The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1869.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 52, 4 March 1869, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1869.

The turning to account the phormiun tenax, of which there are so many thousands of acres in New Zealand, appears to have come prominently forward amongst the local industries of Canterbury, where the operations, instead of being carried on upon a very limited scale as has been the case until the last few months, have now assumed considerable dimensions, and works are being proceeded with, with great vigor, not only by isolated individuals, but by companies who are importing machinery ancl improving all the appliances that have hitherto beeu brought to bear upon this particular branch of industry. In order to obtain correct data of what was being actually done in the province, the Lyttelton Times lately sent its reporter on a tour of inspection through the various districts, and the result of his observations is given in an interesting narrative which appears iv I that paper, and from which we propose to select a few extracts, in the hope that the success that has crowned the labors of those engaged in the work in Canterbury, may prove au incentive to the inhabitants of our province, where the raw material in many places abounds, to go and do likewise. The first establishment visited, was that belonging to the Halsewell Flax Company situated about twelve miles from Christchurch, wihch is thus described : — The machine room, built for the most part of stone, measures seventy-five feet in length and is thirty feet wide; there is also a wing attached, about twenty feet by twelve, in which the stripping machines are at work. There is a detached building, 50 x 20, in which the cleaned fibre is stored prior to pressing; and there is another in which it is pressed and stored, awaiting its transit to Christchurch. . There are six stripping machines at work in the wing of the machine room, and the engine and a pair of batteries occupy the main portion of the building. The stripping machines are on Ninnis' papent. The raw materiai is passed in leaf by leaf, crushed by a drum having fourteen beaters upon it, and then comes out underneath, almost entirely freed I from the green or vegetable matter. The fibre I is then put through the batteries in order to exr tract the gum from it, and is then washed and hung out to dry. When it has been subjected to the action of the atmosphere for a sufficient length of time, it is stored and finally pressed for shipment, into bales weighing three cwt. each. The six stripping machines and the batteries are driven by an engine of fourteen horsepower. Each stripping machine affords employment to a couple of boys ; one of them feeds, and the other takes the fibre away, but the company intend having the process so much altered that the flax will be delivered by means of a revolving table. It being necessary that there should be a constant flow of water while the fibre is being put through the batteries for the purpose of extracting the gnm, the water.is brought into the machine-room from the river by means of a five-inch lifting pump, worked by the engine, and the pipe is si constructed that it emits a plentiful supply upon the fibre as it passes underneath the beaters. Each stripper will put through about one ton of green flax, producing about four hundred-weight of finished fibre p^r diem. Altogether, there are about 25 hands employed by the Halsewell Company, whose present shipments to England have been as follows : — 388 bales, weighing 41 tons, per the Light Brigade ; over six tons by the Blue Jacket, and about seven tons by the Hydaspes. They are now delivering 27 tons to Messrs Dalgety and Co., for shipment home. They expect to obtain prices varying from £20 to £40 per ton. according to quality. Ten other establishments were visited by the Times' correspondent who states that the number of hands actively employed in the preparation of flax in the province is 122, which number would shortly be increased to 150. The prices given in Christchurch, for prepared fibre, range from £14 to £20 per ton according to quality. It baying been ascertained that the native flax cau he turned to such good account, the next question that arises is, how the ,; supply is to be kept up, for although, as we have- said before, there

are thousands of acres on which it is growing at prosent, still this quantity is by no means exhaustless, but will require to be renewed as it is cut There appears to be an amount of uncertainty as to whether or' not a second crop will grow to any great extent, and if so, whether it is equal in quality to the first, the Times however appears to think thafc it depends entirely upon the time of year when the leaves are cut. The Provincial Government of Canterbury, recoguising the importance of fostering this branch of industry, are taking considerable pains io ascertain which are the most valuable descriptions of the plant, and intend this year to trench an acre of ground, a quarter of this area to be devoted to experimenting with seeds and young plants of the Canterbury flax, aud the remainder to the different species from the North Island. We have dwelt at some length upon this subject, because we see no reason why the matter should not be taken up in this Province with the same amount of energy that has been displayed io Canterbury, and we shall have much pleasure in receiving auy communications from individuals who have interested themselves at any time in flax culture, and who might relate the results of their past experience, as well as offer practical suggestions for the future.