the royalty 10s a ton, then the return would be £2O an acre, and no expenditure necessary. ■ - Mr Smerle then explained the difference in the fibre content of different varieties. In the Maker.ua district a variety producing only 2% per cent, of fibre had been found. Forty tons of green leaf had been found to produce only one ton of fibre, and this had been graded by the Government grader as “reject.” Another variety of flax had produced 22.5 per cent, of fibre, and this had graded up to 90 points. Of this variety only 41% tons of leaf was required to produce one ton of fibre. Mr W. Suckling, who at one tinu had been milling at Kaihere, paid that about eight or nine tons of leaf from that district were required fo produce one ton of fibre, and at times ho had obtained the highest grade. continuing, Mr Smerle explained how cultivation in addition to ensuring a greater bulk also produced a plant with a greater fibre content. A 5 oer cent, increase had been thus obtained. - Touching on the commercial aspect, Mr Smerle advocated the establishment of co-operative mills, and more attention to the existing stands &f flax on many farms. He was positive that a much greater return would be received from an acre of flax than from almost any other crop, or from keeping cows. Flax was often regarded as a weed, and treated accordingly. In the Manawatu district flax had been replaced by dairy cattle, and later replanted in flax as the return had been found to be only about half as much from the cows as from the flax.

Mr Smerle then invited questions as being the best means of giving the information desired.

if seed was planted the first cut could be made in four years, but if shoots were planted the first crop could be cut after two years. He had cut a plant in October, and it was now mil l able. The first year’s cut would be about three tons to the acre, and this would gradually increase up to the maximum return in twelve years.

Regarding the prices obtained for hemp, Mr Smerle said that there was no chance of overproduction. At present there was not sufficient to meet demands, and other fibrous plants were being developed. Th£ International Harvester Company of America had offered to purchase thirty thousand tons of hamp annually, but could only secure a few hundred tons.

Then there was the scope for the fibre when a process of separating it into its ultimate fibres was discovered and it was used for other than cordage. From planted flax, said Mr Smerle, the return per acre for the first cut after two years could be set down at 3 ‘ons; 4 years, 7 tons; 5 years, 11 tons; 6 years, 14 tons; 7 years, 16 tons ; and so on. Even at the low royalty of 10s a ton the return would be greater than from cows, and with flax there was no work to do. With a cooperative mill the grower could get a share of the miller’p profit, or if he cut and delivered it himself to the mill he would get about 30s a ton. A man could easily cut and cart one ton a day.

To keep a mill going all the year round the s amount of flax required was about 2000 tons. This could be obtained from 150 acres of land, though it was very difficult to say what the return from an acre of wild flax would be. Up to 7'5 tons had been cut from an acre of good wild flax. It cost from £6 to £lO an acre to plant land to flax. A fair price to receive from the miller for flax delivered at the mill was one shilling for every £1 realised on the market, provided the flax returned one tone of fibre for tons of flax. This return was an average one, but it must be realised that if eight or nine tons, of flax were required to produce one ton of fibre tne price returned would be less. Many other questions were asked and answered.

Inquiries made among those present showed that there were over 20'0 acres of wilu flax available for milling at the present time. This was more th-n sufficient to support a mil.l, and there wore more than one hundred acres that would be sufficiently grown next year to be considered annually. In reply to Mr McLoughlin Mi' Smerle said that a mill would cost about £4OOO.

Mr McLoughlin offered as a suggestion that the settlers guarantee to supply a mill if one wap built. Arrangements could be made to take over the mill at a later date and ensure ihe growers getting a fair return.

Mr Tizard advocated the formation of a growers’ association so that full information could be obtained and growers bound by a mutual arrangement to adopt the proper methods of growing and treatment for a regular supply to be available. It was essential to know how much flax was available regularly, so that an offer could be made to a merchant to iidvance the money for a mill. Another advantage of forming an association was that if the growers united they could dictate terms to the present millers. An association, if formed, could acquire tramrails for the use of growers desiring to get their flax but..

Mr Tizard moved, and Mr W. Suckling seconded, that a flax-growers’ association he formed. —Carried. Messi s W. Suckling, G. Tizard, H. Dare. G Smerle, T. McLoughlin, T. Lynch, and A. J.-McDonald were appointed a committee to draw up rules, etc . and report to a further meeting on Wednesday, March 11, at Mr Suckling's residence.

Ihe meeting closed with votes of thanks to Mr G. Smerle for the information given and to Mr Suckling for the use of his room.