THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3765, 9 May 1907, Page 3

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

A Northern Investigator. A New Method. Mr W. Fuller, a settler in the Bay of Islands, is at present journeying through the colony on a flax mission. -He claims that certain varieties of flax in his part of the State are of superior quality to that cultivated and milled in many instances; that a modification of the ordinary stripper, invented by him, produces a very much finer quality of fibre: and that the baling for market is defective. The flax industry, Mr Fuller contends, does not present anything like the profit to the grower it would, were the proper varieties cultivated. In many cases men are planting and milling varieties which in comparison with the best phormium tenax are as wild oats to modern Garton. To him it appears, incredible that while the most highly valuable species of our great fibre plant are growing wild in the country that men should be going to great expense in cultivating the most inferior species to be found. Mr Fuller maintains that while the common varieties are only worth about a ton the higher grade fibre, properly dressed, should be worth up to £7O. This, of course, not for the latter’s greater suitability for the purposes to which the poorer varieties are put, but for special purposes requiring the finer quality. He quotes the statement of Sir John Gorst that it has been proved there is a market for fibre of extra quality. One ton sent out as an experiment brought £75, and undoubtedly this was turned into fabric. But while growers are losing great opportunities by milling inferior varieties, Mr Fuller contends that even those who have—accidently in some cases but purposely in others —obtained the superior kinds are reducing their value to the ordinary level by an interior method of milling. In proof of this he is exhibiting samples of the Te Hori variety milled by a method he has designed—a simple improvement to the stripper in use, entailing only an inital extra cost of £5, but adding nothing to the time of operation or cost of working—and milled by the methods in vogue. It can easily be understood even by a comparison made by a layman of the samples submitted that Mr Fuller’s milling must add considerably to the value of the export article; for it gives a fibre which, in comparison with that now exported, is as so much dressed fibre to tow. One of the great weaknesses of present method of harvesting flax, says Mr Fuller, is the ruthless and foolish way in which the flax is cut. It is commonly thought that the cultivated plants should be cut 1 every three years. The result of this is that men, knowing nothing whatever of the plant, slash through on either side, taking the immature matured, and decayed leaves at one time. Obviously the resulting fibre must be of varying degrees of strength and quality, and must possess the great market weakness, want of uniformity. On the other hand, were the cutting done on the method suggested by Mr Fuller—each year’s growth being harvested by itself —the milled fibre would be absolutely uniform, and be of a quality which would demand the attention of the highest class trade. Whilst giving every credit to the Government grading system for the good it has accomplished, Mr Fuller contends that it is only touching the fringe of the subject. As at present carried out, it is merely a grading of the method of milling—the actual quality of the flax is ignored. There may be a dozen qualities of flax in one bale, while another bale may consist of only one variety, and both may receive the same number of points, in fact, if the former has been milled rather better than the latter, the miscellaneous collection of phormium may be graded higher than the one straight line.

Mr Fuller’s Statements Criticised. After an inspection of a sample of the dressed fibre stripped by the process of Mr W. Fuller, a reputed authority on flax, remarked to a N.Z.Times representative, that whatever the treatment, the sample had never been through a stripper, for the butt of the blade was intact. As to the quality of fibre produced by the process, it was certainly excellent, in fact, he would say it was quite equal to fine Manila. The treatment was a decided improvement as regards results to that in general vogue in the colony. It was not, however, quite perfect. The fibre was not even throughout the hank. The first part was practically perfect, though the bleaching process being introduced by hind and O’Connor gives a better colour, but the lower half was not nearly so good, there being perceptible breaks and general weakness. In this authority’s opinion the sample qras dressed by a scraping process. He points out that the practical value of Mr Fuller’s process can not be estimated until full particulars of it are available, and some idea thus formed of the actual cost of working. STATEMENT BY STATE v experts. In view of Mr Fuller’s criticism of the Government system of grading, the Times obtained the opinion of the ‘ Government flax -instructor, Mr Jr Stewart, and the

Wellington graders, Messrs C. A. D. Hawkins, and W. H. Ferris. As explained by these gentlemen, the object of the Government grading is to ensure a marketable commodity that is the most suitable fibre lor the uses to which it is put by the manufacturer. It might be adapted for fabrics, for twine, for the higher classes of cordage, or for ordinary rope. As to attempting to grade according to the different aged blades and supposed varieties, it would be quite impracticable. Even allowing that the age and variety could always be distinguished by handling the milled fibre, it would mean that every hank in a bale would have to be .carefully examined, palpably an undertaking which would rer quire the services of an army of men.