FLAX RESEARCH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4506, 18 September 1930, Page 2

FLAX RESEARCH.

PIIORMIrUAI RESEARCH OOM-

AIITTEE’S REPORT,

SUMMARY OF YEAR’S OPERATION.

Tbe annual report of the Phorniium Research Committee of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research submitted to this afternoon’s annual meeting of the N.Z. Flaxmillers’ Association stated that four meetings were held during the year at each of which there was a full attendance of members.

The programme of investigation .has consisted of: (.1) selection and breeding work conducted by Dr. J. iS. Yeates at-Alassey Agricultural College,. (2) chemical investigations on bleaching of fibre treatment by Dr. J. S. Alaclaurin, and (3) investigations abroad at the Imperial Institute, Plymouth Cordage Company, and the Bureau of Standards, into the utilisation of flax fibre in industry. No less than 250 strains are represented in the fans at present planted on the urea at the College farm, where very satisfactory growth lias been made, and the number of these has been increased by a valuable collection of Maori varieties, selected many years ago in Taranaki district. Out: acre planted in fans of a single good variety is growing satisfactorily. The first seedlings grown are now about two years old. These are from pod by pod planting of seed from fans in the college collection, and the plants themselves yield valuable information as to the breeding behaviour of the strains selected, and will give some idea regarding inherited characteristics. None of the 20 strains grown in the first year have been found to breed true, but from those seedlings true breeding strains of good quality will be selected. In the hybrid seedlings an endeavour has been made to combine {ho disease resistant and excellent fibre qualities of one strain with the heavy cropping powers of another. Success has attended the crossing of several excellent varieties, which, crossed with the yellow leaf resistant (Seifert’s superior), have yielded some thousands of seedlings which will be useful in further investigations. Yellow leaf disease is also at- , tacked by the application of manures. and a total of some 5 acres lias been set apart for this work. The search is still continuing for strains of flax which show a special) resistance to yellow leaf, while Mr .Meadows has been engaged in the isolation of fungi and bacteria from disease affected plants, in order to ascertain the cauge of the trouble.

■So far .in. this work no specific organism causing the disease lias been isolated.

At the present time some 24 acres are under flax at the experimental area at the College, and it is proposed to extend this by a further 3 acres which wilf he planted out during the presentvear.

'Dr. Afaclaurin has provided a report of a number of experiments wherein chemical bleaches were used for treating fibre'. The estimated costs involved ranged from His to 51 s per ton. Further work is now being done with a view to gaining additional information re-

garding suitable chemical bleaching agents. Several consignments of flax have been despatched overseas for the purpose of arranging strength and manufacturing tests. The Bureau of Standards have manufactured from New Zealand phormium fibre, some samples of paper showing distinctly good qualities. The strength tests earned out at the Imperial Institute, in conjunction with the British Admiralty have shown that New Zealand pliormiuin fibre possesses good powers of endurance when exposed to sea water conditions, and compares in this respect very favourably with other vegetable fibres.

The committee has investigated u number of problems connected with the establishment of pliormiiun plantations, and has examined a large number of improved meth(ds for processing fibres which have been brought to its notice.