THE HEMP INDUSTRY

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2465, 10 August 1922, Page 2

THE HEMP INDUSTRY

RAVAGES OF YELLOW-LEAF

MIRANUI REDUCES STRIPPING PLANT. The serious inroads the yellow leaf disease is making into the flax areas of Tokomaru and Miranui was exemplified by a statment made to a Chronicle representative by Mr A. Seifert, managng director of the A. and L. Seifert Flaxdressing Co., proprietors of the well-known Miranui mill. Mr Seifert stated that eight years ago there were 11 strippers running in the four or five mills in the Tokomaru district. Since that time disease had reduced the miftable area until at the present time one stripper was able to cope with the flax that was being cut from the swamps. In that district fully 3,500 acres of flax had been wholly or partially destroyed by disease. Not only that, but it meant a con--iderable loss to the township, for at the height of its milling days, quite a large number of men were employed, which meant a gx-eat deal to a small community. The Miranui mill at Makerua was having the same experience through the shrinkage of the source of supply of green leaf by the ravages of disea>o. In 1017 seven stripping machines were in use at the big mill to deal wit!) the raw material, and later on the number was increased to nine, .so abundant was the supply of flax. Even then the company was able to dispose of portion of the green leaf in order to use up the supply. Nine strippers were engaged till lap I Christinas, when, owing to the increasing area affected, a reduction was made to seven, Inu now another reduction is to be made to four strippers, which ,vill take place immediately. This experience, said Mr Seifert, was typical of the whole of the flax swamps in this portion of the Manawatu, and indicates in the most realistic way the serious menace ihat faces the industry. “I am not despairing of the industry, .however,” Mr Seifert said, "for I be■ieve that by the selection of disease resisting and high, quality fibre producing plants to largely overcome tlit* disease problem. It will necessitate much perseverance and patience, not to mention expense, but once scientific knowledge, combined with pi'actical effort, commence to have results, and the disease is successfully combatted, I believe the industry will become more prosperous than ever before.”