THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1014, 2 March 1912, Page 2

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

The boisterous weather of December affected to a considerable extent the quality of the hemp produced iu the Wellington province, colour and strength being much weaker as a result of the inability to properly bleach the fibre, a defect emphasized by the holidays interfering with the work of paddocking, weak stripping. Much of the fibre reaching the Foxton grading-store during the past two mouths has exhibited weak stripping. The fibre had been milled from a good class of leaf, but the careless stripping has reduced the quality of the resulting fibre by a full grade. Many stripper-keepers allow their strippers to run too long before tuning them up again—-that is, allowing the beating-bars to become too much worn in the centre —negligence which means a fair proportion of inferior fibre and a general irregularity in quality. Even where the neglect to maintain the beating-bars at an even face does not result in reducing the fibre to a lower grade it has the effect of destroying that uniformity which is such an important market consideration. In one case that has come under my notice the stripping was of such a rough nature that the miller had to employ a man to sort the hemp over the bar. If the stripping had been more carefully done the cost of the extra labour would have been saved, and the hemp would probably have presented a better average appearance. diseased deaf. The proportion of diseased leaf in the Manawalu swamps is much less than it was last season, when the prevalauce of affected leaf was so great that the market value of a large proportion of the hemp milled iu that district was seriously reduced. The climatic conditions of this season have probably been responsible for the improved condition of the leaf. STRIPPER-SUPS. The warning issued iu the December number of this Journal as to the necessity of exhibiting care in baling stripper-slips for export has not had the desired effect in several instances. In these cases the slips had been baled in a wet, black and rotten condition, carelessness which has necessitated condemnation of the pared. In other instances the condition of the slips has not been so serious, but still it has been too unsatisfactory to warrant the parcels being approved for export. I would again remind millers that the Fade in this by-product was formerly killed by the shipment of rubbish. Notwithstanding this experience, millers have sent forward recently slips of such a poor character that had they been allowed to be shipped they would have killed at the outset the trade now being revived. Some millers have realised the necessity of shipping the slips in decent condition ; their parcels have been passed lor export, UNSATISFACTORY SCUTCHING. Where defective scutching has been found it has invariably been in the tails of the hanks; when, combined with poor stripping, at this point it has constituted a serious weakness, especially when the tails have not been cut off iu the fields. Recently poor scutching has been disclosed in the body of the hanks. Not only has the rubbish not been removed at this point, but the failure to properly teaze the material has caused it to become subsequently matted. This olten means having to reduce an otherwise good parcel of hemp by a lull grade. The trouble is not always caused by careless workmanship, but is sometimes the resust of the drum of the scutcher not being of the required dfameter, or the scutcher not being iu good order. Evidently some millers fail to realise that the scutcher-drum requires periodical attention in order that it may be able to do effective work. A GOOD STANDARD. Notwithstanding the above defects, the majority of millers are working to a high standard of quality. Good fair contracts are general, but owing t.o the recent bad bleaching weather only lowpointed parcels have been possible, while iu a good many cases during the past two months the grade was missed. At Foxton, where floodwaters have combined with the rough weather to counteract good work in the mill, the percentage of good fair parcels has been very low. With improved weather, however, the quality of the hemp should reach a higher average standard this year than it has in any past season. PROSPECTS. With the improved value on oversea markets millers in districts where profitable production up to the present has not been possible (owing to local conditions, etc,), are now talking of starting their mills- At least, this is the position reported from the Auckland, Marlborough and Southland districts. Fatest Home advices indicate that good values should rule for some time, owing to Americans being in the field for phormium for binder twine purposes. —Mr W. H. Ferris in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture,