NEW METHOD OF PREPARING FLAX

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 57, 8 March 1871, Page 2

NEW METHOD OF PREPARING FLAX

r\ i i ii i A gentlemau in Wellington, who has devoted a considerable amount of time and thought to the manufacture of flax, has forwarded to us the following communication which has already been addressed by him to the Flax Commissioners. We do not offer any opinion on the merits or otherwise of the plan he proposes, but willingly find space for his letter, as we believe that too much publicity cannot be given to any hints on a subject possessing such great and material interest for the whole colony: — " Wellington, February 21, 1871. " The method of preparation which I suggest should be applied to the Phormium Tenax may he briefly summed up as follows:—Each leaf should be split, after which the half leaves should be passed through heavy rollers, and placed in alternate tiers with loose earth, and in this state to be left for, say, one week, for the purpose of absorption of the gum and other extraneous matter. At the expiration of this time the flax should be passed through two or three sets of rollers, made either of wood or wood covered with lead, with a difference of revolution in favor of the upper one. Those rollers I would proposs to weight by means of elongated axles, supporting the pressure of a lever similar to that used in a country cheese-press. The rollers should be supplied with dry river-saud, and with a copious supply of water, falling from a height of, say, feet. The delivery from the last roller should be on to a sloping platform, formed as a screen, a shoot being constructed to receive the deposit from under each roller, falling into the same tank which would receive the deposits from the screen. The sand thus deposited would again be fit for use by beiDg kiln dried. r The whole process involving the use of sand, I am inclined to ■

believe, might be obviated by the use of rollers of Oamaru stone. "The chief advantage of the process I have attempted to describe may be said to exist in the operation of sand, or grit, in the disintegration of the particles of vegetable matter contained in the valuable plant under consideration. No fear need be entertained that the process will be injurious to the fibre, as any one acquainted with the habitat of the plant will well know in whi.t a state Flax is left after the mastication of cattle; above all, its cleanliness is then especially remarkable, it often assuming the appearance of the finest hemp, aud in |ofis state the fibre will readily take tar, only, having parted with its gum, the beautiful gloss is lost. I contend, also, that the action of the particles of saud or grit would be analagous to the process by which the Maoris now hand-dress the fibre. "My reason for the use of the earth is that I have noticed that Flax having been buried for a short time has become very pliable, aud if loft in the earth for a very long time becomes completely rotted. Now, I wish to take the mean between the two, and assist Nature in her work of decay, by first destroying the tenacity of the coating of the leaf by severe pressure, and then, bringing chemical action to my aid, by the fact of piling the partiallydestroyed leaves until they commence to ferment. The exact time chosen to liberate them at this stage can only be known by experience. The gum and vegetafyl'e matter iv this stage is in a soft loose state, and the scrubbing action that I would apply with the assistance of water, would, I have not the slightest doubt, bring the fibre into that state of preparation at present so much desired. I am convinced that earth will be found the best solvent aud absorbent that can be used, though what particular description of soil should be supplied I am not, without further experiment, in a position to state. By determining the chemical properties of the soil that may be found best suited for this purpose, probably a discovery would be made of some simple chemical matter that might with advantage be artificially employed. " The reason for my opinion that the use of sand or grit will be found effective in dressing the fibre, has been adduced from my observation of roots of flax which, have been washed down by the rivers, and lodged with alluvial deposit ; in such cases, the roots being held by the superincumbent gravel, leaving the leaves free, I have in many, instances, after the subsidence of the flood, seen the flax beautifully dressed ; as also in other instances, where the sea, having received it from the rivers, has placed the plant in the afore-men-tioned position, leaving the fibre in a thorough state of preservation — very fine, quite white, and denuded of nearly all its gum."

A Woollen Factory, for the manufacture of blankets, tweeds, and other fabrics, is being started at Mossgiel, in the Tuieri district, Otago. The Barley Crops in Canterbury were much damaged by heavy and continuous rains that fell last week. The following is from a West Coast contemporary:— A special sermon to young men is to be preached at All Saints Church, Hokitika, to-morrow. From what we learn of that particular part of the coast, a sermon to old men is very greatly needed, if all be true that is reported of some of them. Waikato. — A Waikato settler writes to the Southern Cross as follows : — " The greatest natural defect of the Waikato community is the absence of forest trees or bush, for which this province is famous. This defect, however, is every year being remedied, as the settlers have planted a great number of trees on their farms ; and should the blessings of peace only be continued to us, a few years will witness a great improvement in this respect throughout the whole of the Waikato district. The English oak is reported to be a slow grower, but to show its adaptation to our soil, I may mention that a friend of mine has oaks on his farm which have grown as much as twelve feet during the last year." The Argus recently declared in its leading columns that Victoria would seem to be an eligible settlement for all those persons who are so unfortunate as to have somewhat confused ideas upon the subject of mewn and tuum. There is perhaps no part of the world where embezzlement ia so lightly regarded, where the crime is so easily condoned, the punishment so extremely light, and such consideration shown for the agonised feelings of the embezzler. Under such circumstances, it is not surprising that the offence, is rapidly increasing, and unless a very great change in the administration of the law takes place, embezzlement on the part of trusted employees will become the rule, and honesty the exception.

The Melbourne Leader says : — lt may reasonably be expected that within a, comparatively brief period we shall be in fortnightly communication with Europe. It is not impossible, indeed, that we may obtuin frequently news not more than ten days old. The completion of the IndoEuropean telegraph to Butavia, has suggested to the Queensland- Government to run a quick steamer from Normantown, on the northern coast of Australia, to Sourabaya, at the eastern end of Java. The Government of New South Wales has undertaken to subsidise the service, and this Government has been applied to, to contribute to the same end. There can scarcely be a doubt bur. the request will be acceded to, ia which case the service will be commenced immediately. It is promised that the sea passage both ways shall be made in ten days, and if this "be accomplished there is very little danger of our being taken by surprise in the event of Great Britain becoming involved in the European struggle. Commercially also the new service will afiect these markets to a very appreciable extent, giving mercantile men a livelier time of it than they have afc present. The importance of the P. and 0. service will be lessened, moreover, much earlier than Sir James M'Culloch recently anticipated, a consummation that may dispose the Government more favorably towards a mail and passenger service via the Cape. Protection in Victoria. — It appears that the people of Victoria are finding by experience that if the thia end of the wedge of protection is once allowed to be inserted, it must, in order to deal fairly with all classes, be driven in ;to the very head. The following extract from the last number of the Australasian shows pretiy clearly to what protection is tending in Melbourne. It is not yet too late for New Zealanders to take warning from the experience of a neighboring colony : — " Having entered upon the vicious circle of protection, we are bound, ifc seems, to pursue the weary round until, all interests beiug protected, the benefits of any special protection will have been neutralised, and we shall be eventually conducted to the point from which we first set out. The Chief Secretary having intimated his willingness' to place a W per cent, duty on imported tweeds, to protect our local cloth manufacturers, the owners of the clothing factories are taking 'aljarm. 'It will be many years,' say they, • ' before we can manufacture all cloths we want, and this 10 per cent, duty on piece goods will make our colonial-made clothing cost 10 per cent, more than at present; and this will open qur market to the British manufacturers, who will then be enabled to pay our tariff duty of 10 per cent, on their ready-made slops, and flood our market, ruin our clothing manufacturers, and throw out of work that respectable body of girls, men, and boys who now get a living at our factories.' This, which we extract from a letter in a daily paper of Tuesday last, is a very fair illustration of the narrow views and selfishness of Protectionists generally. ' You must protect us,' exclaim our local slopmakers, 'against the British clothiers, but you must'nt protect the colonial cloth manufacturer against his Imperial rival.' Yet, if the state undertakes to coddle one interest, ifc is bound in justice and equity to coddle all. When the clothiers and the wool-staplers have been coddled, it will be high time ! for the pastoral interests to put iv their claim to dry-nursing. They are just as j much entitled to a bounty of 10 per ceut. upon all the wool they export, as those who work up wool into cloth and clothing are entitled to a protective duty of 10 per cent, as against British competitors. And, in like manner, the gold-miners should agitate for a similar bounty upon all the precious metal they export, in order to countervail the enhanced price which they are compelled to pay for every imported commodity they consume. Will no one " stump" the goldfields on this "ticket" — protection to native industry, and above all to the premier iudustry of the colony, by a bounty of Ba. per ounce upon all exported gold ? "

Poor Fellow. — In the police-court at Chicago, a wife thus ingeniously explained away serious charges of harsh treatment of her husband : — " One day, when she was running across the room with a fork iv her hand, he jumped in the way and struck his wrist against the fork, wrenchin «■ it from her grip by the tines, which he ran into his wrist. Then he undertook to strike her, but she held up a pau of hot dishwater between them, and he spilt it all over his head. Then he got still more angry at tbi3 incident, and started to jump at her, but his head came against her hand, and he fell down. She took hold of his hair to raise him up, and the hair was moistened by the hot water so that it come off. Then she saw that jt was no use to reason with him any longer) and she left the house.'*

A Melbourne paper says that the number of prisoners confined in the gaol is at present so large that it has been considered a-.h-jKible 1o utilise the local military force by setting some of them ou guard at the prison, as under the present circumstances, the number of warders there is deemed insufficient for the due security of their charges. " A RA.THEH curious caution was given the other day," says tha Ovens Spectator, 3rd February, "to a prisoner on his discharge by the Bright. Bench. Ah Sou, who had been in the Hospital under remand for attempting to commit suicide, was, on his recovery, tmusmitted to the Bright Bench. Mr. Crespi^ny, M.P., on discharging him, warned him that if he did not cut his throat more effectually next, time he would be punished." Compared with the following from the Natal Mercury, " Caledonians " sink into the shade : — " Captain Lucas's party — probably the most successful of any on the grounds — chiefly consisted of persons from this Colony. After working for six weeks without success, another week's labor laid bare diamonds valued at £120,000, leaving to each individual a share so large that two of the number at least proceed to Europe to enjoy the fruits of their toil. Lieutenant Vibart, late in the King's Dragoon Guards, has come down from the Vaal with the news that he and those with whom he was associated had picked up 55 diamonds ; one of 150 carats, another 27, another 12, and, amongst the romainder, stones of 8, 9, and 6 carats, altogether estimated of the value off 140,000." Sericicultdre. — Tho European Mail says : — The rearing of silk worms is a light occupation, and to any persons who iutend emigrating to the Southern colonies, practical experience ought to be acquired by the growth of silk at home, as the worms will live iv England if kept in their natural temperature by meaus of artificial heat, and it is more than probable that there are English plants much hardier than the mulberry tree, on which to feed them. It is a pleasant occupation for ladies, and no doubt if they took the matter in hand it would be the means of disseminating the knowledge of an industry amongst their humbler acquaintances. To them it would be a valuable acquisition, should they emigrate to Australia or New Zealand, where they may become growers of silk, and thereby keep up the supply so much threatened by the disease amongst silkworms in Europp, and be at the same time a source of wealth to them and their posterity. It is calculated that one acre of land planted with mulberry trees will produce silk of the value of £100, and when the trees attaiu full growth to yield a larger amount. A Slow Man.— Tho Rev. C. Knibbs, in a recent lecture entitled "An evening with the Great and G-ood," says — " Nicolas Bacon wai what young gents in these days would call ' terribly slow,' because we have no account that at an early age he Bniol;j.1 a short pipe, had a glass of spirits, went a courting at the tender age of sixteen, and betted on the racecourse." The world is sadly mistaken in its measurement of men. Its estimate is very low. A man is measured now by the sort of carriage he rides in, the number of servants he keeps, aud the kind of coat he has on his back. The bollow and the gilded seem to catch the multitude, while the pure gold is hidden, or only found by those who seek for it. The German citizens of Sydney who bear no possible proportion to their fellow countrymen in either of the other Australian colonies, have collected aud sent home more than £1000 to the general fund for the relief of the widows, orphans, and. wounded in the still raging fearful war on the continent of Europe. Fiji seems rapidly increasing ia importance, and in favor as a place for settlement. A vessel called the Springbok, which recently sailed from Melbourne, carried down, according to the Argus, a large quantity of stock for the various plantations, including cattle, horses, mules, asses, and sheep, a steam launch for use on the Ba Coast, aud a number of passengers, both in the cabin and steerage, proceeding to settle on the Polynesia Company's property, for which they hold laod warrants in town and country. Exploit of H. M.S. Myrbiidon. — The Toronto Telegraph, after recalling the outcry against the captain of the Bombay when she sunk the Oneida in a collision, and reminding American cousius across the Lake that Captain Eyre's was an error of judgment, that he did not knowingly sacrifice American lives, asks, " What will Sumner, and Butler, and the other fireeaters say of an incident that happened during the late hurricane on the coast of Florida? Fourteen vessels carrying the American flag, were caught in the gale of November 11, driven on the coast withia a few miles of Key West, and lost with nearly all their crews; and tea United States men-of-war saw the ' storm-tossed For remainder of news see Fourth page.

vessels, heard the cries of the drowning mariners, but stirred neither hand, foot, uor canvas to save them. A captain, more humane than his fellows, rushed to the American Superintendent of the lighthouse at Key West, and demanded a lifeboat, but was actually told that he would have to deposit 50 dollars as security before taking it out, just as suspicious characters are required to pay in advance or lewve luggage at hotels or livery stables. ,-The lifeboat was at length got out, but it was too late; and the fourteen ships went down like fourteen stones uuder the very eyes of their countrymen. Meanwhile the English ship Sapphire, caught iv the same gale, was hoisting signals of distress, and away went her Majesty's ship Myrmidon to her assistance, with only eighteen tous of coal in her bunkers. When her coal gave out she beat about under canvas, finally rescued the Sapphire, ami returned to port, and expressed her willingness to soout again to search for tho American otWs. What will our American friends saf|||tbis?