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Southland Times, Volume VII, Issue 533, 3 August 1866, Page 3

We learn from the Southern Gross of the Ist instant, that in the leaves of the cabbage-tree we possess a more valuable fibre than is afforded by the joJiormium tenax. It says : — " To day our merchants will have an opportunity of inspecting the prepared fibre from the cabbage-tree leaf, of which we spoke yesterday. It was dressed by Mr. E. M ' Millan, in the flaxdressing machine made by Messrs. Eraser and Tinne, and took far lesa time to prepare than the flax. It cleans more easily, and reduired only an hour's boiling in cow- dung lye. There is no waste of fibre, which is apparently stronger than that of the fiax. We would suggest that a sample of thia fibre be transmitted to Melbourne and Sydney, to test its value in those markets. There is no difficulty whatever in producing a considerable supply of cabbage-tree in New Zealand. No plant is more easily cultivated than the tuabbage-tree. Every joint in a wellgrown stem, if planted in moist ground, is certain to grow, and the leaves could be cut the first season of planting. Thus the undrained marshy places and swamps in farms, might be planted with these trees, which, in the event of the leaves being utilized, would be at once ornamental and profitable. Sets might also be planted in fences, in moist weather with the certainty of their growing ; and in short, it would be hard to say where tie cabbage-tree will not grew. We commend this subject to the attention of country settlers. There are places, on all i'arn « which are hardly worth draining ; and these, as we have said, may be turned 'to good account in the way named. If the leaves are not manufactured, the unsightly barrenness of the place will be hidden by the most picturesque of all New Zealand plants."