FLAX DISEASE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2590, 7 June 1923, Page 2

FLAX DISEASE.

YELLOW LEAF MENACE. A REPLY TO MR ROSS. [N.Z. Times.] The yellow leaf disease has been causing great concern in the flax industry in New Zealand, but it is now believed that much of Mae scientific investigation which has been carried on in various parts of the Dominion has borne fruit.

In Friday morning’s issue of the “Times” Mr William Ross stated in an interview that all the talk of research work was a myth. In contradiction to this Mr Iv. T. Bell, representing Whitaunui and Company Ltd., and Temukanui Ltd., speaking on behalf of Mr A. Seifert, president of the New Zealand Flnxmillers’ Association and Mr Hugh Acres, of Riverdale Estate, and all of the Makerna district, to which Mr Ross’s properties also belong, spoke as follows to a reporter yesterday “We three first of all subscribed certain sums of money for the purpose of carrying out experiments to combat the yellow leaf disease, which has taken a strong hold of all the flax areas in the Makerna. We have progressed with these experiments sufficiently to show conclusively that our efforts have been fully warranted. Wo arc quite satisfied that the new method of cutting of only matured leaves of the llnx plant are of great benefit to its growth and will assist, the plant to combat the inroads of the yellow leaf blight. We. were so satisfied that our experiments were in the right direction that we asked the Government to subsidise the original amount subscribed by us, and they did so. r fhe Flaxmillers’ Association has since waited on the Prime Minister for further assistance, because other millers have joined with us in the opinion that the experiments are in the right direction and that they will eventually become a. national benefit to all those connected with the industry in the Dominion. They therefore think that they should subscribe to it. As far as we are concerned, we do not agree with what Mr Ross has said in discussing our experiments in the “Times” of Friday, and we question very much whether he has made himself in the slightest degree acquainted with the valuable work.”