THE YELLOW LEAF MENACE.

Shannon News, 11 August 1922, Page 3

THE YELLOW LEAF MENACE.

FLAXMILL OWNERS’ EXPHEIMENT

VALUABLE WORK. AT MIRANUI. (Specially written lor the Shannon News.”) Of late years a good deal lias been heard of the yellow leaf disease in the flax areas ol the Manawatu, district, and particularly of the famous Makerua and Tokomaru swamps. The menace had such serious effects upon the green leaf, and so widespread hSVe been its ravages, that- the inillers were compelled to call in the aid of Government experts in an effort- to tight the disease, but without any appreciable results. Meantime, the contagion had widely extended the area in which it had taken hold, and what were once valuable sources ol supply of the nullable leaf, are now wholly or partially destroyed from a flaxmilling point of view. That- the infected area will go on absorbing further flax lands is a foregone conclusion, with the possible danger ol crippling a valuable asset to the country.

EXPERIMENTAL WORK COMMENCED

In order to combat that possibility, the idea of producing a disease-resist-ing flax presented itself, and Mr A. Seifert, managing director of the A. and L. Seifert Flax-dressing - Company, of Miranui, commenced a series of experiments on the company’s property with this object in view. The practical value of the work appealed to the Manawatu Flaxmillers’ Association, which determined to carry on the experiments on a much larger scale, and placed Mr G. Smerle- in charge of tlhe work. To finance' the scheme Messrs. H. Akers, R. T. Bell and the Seifert Company provided £SO each, and applied to the Govern-

ment to supplement this sum. Particulars of the scheme were submitted to the Government, which gave its approval, and gave a subsidy of £1 for £1 on the money subscribed. Work was commenced, and yesterday a Chronicle representative was invited

to the mill to inspect the progress of; the work. BASIS OF THE SCHEME." The foundation of tlhe experimental work, Mr Seifert explained, and the end that was in view, was to produce, by means of selection, a diseased-resist-ing flax, or as near to that- as it. was possible to get, combined with a plantthat would give the best, quality and highest percentage of fibre. By means of selection it was possible to improve any variety of flax, but where the best kinds were selected as foundation stock it would be natural to look for a much greater improvement by the application of scientific knowledge to a practical object. An inspection ot the plot under Mr Smerle’s care showed how the experimental work had been laid out. The ground used is terrace, hillside and swamp flat, so that the class of country most suited to flax will be easily ascertainable, me selections for the plots, of both plants and seeds, were made in the main swamp from varieties with qualities approaching nearest those required. This will’serve-a useful purpose later, when the seedlings may be compared with the parent plants, and the fact ascertained as to whether the good qualities of the latter are being propagated in true line. The process of selection in.the young plants will not. .end there however. When the seedlings are three to four inches high the best, will be pricked out, at a year old they will be subjected to still further selection, and by the time they are four years old and fit. to plant out they will have gone- through two further tests, or four altogether. Any plants developing evidences of weakness or any other unfavourable quality will be destroyed, so that the plants that will he left for restocking the flax-areas and forming new ones should be healthy in constitution and at the same time possess the best fibre qualities of the parent. With such stock it is reasonable to assume that a higher average quality of flax will be raised than is now the case. In the plot., too, various manurial tests are being carried out, and the results of these should be of interest, also* tlhe growing of infected and bealtry plants in infected soil, etc., for the purpose of noting results. It is estimated that the plots will produce 500,000 seedlings in the first sowing, enough to plant 150 acres, and these will be ready in about 18 months. TESTING FOR FIBRE VALUE. Another point of lvalue in connection with*the experiments is that- of testing the selected plants for their fibre-pro-ducing qualities. This aspect is of first importance to the miller. It is no more difficult, to grow a good variety of flax than a poor one, but the fibre return differs materially. Mr Smerle has already subjected the leaf from his selected plants to treatment by the stripper, and on the whole a fine, uniform lot of fibre oi great length had been produced, and was being bleached preparatory to scutching, the final process in producing the finished article. Two hanks of fibre from poor, diseased flax afforded a Sharp comparison. The latter presented the appearance of so much tow, and at it i<? .safe to assume ' ■/ .; ■ ■