The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1907. FLAX CULTIVATION IN VICTORIA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3769, 31 August 1907, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, AUGUST 31, 1907. FLAX CULTIVATION IN VICTORIA.

The irrepressible Mr John Holmes, Trade Commissioner for New Zealand -.in 1897, and who was appointed by the Government at that time to investigate the fibre markets of the world, has been -expressing his opinions to a Ballarat Courier interviewer in reference to the possibilities of flax culture in Victoria. , In. the course of his, remarks to the interviewer, Mr Holmes said that New Zealand has developed the industry to' such an extent that the supply cannot meet the demand, and much of New Zealand’s prosperity can be easily traced to its fields of flax, which are said to be even more profitable .than Victoria’s golden grain. It may be interesting to

you to know, said Mr Holmes, | that in 1897 the trade in New Zealand hemp had fallen to an export of 1800 tons, valued at £lO per ton-; a gross export trade of ,£IBOOO. As the result of investigations made by me in the oversea markets, the trade has steadily grown from 1800 tons to 30,000 tons, and the price from ,£lO per ton to per ton f.o.b. It will be obvious to you, therefore, that the investigation has repaid the colony a thousandfold. Indeed, your own Premier, Mr Bent, has discovered that which I found out when I Visited England in 1897, that a wider distribution of the knowledge of each State and colony’s exports is necessary to ensure for the Commonwealth and New Zealand a wider outlet for their products. Victoria, as you know, is importing 50,000 phortnittm tennx plants for cultivation in this State. Mr M’Knight, of the Agricultural Department, is sanguine the experiment will be very successful ; and although I shall be glad to see Victoria develop trade in this direction, I have not sufficient knowledge to determine whether the climatic conditions are favourable to phormium tenax. It is practically indigenous to New Zealand soil, and requires a regular rainfall to make a- profitable crop. You' are also ‘ probably aware that it costs nearly ,£5 per acre to plant this crop, and at least three years will be required before a full growth will be obtained. , , If. however, you succeed in developing this industry, it will help New Zealand to maintain the trade, which has grown, beyond oiir own export business. As illustrating the wonderful development of the fibre trade in New -Zealand, and the fact that the supply , fails to meet the demand, Mr Holmes said: As a merchant largely, interested in the export trade of New Zealand, I have been compelled to cancel many orders from England, the Continent, and America, due to the fact that we have not sufficient fibre to meet the requirements of the orders already in hand. You are., now seeking, to develop and also correct misunderstandings as to the cost of production, etc. I have myself seen some advices to your own Government authorities which require much explanation. For instance, I have seen communications on the, value of the plant per ton, per acre, and the value of the dressed fibre, and not a single reference made to the cost of manufacture. That, I need hardlv tell you, is an important factor to be considered. We are only anxious to help forward any desire on the part of Victoria to secure this trade, and the best evidence of this is the establishment of tourist offices in Sydney and Melbourne, where we are glad, to disseminate information to Victorians who seek it. Questioned oh some details regarding the cultivation ot flax, Mr Holmes said: It requires a very rich soil and plenty of water, not stagnant water; it must be running streams. It must also be well-drained land, with a regular rainfall. In New Zealaud we grow it on the heights of the mountains and in the depths of the valle5 7 s, and in proportion to the configuration so is a man’s crop. Asked how climatic vagaries affect the crop, the New Zealander replied that the crop was not affected by wind, nor by the weather, and explained that the plant when once grown continues for ever and ever. “ There is no recultivation —it goes on for ever. You can cut it down, and three years later there is another crop.” Asked how long the land would stand it, he replied, ‘‘ For ever! ’ ’ I'he principal use of hemp is for binder twine, for which there is a boundless demand. ' It is also used for cordage and rope. In regard to the price of the plants, Mr Holmes said the price depended on the packing and the age and quality of the plants. For about or ,£6 a thousand good roots for planting there could be secured. Questioned as to the suitability of Victorian soil, Mr Holmes said that if Victoria intended making a real business proposition of" flax, the best plan would be-to -invite someone from New Zealand who was au fait with the subject. He suggested Mr M’Gregor, who was an authority on the special varieties of plants and knew the land most suitable for their cultivation. “And how are they planted?” questioned the interviewer. Well, I think they should be planted 6 feet apart. There is, however, a diversity of opinion on this point. In concluding Mr Holmes suggested that Mr Manson, the New Zealand Government agent in Melbourne, should be invited to Ballarat and lecture on the subject ot flax cultivation.