FLAX CULTIVATION.

Southland Times, Issue 1173, 29 November 1869, Page 3

FLAX CULTIVATION.

(TO- THE EDITOR OF THE TIIIRS.)

Sir, — I observe a letter in your issue of the 15th inst., by "Flax Culture," which I fear may mislead persons who are ignorant of flax dressing, as " Flax Culture" appears to know nothing about flax dressing, whatever he may know about " flax cultivation." 700 per cent ! ! What a philanthrophist he must be to make public such information ; is it not rather " too good to be true ?" But wh.it I want to say is simply that " Flax Culture" is very far out in his calculations ; that it will take nearly double the money he has stated for proper plant for eight tniLls, and as much again to keep the concern working uutil a return is got ; that the flax cannot be made worth £25 a ton in Dunedin, excepting by much extra labor in bleaching, scutchin^and classing; that six mills ara quite sufficient for a 16 h.p. engine, but that the two extra are required, as the mills are very apt to break or require some little repair, and that six tons a week of dressed flax will be quite as much as it would be safe to calculate upon turning out, neither will it be safe to calculate upon getting more than d 620 a ton in Invercargill for it. At the present time flax -dressers cannot afford to srive more than from 12s to 15s a ton for the raw material, and in some instances it does not cost more than 10s, especially where cartage i 3 short. If "Flax Culture" will go into it practically, as I have done, a few months' experience will enable him to present the public with quite a different balance sheet. At the same time, I am far from saying that, with water power, plenty flax convenient, good roads and cheap labor, it will nob pay, but a deal has yet to be learned. — Tours, &c, Caution.