THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, May 19, 1833.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume V, Issue 115, 19 May 1853, Page 2

THE MAORI MESSENGER. Auckland, May 19, 1833.

Having accounted it to he our duty to draw the attention of the Native producers to the diminished supplies of New Zealand Flax brought into the Auckland market, and having endeavoured li> point mil a beneficial Milisliluli' by the iiili'iiiliiiltoii :tntl I'lilliMUiini lit.' llrmp. we now proceed In furnish some i 111 V > I' 111:11 i clali\e In llic ciillni i- and mode nl' |ii«Ji:ii in;_; for market llii' llax of I ".n I (i[ >i-, —;i plant similar in ils growth and preparation, iinil ulii' from which linen, sheetings, anil a gnat variety of ilir most essential articles of domestic use an' iiiaiinrarliii'i'il, —a plain easily grown, prolilic ol' benefit; anil one whoso culture has lung been (if llic iiliiinsl social anil commercial importance lo llic wealth, coniforl, ami prosperity of llic ciuli/cd world. I'lax will grow in almost any part of llic world ; ami though hut an animal plant, ils stem contains so much woody lilirc that il is exceedingly lougli and durable. This external coaling of lough lilne. and the peculiar construction of ils dihici llowersnrc amongst llic IHO-.I obvious distinctions of the Irilic, thouidi only one nrlwoof the' nieiuliers yield lilirc snlliciciilly strong for cconoinical purposes. This lilirc, separated from the stem by sleeping anil bleaching, produces the Max of comiucrre, so extensively used in the manufacture of linen, thread, and cordage. The seeds contain a great quantity of oil— Hikiiil ail, nerrssiirij fur ptiiiilhiy—wh'wU is obtained from them by pressure; and the refiiM' forms nil r«/.r, employed liy fanners in feeding cattle. In one year not less than 7t),(](IO lons of llax and •J,(.nii).i)()() bushels of linseed, have been imported into Kiiglanil from liiissia and llic surrounding cimnli ics." Hearing this in iiiiml, and remembering the decided preference given in Knglaitd In all articles of l!riti:.li Colonial growth, it must, we incline lo think, lie obvious lo the New /.calami Imsliaiidunr.. that, ina country like this, abounding with streams and waliy courses, and gifted with all the icipii-itc. loiils growth and preparation, thai In employ the laud in the cullmcol llic i.'\\ liax of' ciiinmerce would lie to iu>iiiv l':c n,cans of a rich, abundant, and \a.sl i oilman ia! expnri :i:id lo elevate .New Zealand into the liiglu-l scale of siicces-.fully productive industry " Il is heM," write-. : :r iiiciianl I'lidHp-.. "in a dry and wain: cruuir. to mi . !la\ in autumn, as (lie rain ol au.iii.iii :»i : win;, i favour ils growth. In cold and moist coiiuries, sowing should be deferred till lute

in tin* spring as 100 niiicli moisture is hurll*nl. A light soil is the umsl suilahle, though good crops arc ohlaincil from strong niiil rlnvey grounds. Klax degenerates, when rcpealeilly sown, without changing lhe seed. Vreipienl iinporlalioiisol' seed (into England) are Ihus necessary. The seeds from Riga and America are. niiicli esteemed. 'l'll,-* llax seed is sown broadcast and harrowed down early in April; llhis would correspond with ll 1011111 of October in NewZealand) and if ill clean well prepared soil, requires no luiihcr nlli n'inii. When lhe crop is ripe, which usually happensahoill lhe end of summer, it is pulled up liy lhe runts and laid in bundles lo dry. The- ripeness ol' lhe llax is ascertained liy 11 it- la'liug of lhe leaves, and its yellow appearance, 'lhe seeds !>c Ihcn scparaled eilhcr liy healing on a '.' iih, or liy passing lhe steins through an Vion coml). They are llicu llna-hcd anil winnowed lo ohlain lhe seeds. The slems having liecu freed Iroiu lhe seeds are Ihen placed even al lhe ba-,e. anil ari' tied lordlier in bundles for lulling—a process which is necessary lo I'icililalc lhe separation of lhe lihres. ami which may he accompli'hed in llncc iliia'iciil manners:--I'irsl, 011 lhe earlh, which requires a nioiilli or six weeks :—Second, in stagnant water, which is lhe umsl expeditious maimer, as only leu days are iiece.-sary:- and, Thirdly, in ■-■■::ttini-t walei. for which, ahoul a nioiilli is necessary. The line-1 fibre-; are pMidiirecl liy Ihis latter mode, and • cr: :in riser-, arc considered a-, po-sesin/ ad-ini-lagc--. over misers. ll is i:ecc>-.,r\ lolinn lhe llax every three or four days. After this process, the llax is taken mil and dried, ami is ready liir ohlainini; the lihres. I'or Ihis purpose a handful is laken in one hand, laid upon a lalile, and hcalcii ' with a wooden insirumeiil. afterwards drawn | forcihly over lhe anyle of the table with I both hands in order Io free il from frai;mcnls . of lhe stein. It is aflcrwards hackled orcombed with a sort of iron comb, beginning , with the coarser and ending with the liner; after Ihis il is ready for spinning, and has ronsequcnlly arrived al that slagc in which il is lil for exporlalion, or conveyance lo a homo market, as lhe raw (lax of commerce.

As tin; sleeping and rolling ol' ill.- Il:ix are the most iniporlaiil mailers coiiiiecleil with its preparation for titer market, we. copy the i following instructions from ii leeeni , writer: — I "Steeping the ll;ix is :» very impnrlanl | process. The ohjeel is lo separate Ihe bark ; fromlhc wooilv parlol'lhc stein, by dissolving :i glutinous mailer which causes il (o adhere. The usual nioile of sleeping is lo pl;i'-e ihe Immlles of fla\ horizontally in shnllow po.ils or ililehes ol' stagnant water, keeping lliem under w;ile • hy means ol' polis and boards, with slimes or weights !:iiil upon litem. The nielhoil adopted liy Ihe sleepers of taiiirlrai, where -.lecping llav is a ilislinel trade, is d ('- forenl. The bimdlesof llax arc placed alternately wilh 1.'.0 seed end ol' the one lo Ihe roolcnd ol llieolher, thelallerpioiei ling ;i lew inches : as many "I' these are licit together ileal- Imlli ends as form a thick bundle aholll :i fool in diana-ler. an:! lhe--f arc placed in all ''oblong wooden IV:.me. The frame is sunk i'i '.lie fiver ».«.s. low <-cough In l.eep ail ill.!;a\ ini-ler water, and is there kep! till the steepi.ig is cU'ecled. The bundles are now iiiilied. anil Ihe l:;iv is ..pread evenly in rows slightly over-lapping each oilier on a piece | of clean smooth grass which his liccii mown j or led oil' cine. It is occasionally Inriicd over, and is allowed lo reeiain --plead mil up'.ti lie ;.-r:i-.-. liil the \><..•■.«-. put heroines lirillie. Ii i-. then taken up. and as soon as il is i|nile dry il is lied np again in hoodies, and carried into Ihe ham; afler wliich il is

liraleu mill iliisscd in ihe innnuci already explained. There :uc one or two fuels coiuici'lcil willi Ihe culture nil I subsequent iiiaillil'acluro of llax. whieli rannol fail lo exhibit its i<icat value :is :in article of commerce, :is well lis ill' die hii'S'i- niuounl of profitable cmployiiii'iil il nlfnrds |>i llic labourers ;iiul arlizans of Kurope. i I'or example—in l!ie year ISi'i the latest ! period of which We h:ive any account) lliere were 71,<)!)<) lons of llax unpolled into Knt;laml:—iiKiri' than l\\o-l birds of Mint it-.r.iiilily (Mine from llii-sin; Ihe ri maiuder was principally -11[>• »lic■<! by l'iit-si:i. |[h!!;iikl, ;«:n 1 i!i'l:;ilim. Arrived in llnidand Ihe raw malerial was at once Iraiisfcrred lo Ihe hands of Ihe ijiiiineis :uul weavers. Some i.leu of Ihe in;e.;iiiliiile of iheir operaliims in.iv lie formed, when il heroines known ihal in the town of Leeds itloiie Ihe ipi.mtily of ll:i\ spun weekly, (iirsrvi ralyears, amo'inled lo from Hill lo I-M ions. The severul Mux spinning mills, ;ind ihe wcaun;-; in and near Leeds, are bcliewd lo gi\e employment K> uhoul .'illllll men, women, hoys. :ind ;;irls,--ami Ihnl exclusive of Ihe siiiillis mid en_ ;;iueers' work reipiircdlo keep ihe machinery in an cH'ccliu' condition. Ihe l!a\ when spun into thread or yarn is mil only mannfacliireil inlo clolhs, Inn is e\|iorled in Ihe yarns, and with a very h iinlsotne profit lo Ihe very same countries from which (he raw l!ax wa? primarily re" i i ci\c I. 'Mil' value of llax yarns eNpnrlril ' ■"■-••in lar.laud in INi-'i is -laled In have been .! I ,(iil!).Dill). Tin' Milne of woven liaxcn | ;;ooils, such as linen anil ihe like liniiiiL; Ihe ! •.aliieyear was upwards of i ."i. Kill I.IK il). There can Ic no doubt Ihal were l!ie ! nalive Max of New Zealand capable of brought !<• inarkel ill cipial ahun lance, aii.l eipially as clean,—lhal is lo say cipially as divested of ils hinl;,—as Ihe Mux of Kurope, Ilinl il would prove one of Ihe j;re:ilesl and mtisl Milualilc exports of this connlry; Iml if il can only he furnished in limited (pianlilies. or al a price beyond dial of ihe Kiirojiean article, il becomes a ipieslinil of serious rolMilcralioii v.helhcr llic iii'.rod.iiilion and growth of (he flax and licmp ol I'nrope is i:ol a miller of Ihe (llmiiil rou-coii'iice lo Ihe pio-perily of Ihe Nalhe and lairopean Im-1 a:idi!i.'ii of .New /calaiid.' I'lax and Hemp commeia! llvutsclvr.; net merely (or Ihe linen, cord:;;..,-, and oilier f.dniis which Iheir libres .'iipp:\, b:il for ihe commercial oils which iheir seeds produce, ami l!ie food for fallenim; sheep and cattle which Ihe refuse of lime sce;ls \ii hi. We have no price cinreiil, ol lie' day, lo which io refer, lull we believe the price (Jieiled lor iliidrc-S' il Itiiss'ni Max, soi.ie years since, by Sir llichard I'liillips. in his paper on ihis Mih.eel, will h • I'miikl lo be ::'■: very farfrom il< prc'iil average Mill!■■• ; Ihal price is Mai. I al fioiii :.S lo in per lon in ;iie l.oMiiim Mari.el.— wli'd I i'h'.il'.-li ':* ipio'.i 1 as v..i;lh from ill up lo -III'.) per lon. Were i.'cllip ami i'lax lo be etillivaled in.Nc.v Zealand, from 111 • .uvulalily ol thecli-nal,, ami Ihe I'eriiliiy of Ihe "il, v.e incline lo ihilik very excellent '•.iiir. h s mejlil lie ;■..•..- ilinvd. As cxperiiiieiil :!ieya;v well worthy of a trial—mil only in ihe hope of Iheir ]iro\idiu;4 a means of ami lucrative export; hut as sources for Ihe supply of Ihe cordage, canvas, cle., which will year liy year, lie in iiirreasinj,' demand for lh L > oullil ami relit of our Colonial and t'or.-iyjii Shipping.