THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3679, 18 August 1927, Page 3

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

SIDE-LEAF CUTTING. The side-leaf method of flax-cut-ting was strongly condemned at a meeting of J lie Northern Flaxmillers’ Association recently (reports an exchange). In submitting a report upon his experience of side-leaf ( utting, Mr. C. W. Ingram, of Kaihere, said that during the last three years it had: cost him over £ISOO more to cut by the side-leaf method than it would have done by hookcutting, and the plants had deteriorated. When he commenced the side-leaf cutting they had been Bft. to 12ft. high, while now they were only sft. to 6ft., and the constant (deeding of the plants had resulted in a weakening of the quality of the fibre. In addition the side-leaf method gave the seedling plants no chance to replenish the swamps as they were trampled upon when the cutters passed through them every nine months., Under the old method cutting had been done every.four years, and the interval had allowed the seedling to become large enough to escape destruction. Mr. Ingram drew the attention of, the chief Government grader, Mr. \\. Petrie, to the fault that a condition of the lease of Government flax areas was that the side-leaf method should be used. If it was enforced it would lead to abandonment of the lease.