THE HEMP INDUSTRY.
DISTRICT PRODUCTION VALUED AT £300,000.
A district Ilaxmiller informed our Palmerston morning contemporary that in the Manawatu there are now more mills operating than at any time during the past five years, over 700 men being employed in the industry. The estimated production for the present year from all mills will be 9000 tons, of an estimated value of £300,000. The industry he explained, was apparently on a sound and secure basis. New Zealand flax had made a definite market for itself in Europe and the danger that some few' years ago had been feared from sisal hemp and other products, was now' largely discounted. So secure indeed did the position appear, that in various parts of the country, notably in Auckland, companies with a capital of over a quarter of a million pounds sterling were formed, or in course of formation, for the growth or further exploitation of ilax. So far no move in this direction had been made in the Manawatu, but that w'ould probably come. Experiments w'ere being carried out by different millers as to the best qualities of flax to grow and it was probable that within the next few years, a large area of low-lying swamp country in the vicinity of the Manawatu river, would be planted. This was land on which, from its liability to flood, dairying was a precarious method of farming, although the point stressed that on a given acreage, no form of farming gave such results as did the growing of flax for milling. It was estimated that 40 acres of swamp land would provide a farmer with a good livelihood under this class of farming, and that without nearly the amount of labour involved in other branches of the industry. In reply to a question as to the value of the side-leaf method of cutting, it was explained that the results obtained from this measure had hardly come up to expectations. Whilst it was an undoubted fact that production was increased for the time being, the fact remained that after a time a definite falling oft 1 in production appeared to result. The only explanation of this was that the stimulation of growth from a four-year to oneyear cycle, resulted in exhaustion of the plant. For this reason the increase in production will not be as great as had been expected. For it now seemed apparent that after three or four cuts by the side-leaf method the. flax'crops will need a spell. Probably a combination of the old and the new method will be followed, but the sideleaf method is not likely to be abandoned. A satisfactory feature was that the yellow-leaf disease was apparently receding. No definite cause for its ravages could yet be ascribed, and it appeared to be one of those epidemics which came at intervals, ran*its course, and then either disappeared, or survived in a very modified form, the plant becoming more or less inoculated against its attacks.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3016, 27 March 1926, Page 2
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495THE HEMP INDUSTRY. Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3016, 27 March 1926, Page 2
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