PHORMIUM TENAX

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2419, 20 April 1922, Page 4

PHORMIUM TENAX

A NATIVE WEALTH PRODUCER. THE STORY OP A GREAT INDUSTRY. (By! Alfred Seifert, in the Manawatu Times.) New Zealand Flax (Phormium Tenax) is a plant that was absolutely unknown to Europeans until Captain Cook discovered New Zealand. It is a native of this country, the Chatham Islands, and some of the other small islands surrounding 1 New Zealand. It has been planted extensively for ornamental purposes in other parts of the world, but for commercial purposes only in St. Helena, and one or two other places. I believe that in no case where it is transplanted has it grown as well as in its native land. Previous to the white man’s discovery of New Zealand the Maoris extracted fibre from the native flax by means of a scraping process. With this method the fibre retained its full strength, and as only the best leaves were selected from the best varieties, the fibre produced was extremely strong and durable. This fibre was used by the natives to make mats and clothing, and for various other purposes. As a method of fibre dressing it was both expensive and wasteful. The fibre thus treated curled, and for this reason proved unsuitable for ordinary Cordage owing to the difficulty of spinning it. As a commercial method of producing fibre for the present requirements of the trade, it could never be a success because only a small portion of the fibre was extracted from each blade, therefore the amount of fibre produced per acre would be so small that it would not. pay to grow flax.

UPS AND DOWNS

The flax-milling industry has had many ups and downs. I can well remember when I first worked in a (iaxmill, hearing it said that only one man in New Zealand was known to be making money out of the industry, while scores were mentioned who had lost money. This was due to a number of causes. The machinery used for dressing was very difficult to adjust, and all sorts of minor difficulties . occurred that caused the work to stop. There were but few skilled men in the industry, because the mills did not work continuously. Most of them ran when the price was high, and stopped when the price was low. Consequently the men partly trained to the work would leave when the mills stopped, and probably not return when they opened up again. In the North Island it was said in the early days of the industry that every man who came from Marlborough was a stripper-keeper, and a miller had some bitter experience trying to work the mill with men who did not, understand'the machines. THE FORTUNES OF WAR. In 1898 the United Stales of America went to war with Spain. This cut off the usual supply of Manila hemp. The prices of New Zealand hemp rose rapidly, and from that day to. this flaxmilling has been carried on continuously as an industry, though the price has often been low and it has been extremely difficult at times to make both ends meet, but the men engaged have continued at the business. The writer had some •years’ experience, previous to the Spanish-American War, and since that time has been continuously'engaged in-the industry. During this period immense changes have taken place in the style of building mills, in the machinery used, and in the developing of flax . areas. As regards the method of stripping flax, the principle, is exactly the same as used fifty years ago, as the following quotation from a report of a Commission set out in 1870 will show. The report states that machines are of three kinds: — “All these machines are, how-

ever, identical in principle, and . vary onlyin details .by which the principle is carried out. The principle is that the flax leaf is held ’ between horizontal feed rollers

revolving at a certain speed, while; as the leaf-passes out from hiem, a drum, armed in its circumference with iron heaters, and revolving more rapidly than the , feed rollers, strips the epidermis and tissue away from the fibre, means being provided for adjusting the beating drum to a proper distance from the roller or Ijar ngainst. which the flax leaf is stripped.” The above extract also describes the machines used to-day for stripping.

Various improvements have been effected in the machines, but all these improvements only enable better effect tp be given to the principles outlined in the first patent. The objection to this form of stripping has been recognised since the machine was first introduced. The natural strength of the fibre is considerably weakened by this beating process. Though this fault has been recognised from the beginning, inventors have not been able to produce a more satisfactory machine. Several are still in the hands of the inventors, and it. is reasonable to hope that one will be perfected which will dress fibre without damaging its natural strength.. This will probably be done by making use of a roller process instead of a beating process. The Treatment of fibre after it lias been- stripped has entirely altered duringdhe last thirteen years. Previous to the introduction of automatic machines, six men were employed to strip and wash the fibre. Now for the same work only three men are employed, and the work is done much better.

The following machines have been

introduced, and are now universally use*d: —Automatic catching machines, washing machines, scutching machines, and tow-cleaning machines. The whole of these inventions have been perfected by Mr Charles Sul tie and his brother. Mr Sut tie might justly be called the Edison of the flax industry, though until he made up his mind to improve flax machinery he had never been engaged in flaxmilling. LARGER MILLS.

The tendency is to erect huger and larger factories, as they are easier to control, and can produce fibre more cheaply than the small concerns. This is likely to become more pronounced when a profitable use for the by-products is found. The method of bleaching fibre has been the same .almost since the beginning of the industry. After the fibre is stripped, it is taken into the fields and spread out to bleach by the action of the weather and sunlight. When the upper side is sufficiently bleached, the fibre is turned over to bleach the other side. When the bleaching process has been carried far enough, the fibre, if dry, is hanked up, and either taken straight away to the scutching shed, or else put in stocks. But if it is not dry it is then lmng on a drying line, and remains there until it is in a state fit for scutching and baling. In practice we find the fibre should retain a little moisture to prevent it from becoming too brittle. Bleaching fibre by exposure to the weather has several objectionable features. A large area of ground is necessary; the fibre is often tangled by the wind, which causes undue waste; the time required to bleach on the ground depends on the vagaries of the weather, and while the fibre is exposed to bleaching there is a gradual loss in strength. A large number of experiments have been carried out to find a better and cheaper process of bleaching. Until the last t‘ew months it. appeared as if all inventors had met with failure, but. experiments carried out last season on a fairly extensive scale have proved that the sulphur-bleaching process is very satisfactory, and I expect to see this method largely used in the future.

TREATING THE FIBRE,

For those who are acquainted with the flaxmilling industry the following account, of how the industry is carried on at present may be of interest. In the Manawatu, whiety is the principal centre of the flax industry, there are several fine flax areas, the largest being the Makerua, and the next the Mouton. Altogether it is estimated that about twenty-two thousand acres are growing flax in the Manawatu district. These areas are cut on an average every four years!. Tracks are cut. three chains apart for tram lines. While a block of flax is being cut the tram is laid, and pulled up again after the area is cut' out. Each cutter takes an area of flax to cut. about eighteen yards along the tram line, and to half-way back to the next. line. The flax is cut with what looks like a reap book, is tied in bundles at the rate of about twenty-five to the ton, is carried by/ the cutter. 4 to the tram line, and stacked tl/ere at convenient distances from the line for loading on the trucks. As soon as the flax is cut out; on either side of the line, and hauled away, the material in the tram line is pulled up, and used again on other lines. There is one mill in the Manawatu district, which lays on an average eleven chains of line per day, and cuts on the average three acres of flax per day. The flax is taken from where it is stacked by the cutters, loaded on trucks, hauled to the mill, and stacked in the flax yard ready for stripping. Millers generally like to have six days’ supply in the yard during the winter, and about ■ three or four days’ supply in the summer. Bv allowing the flax to stand in the yard for some little time, it is easier to feed through the stripper. A supply is also necessary to prevent the mill running out because the cutters are prevented by the weather, and other rea.sonsj from cutting the same amount of flax every day. (Concluded in Saturday’s issue.)