THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1032, 28 November 1912, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

With the present highly gratifying prices ruling lor our native fibre (says Mr W., H. herris, in this mouth’s issue of the Journal of the Department of Agricultural, activity is evident in those districts where milling of late years has proved unprofitable. Considerable phormium will be milled in the Auckland district this season, even though the available supplies of the raw material in that district are steadily decreasing. With better drainage of the great northern swamps it was expected the business of fibre-production would expand, especially as the big drains would provide a cheap means of transporting the leaf; but the very opposite has been the case. With the development of drainage the swamp lands are proving valuable for agricultural purposes, and the flax-plant is gradually disappearing. There is considerable leaf in the Tawa Swamp (between Te Awamutu and Te Kuiti), while swamps on the east coast are producing large quantities ; but generally there is small chance of fibre-extraction providing a staple industry in the north. Auckland phormium is practically unaffected by disease, but it is inferior to the southern leaf. It,is more irregular in length, while the fibre is softer. It is not so strong, and it makes more tow and stripper-slips. In striking contrast to the northern outlook is the position of the northern Mauawatu as the phormium-producing centre. With about 15,000 acres oi the raw material "in one solid block, growing on land conserved to phormium till humau iugeuuity cau devise a means of preventing its periodic flooding by the Mauawatu river, an ideal environment is provided for a supply of the leaf. The concentrated source of supply enables the business to be conducted on bedrock values, the huge quantities of leaf surrounding the mills enabling the cost of production to be reduced to a minimum. Added to this, mill hands having a guarantee of employment, are settling down to the work, thus providing better qualified labour, aud assisting to place the industry on a solid basis. The miller, by reason of stability being assured to his industry, is encouraged to erect up-to-date mills provided with the most modern appliances for dressing the fibre. At the present time a mill is in course of erection in the district, which is estimated to cost 23000. It is being built on solid aud enduring principles, and will be equipped in a manner which will constitute it a model. A feature of this mill will be a 130 b h.p. gas-producing plant.