Original Correspondence. To the Editor of the New Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 499, 25 January 1851, Page 3

Original Correspondence. To the Editor of the New Zealander.

Sir,—A persual of the following rcm»rUs may not be without interest to your reiders. To secure an ample and coi s'ant supply of the New Z;ahnd green flax is of essential importance, prior to the investment of any considerable capital in machinery for the dressing of the kame. I confess with much regret, that considerable d/fficuity exists in the accomplishment of this object; much flax is not at hand (tha' is near Auckland) a large pirt of what is growing «pon« taneously, is mildewed or spotted, and partially decaye<l frjtn want of attention, cropping, &c. It takes about three years lo grow it fp>ni off shoots. When cut down a line leaf speedily shoou up from the old stock. Our political and civil d sahiiitiesa c moit lerious hindrances in bringing out the resources of the Colony. The present law forbids the !ea»i»g o' native lands, the purchase of growing crops thereon, the extracting of minerals therefrom, und.r heavy penalties. The manner in which the Colonial Government usually grant licences to land, whether claimed by Govei nment, or by the Native tribe*, is usually attended with the most serious, risk, and will not permit of a permanent and safe investment of capital. There may he some exceptions. To ascribe the present state of things entirely to the Colonial Government, would be unfair ; many of these evils are clearly traceable to the Colomal Office and to the British Government, and cm never be cor* retted by a change of ruler in the colony. The error ' is esse .lialfy in <he system. In connexion with a supply of green flax I may observe, that it will not do to depend upon the aborigine!. The purchase of green flax from the natives o-i a larjre scale, would give a greatly increased value to their flax lands, large receipts with little labour, w uid be likely to piom >te their indolence, and impede their civilization. The purchase of green fl ix on a large scale might entangle the land question —might make it next to impossible (in certain <\\«ies) for the Colonial Government to pm chase land at reasonable prices, and might obstruct emigration. To purchase green flax from the natives, would often be I very inconvenient, precarious, and uncertain in supply and liablo to extortion ; any thing done in this way must be considered ai a •upplementary stock. The very climax of excellence in manufactures and trade, consuls 10 the regularity and continuity of the business; apart from these excellencies, they become a bptcies ot gambling, and end too often in b.nkruptcy and rum. Were the Government to furuish to a Company a lease of two or three thousand acres of land, iiee from any second claun^ncy, whether on the part of Europeans or Maones, for the term of twenty-one years, with the right of purchase on reasonable terms —not too far from Auckland, favourably situated for obtaining European workmen, accessible by land and water, more or less fl x growing spontaneuU9ly, —the quantity could be increased by cultivation, and further supplies might be purchased from the natives. In the ' Government Gazette,' dated November 15th, 1850, the Colonial Government have made oli'en of leases of land, supposed to contain valuable minerals, on terms therein stated. (The Royalty is objectionable, the outlay ought to be returned to the workers of the mine, to say the least, befote the Royalty is imposed.) Whether the law will give a lease of land for a similar term, on feasible conditions, to a Company, or to an individual who has enterprise sufficient to embark in such an undertaking, remains to be teen. I have written to the Colon ml Government on the sub* ject. It would not perhaps be injudicious in the cultivation of the New Zealand flax to enclose large areas of laud suitable for tne glazing of sheep—sown with grais and clover; atid in furrows made with the plough at appropriate distances, plant otf-ghoots of the be»t kinds of flax for future crops. The plants aught be placed about two yards ap»rt in both directions, which would be one plant m four sqaare yards, or 1,210 lo an acre. In consequence of the liability ot the plant to spread by off shoots, after a few years it may requue]>hinning. Nearly double the number of off sho4s may be planted in one direction, if desirable, leaving out a pUnt at proper distances for a passage. In this case they may want thinning the sooner, and little extra gain may be the consequence, vacant ground beitiif occupied by g'ais, &c. In large areas of laud it would be desirable to leave spaces covered with grass in appropriate places, and in a proper direction, of a sufficient width for a c<trt or dray employed in removing the crop of flax. The giaztng of sheep alone, ia all probability, would pay the current expenses, until ihe crops of flax *ere available for the manufacturer. Of course some of the preceding remarks are hypothetical. I cannot "ay positively that sheep would never meddle with the flax plant*. I apprehend not so when the feed waft good. I should be glad to receive information on ihis subject. There being several species of the New Zea> land flax plant, and as leaves of various ages appear at till seasons of the year upou them.tured pant, it is highly probable that in different degrees of perfection, suitable to one purpose or another, under judicious management, the crop would be constant, differing essentially Irom many other crops, and therefore adapted to the purposes of a manufactory cont.nual in its ; operations. The same circumstance* would suggest the propriety of employing an European, rather than j an Aboriginal population, umil gradually acquired habits f of continuous industry fii the ordinal inhabit auu for similar labours. In the mean time the maoriet might cultivate the gteen flax, «nd dress to what extent they choose. In my neit letter, I propose, Sir. w th your appro val, to remark on the value ot ihe New Zealand flax us an article of manufacture and export. I am &c., Joseph Robinson, j Tamakißoad, Jan. 17, 1851.