THE FLAX BLIGHT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2589, 5 June 1923, Page 3

THE FLAX BLIGHT.

A DECIDED IMPROVEMENT. DEMAND FOR FURTHER SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY. REMEDY WITH OWNERS. Some time ago there was considerable alarm in the flax trade because of the appearance" aud development of the yellow leaf blight, which in some quarters it was feared. would destroy the flax industry altogether. Careful inquiries made recently indicated that the blight is not nearly as had as it was, though on inspection it is still very' much in evidence in some of the important flax growing centres. In the interval, scientific investigation has been in progress, at the expense of the growers with the aid of a Government subsidy, and a demand is now being made upon the Govermennt for further assistance to the extent of about £I,OOO in order that these investigations should he continued.

However, in the opinion of Mr William Ross managing director of the Poplar Flaxmilling Co., there is no necessity for any further investigation. His own‘land is clear of the blight, and from operations he lias carried out, he is satisfied that the practical remedy is in the hands of the owners themselves. He has demonstrated on the lands under his control that the blight arises from two causes: —(1) The damage caused to the young roots by the 'cattle; (2) The overdraining of certain classes of soil. NOT A GRUB.

Mr Ross, in an interview with a “N.Z. Times” reporter, said:—“A great deal has appeared in different papers from time to time about research work and the "’finding of flax plants which will he proof resisting against the so-called yellow leaf. Some years ago the Flaxmillers’ Association engaged a scientist to try and discover the reason for the flax dying out and becoming yellow. At that time it was thought to be a grub but although a great deal of money was spent in search of this grub nothing came of it. Other scientists were asked to investigate, one of them being Dr. Cockayne. He said over-draining or too deep draining was the cause, and, on certain kinds of land, he was quite right. At that time two large areas were being at-tacked,-and two companies ,hnd just been formed to work this fine block of flax. They had each erected large mills, costing thousands of pounds, and in one case only had two or three seasons run, and the ;.t!.er a little longer when the flax died out.

INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. “The strange thing about all this disease, or apparent disease in flax, is this: Our properly adjoining the one just mentioned, and only a drain between us, had no yellow leaf at the time my neighbours’ was dying out. As most of the land had been drained there was u good growth of grass amongst the flax, and we millers thought we could burn the candle at both ends by growing flax for our mills and fattening bullocks at flic same time, hut, as in the case of the candle, so also the land; it refused to yield to our greed, or enterprise, whichever you choose to call it. We either had to make up our minds to grow flax or grass. The only year I had any yellow leaf was when I turned bullocks on to our flax land. Then in less than six months time I had yellow leaf as my neighbours had. lat once did away with the bullocks and grew flax only, and our land is yielding as heavy a return per acre to-day as it did since we bought the property ten years ago. But the most striking thing of all is that I bought some of my neighbour’s flax land that was practically abandoned as dead with the yellow leaf. A small block of about 50 acres I intended to plough, but could uot get it done, so I fenced and cleaned it, and kept the cattle out. That is now two years ago, and to-day it is all one could wish to see of a healthy vigorous flax growing area, and I expect to cut 30 to 35 tons to the acre off this once yellow leaf area. GIVE PLANTS FAIR CONDITIONS.

“So far us getting a plant to resist the yellow leaf disease goes, all this 50 acres although once down with the yellow leaf', has recovered under the conditions mentioned. Ail this talk of research work so far as llax growing is concerned is a myth. In my opinion all that it needed is to give the plants fair conditions. So far as land that has been drained heavily, has sunk down and left little or no soil for the plant to grow on, is concerned, only one thing can he expected, and that is for the plant to die. I have been asked to contribute towards this research work, and have declined, as in my opinion the whole thing is impracticable so far as replanting a large area of land like the Makerua Swamp. Should anyone doubt my statements as to the results and conditions mentioned I shall be only too pleased to show them over our property so that they can see for themselves the results as 1 have stated. “I am entirely opposed to the Government being even asked for money to spend on this so-called research work. However, any miller, if he chooses, has a perfect right to spend his own money on this work, but he has no right to force other millers to contribute to a useless experiment of this sort.”