THE NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 59, 15 October 1864, Page 5

THE NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

V Every now and then one finds a paragraph in 1 :oneor;other of the Colonial papers to the effect that some individual has discovered a process by which the New Zealand Flax, or PhqrmiumTenax ■ may be- profitably converted into a marketable commodity. Ifc is characteristic of most of these notices; that very sanguine opinions are expressed of fcheir jsucees, and, of the value of the invention. ■ Each Province, in its turn, has, in thisi way, laid claim to the honor of setting at rest a manufaefcur- ; ing problem wliich has puzzled people both in the f colony and but of it, ever since the first Occupation of the Islands by :Enropeauß. But; '-unfortunately,) most of the various new processes appear to arrive no further than the colums of the; newspapers, and the prepared fibre ef ihe p7i,6rmium \ tenax still "figures as. the smallest and least i valuable ifccui in thedisfc of New Zealand, exports. Wo should be wrong in saying that the conversion of the native flax into a fibre fit for manufacturing .purposes, has not been . accomplished.^ .The difficulty is'hbt in preparing tlie fibre, biifc in producing; it at a sufficiently cheap cost to leave a; profit of its; salq,-r-:ayre3ultywliich' has 'nofc been attained on any considerable scale. For it must not be forgotten that it hastocompete in the home market with the ordinary flax of commerce, arid, it could only do so favorably-in the matter of price, for in all the necessary qualities of fibre formanufacturing the fibre of the p7iormium tenax isexeepfc. m the matter of lateral strength, very much inferior to the European article. Now ifc has. happened thafc the be^t samples of prepared New Zealand flax would, to leave any profit to the producer, require to fetch a price equalling that of the better description of Russian pr Irish flax — a price -in fact much^beyond the actual value. We have seen specimens ofthe fibre ofthe native flax as fine as the flax of Courfcrai, and capable of being manufactured into the most delicate fabric. But beyond the (interest attaching to them as proofs of. what could be accomplished, they were of no value. To produce such a description of fibre would be about as profitable a proceeding as to sink fifty feefc for a speck of gold — the gold is there, but costs a good, deal more to reveal the fact of its existence than it is worth. And it is a singular circumstance thafc nearly every experimentalist has fallen into the error of attompfcing too much, arid seeking to make of the p7iormium tenax somefclung to rival the better descriptions of European flax. A greater mistake could hardly be committed. The good qualities of the New Zealand flax are precisely those wliich would have to be sacrificed in order to convert it into a fine fibre. The native flax is well suited for a vast Variety of purposes, to adapt it for which Ifctfcle need be done bufc cleanfche fibre. And to the production of fibre, simply cleaned as much as possible from the gelatinous covering which envelopes the fibre of the phormium tenax, the efforts of the colonists should be directed. There is practically, an unlimited market for fibre of this kind, and at a price that would leave a fair margin of profit on the production. No doubt there are many persons in Otago, who, if they know anything of the trade of Dundee, can bear us out in the statement; that that market alone could absorb all the flax that New Zealand could produce. Surely, it is not beyond the bMII and enterprise of the colonists of New Zealand to turn to profitable account a very valuable and abundant natural product. Perhaps the forthcoming Exhibition will prove that the chief difficulties have been overcome in the way of preparing the fibre. The main objects to be attained, appear to be to expend as little labor as possible and fco organize a regular supply Of the raw material. Some experimentalists hare sought to rely mainly on chemical action for the neutralization of the gummy matter. But the use of chemicals damages the fibre, and is too costly. Clearly machinery of some kind must be depended on, for manual labor is too expensive. While on thp subject of machinery, we may refer to a method Vhich we are not aware ha 3 yet been tried in the preparation of the New Zealand flax, but which there is reason to belies c would prove effectual. We allude to pressure. A gentleman who possesses considerable knowledge on the subject;, tells us that during the Crimean war, when flax became so scarce and dear in England, some of the largest manufacturers tried the experiment of subjecting hemp, which is much coarser in the fibre than flax, to a very high degree of pressure between massive iron rollers. The experiment proved remarkably successful, and a fibre was produced sufficiently soft and fine to mix with tho flax. The rollers were subjected to hydraulic pressure, so that a weight equal to many hundred tons was brought to bear on the hemp as it passed between them. The pressure was so great that the hemp after rolling was quite hot to the hand. One would think that a high degree of pressure would effeettually dispose ofthe gelatinous matter which forms the greatest obstacle to fche preparation of the pTiormium tenax. At any rate the experiment might be tried. But of course any successful method of preparation would be comparatively valueless, unless a regular supply of the raw material could be depended on. This is by far the most difficult part of the subject, and the question arises — would the regular cultivation of the indigenous flax pay ? We* are afraid that it would nofc. Bufc afc any rate there is such a vast quantity of the phormium tenax growing wild in the Colony, that the discovery of a]simple and economical method of turning it to a profitable purpose would be an important pubhc benefit. Whether this has already been achieved or nofc, the Exhibition will prove. — Daily Times.