The Flax Industry.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3707, 1 September 1906, Page 2

The Flax Industry.

SUCCESS OF A NEW INVENTION. WILL REVOLUTIONISE THE FIBRE TREATMENT, MR JUPP * For some three certain whisperings have been heard in reference to a patent which was going to revolutionise the preparation of fibre. Mrjupp, the well-known local miller, and another gentleman, had the matter in hand, and have observed a great deal of reticence so that it was impossible to obtain anything definite lor publication. However, now that an exhaustive trial of the invention has been made and proved successful beyond expectations ‘ ‘ the cat is out ’ ’ to use a vulgarism. The new process will entail a considerable saving to millers and will improve the quality of the fibre. It will do away with the bleaching process and the continual handling and carting. The present method of dealing with the flax is to put it through the stripper, wash it, cart it to the drying grounds, and recart it to the stripper for final treatment. This continual handling causes a depreciation in the value of the fibre, by reason of the tow. Our representative interviewed Mr Jupp this morning. He said experimenting had been going on for some time, and at last success beyond expectation had been achieved. The fibre treated by the new process would not now leave the mill and within four hours the green blade would be converted into finished fibre. ‘ * We thought,” said Mrjupp, “that there would be some difficulty in dealing with the ‘ tails ’ which have always given trouble, but the tail as ypu see,” continued Mr Jupp, pointing to a splendid sample, “is as clean as the body. I consider the invention , a great commercial success. T could treat the output of two mills in one day. I consider the fibre treated at yesterday’s trial the best sample I have ever seen, both as to colour, quality and scutching.” Our representative questioned Mr Jupp re an allusion he made to a further improvement, but he would not be drawn. Mr Jupp stated that the invention had been patented and protected. We hope to give our readers a full description of the whole process in a future issue.