MANUFACTURE OF FLAX IN CANTERBURY.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 168, 3 April 1869, Page 5

MANUFACTURE OF FLAX IN CANTERBURY.

Ik order to obtain correct data of what was being actually done* ;We sent our . reporter’ through the country districts' recently, and we now present the information ho has, gleaned, in the interesting and useful to the .public. Being, of primary importance, from the extent of its operations, oar reporter* 1 visited the establishment of the Halswell Blax Company (limited) first of aU. These works are r situated about twelve miles from Christ ■ church, ’on the south bankof'the’Hakujelli and in.theoeotre *ofi flax. The rnacffih&Yiom,,budt.fWithe moat | part of atone, measures 7$ feet in length, and is SO feet wide; there is also a wing attached, about 20 feet by 12, in which the I stripping machines.are at* work. There is. / a detached building 50*20, in which the. / cleaned fibre is stored prior to pressing ; and I there is another in , stored awaiting its transit to Christchurch.

There are six stripping machines at work in the wing of the machine room, and the engines and a pair of batteries occupy the main portion of the building. The stripping machines are on Ninnis’ patent. The raw material is passed in leaf by leaf, crushed by a drum having fourteen beaters upon it, and then comes out underneath, almost entirely freed from the garden or vegetable matter. The fibre is then put through the batteries in order to extract the gum from it, and is then washed and hung out to dry. When it has been subjected to the action of the atmosphere for a sufficient length of time, it is stored and finally pressed for shipment, into bales weighing 3 cwt. each. The six stripping machines and the batteries are briven by an engine of fourteen horse-power, the manufacture of Mr. John Anderson, of the Canterbury Foundry. Each stripping machine affords employment to a couple of boys; one of them feeds and the other takes the fibre away, but the company intend having the process so much altered that the flax will be delivered by means of a revolving table It is necessary that there should be a constant flow of water while the fibre is being put through the batteries with the view of extracting the gum, and we don’t suppose that an improved system of water supply could be devised. The water is brought into the machine-room from the river by means of a 5-inch lifting pump, worked by the engine, and the pipe is so constructed that it emits a plentiful supply upon the fibres as it passes beneath the beaters. Each stripper will put through about one ton of green flax, finishing about 4 cwt of finished fibre per diem. Altogether there are about 27 hands employed by the Halswell Company, viz , six boys at the stripping machine, one man to collect the fibre after stripping, four men at the batteries, two at the hydraulic press, three at cutting flax, the manager, engineer, and the remainder at the lines. These lines are of galvanized wire, and measure a total length of 800 yards. They are so arranged that the fibre will be exposed to all winds, and are just sufficiently low to enable an ordinary sized man to work at them without difficulty. There is abundance of flax in the immediate vicinity of the works, and the company cut principally from the land belonging to Mr. E. J. Burke. No ropemaking is carried on by the company, but the “ walk” is not idle. During the last three months about sixty tons of finished fibre were forwarded to Christchurch, and the company is so far satisfied with past results that we believe it is their intention to extend the scope of operations, and so improve the machinery as to turn out a very superior article. Their present shipments to England have been as follows3Bß bales, weighing 41 tons, per the Light Brigade ; over 6 tons by the Blue Jacket, and about 7 tons by the Hydaspes. They are now delivering 24 tons to Messrs. Dalgety and Co. for shipment home. They expect to obtain prices varying from £2O to £4O per ton, according to quality. The writer then proceeds to give an account of machines all being worked in the vicinity, giving employment to upwards of sixty hands, these machines are situated in various places according to the convenience for obtaining flax. De Bourbel’s water-mill, he continues, is on the Ohoka stream, near Kaiapoi. The wheel drives the flour mill by night and the flax machinery by day. It is about 18 h.p., and drives three machines—two of Williams’ make, and one of Barnes’. When in full work the machines will employ 20 men and boys. It cannot yet be stated what the mill can turn out, as there have been so many stoppages, owing to the experimental character of the work and machinery at present. The flax, after being passed through the machines, is washed in clear water, and put under the waterfall from the mill wheel, where it lies 24 hours; it is then taken out, hung , on lines, and left there as long as possible r in order to bleach it and loosen tho vegetable matter. Then it is taken ip and scutched, A new scutching machine is in course of erection. ; It is the drum of a steam combine j and strong hopes are entertained that it will be ejficacwps in beating out the vegetable mat|e£, t ;ss, w from 4:he fibre. The mill was staged in Novem:--ber last. Mr. Stqhyer is about to experimentalise on the cultivation of flax, and intends to: plant with roots (not with se&l) ten or twelve acres. We wore shewn some flax, which Was transplanted in summer, ; thriving well in a damp'situation. Another , company has. been-, established iunder titieuof theOSelwyn ‘Flak’ .pany -The-“ locate* ■' of them Operations is about two miles distant from the Selwyn railway terminus. The buildings are completed, and tile machinery is in course of manufacture at; the Canterbury Foundry. It will consist of six stripping machines (Ninnis’ 1; pafefat), and two batteries on the improved principle. iThere is an abundance of flax in the neighborhood, ynd the company expect to commence oper-

ations by the beginning of April. They calculate upon being able to produce from five to six tons of finished fibre weekly; and employment will be afforded to from 25 to 80 hands.

The number of hands (as correctly as we could ascertain) actively employed in the preparation of flax in this province is 122, and this number will bo increased to 150 as soon as operations have been commenced ut the Selwyn. The prices now given in Christchurch for prepared fibre range from £l4 to £2O per ton, according to quality. At one time fibre for rope-making brought £2B, and that fur stuffing purposes £3O per ton in Christchurch, but they can now be bought at a much lower figure. If the news from the English market should be favorable, as it is expected it will be, a great impetus will be given to the preparation of flax in Canterbury. —LgUeliun Tunes .