FLAX AT RANGIORA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume VII, Issue 246, 12 March 1889, Page 2

FLAX AT RANGIORA.

The Canterbury Times correspon dent at Rangiora has been giving an outline of the past and present hemp business in that district. He men* tions that out of all the mills started twenty years ago, only two weathered the bad times, and they changed hauds during that time. One of these mills placed on the Gam stream is owned by Mr Chinnery wbo has lately added to it and attached others, so that he is employing one hundred hands and turning out from ton to 12 tons of dressed fibre a week. The wages paid are 10s to £1 a week for boys and from £2 to £3 for men Very little of the fibre goes home, as Mr Chiunery has as much as he can do to supply his Australian and New Zealand clients. For some time he has been supplying a standing order for twenty tons per month to a Dunedin firm, almost the whole of which has been manufaotured into binder twine. Recently he has opened a market with a United States firm for fibre for 'the same purpose, the first shipment be* ing now on the sea. The best quality fibre is used for twine, and up to the present Mr Ciiiouery has not placed more than ten t >ns of his first quali. y ibn the London markets being able to dispose of it readily in the Colonies at the highest |. rices. It is estimated that his green flax coats him at the mill £1 a ton, and the prices the grower receives varies from 2s up to 8g per ton. The correspondent further states that with the price- of the dressed fibro at £38 to £40 per ton in the London market undoubtedly a very good profit indeed is to be made out of flax. It has been stated that the fibre can bt placed on the Home market at a total cost of from £18 to £20 per ton, but information he has picked up from those who are best able to judge leads him to state the cost at from £28 to £24. A practical hand, who has worked amongst flax for twenty years, a good part of the time as Manager of a mill, informed him that the first quality 'fibire could not be finished uuder £&& per ton, and to this is to be added about £9 per ton for freight and other charges. To produce one ton of dressed fibre of 6©3ond quality, five tons of green blade are required; and for a ton of best quality, from six and a half to nine tons are used The general opinion of those amongst whom he has moved is that thepvefent boom is due mainly^ to a failure of the sisal crop, which dates from about twp years ago. A slight shortage too of the manilia orop has also tended of late to ris the market. The sisal fibre, be ia informed, is the outer layer of 'Jbree years growth of the bark of a tree. The fibre from the time it is .first. formed on the tree takes three years to mature, and therefore only the outer layer be stripped off each year. About two years ago a worm or some disease attacked the under layer, and caused the trees to shed their bark, the natural result being a three years' failure of the supply of fibre. This fibre* M is well known, has, owing to its cheapness compared with manilia been largely used for tying up the vines, trait trees, &c. on tbA Continenc and elsewhere, and on the failure of the supply it is presumed our flax was found to be a good substitute. The question is, will the demand continue atter the sisal fibre is again brought into the market? On this point opinion differs. Bojne believe and it is to be hoped that their opinion will be verified, that the demand has brought the utility of the flax fibre into such prominenoe of late that the recovery of the sisal will have no effect upon it.