NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Southland Times, Issue 1310, 20 September 1870, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

- The San Francisco mail brings some important information respecting the native flax. Dr Featheraton has visited many of the large manufacturing towns in the north of England and Scotland, with the view of ascertaining the prospects in store for what should be a source of income to New Zealand. Brio fly stated, the result of these enquiries may be summed up as follows :— «■ :.',.:'.; The mills used in dressing flax in the colony seem to be defecive. Tlie " straw," of which so much complaint is made, is chiefly found at the lower or thin end of the leaf. From this it is deduced that the " set " of the machine is not regulated so as to act on the varied thicknesses of the plant. Thus the end remains untouchei in the process of "scutching"." Then the plant seems to have been cut without any regard to its age or growth. Young plants and old are cut down together. Hence, a disparity in the substance of the fibre, and hence als •> the difficulty of dealing with it by machines ordinarily used in , its manufacture. Manilla hemp is not fit to cut .until three years old. New Zealand must find |ou£ the best time of cutting their flax ; then they mu3t pack all the fibre as nearly as possible of. the same length. The precise length does not appear to matter much. From four to five feet is in favor with rope-makers, but it must not be mixed with six feet or three feet fibre indiscriminately. If the tapering ends of the leaves are cut off it would in all probability have the effect of keeping a good deal of straw out of the parcels sent. -Either this must be done or the dressing machines must be made to accommodate themselves to the varying thickness of the leaf. The presence of" straw " is absolutely ruinous to the flax. There is something still more important to be told in connection with the enquiries recently made. In every case manufacturers, whether of rope, or woollen cloth, or linen fabrics, or cotton goods, repudiated the idea of the fl*x as ordinarily prepared being made useful for mixing wih wool or cotton or flax for the manufacture of textile fabrics. It might make ropes, and it might make paper, but it would never help to make a marketable, cloth, either woollen, cotton, or linen. When, however, some samples of flax dressed by " the Maoris were shewn them, they declined to "believe that it had anything in common with the " New Zealand flax " with which they were so well acquainted. " That," referring to the sample prepared by the natives, they said, " that we can use in connection with wool, or flax, or cotton — for such purposes it is -worth from £40 to £60 per ton, and we will buy all we! can get of it." No^r, ordinary 'flax in clean and in good condition may bring from £20 to £30. - The' question that arises hereupon is a very/ simple one. Can the native process— the .scraping with the mussel shell and the retention of one side of the leaf—-' be improved , upon and extended ? '..If it can- — ' 'and colonists are the' best judges of this— the i cultivation. of flax in New Zealand may be made a most valuable industry. • •