CULTIVATING FLAX

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 412, 21 July 1928, Page 12

CULTIVATING FLAX

SCIENTIFIC RESULTS

PROMISE OF BIG INDUSTRY Compare the luscious peach with the poisonous almond from which it sprang, the great rose with its progenitor, the wild briar, and then see the results which have already been achieved with the scientific cultivation of the New Zealand wild flax. A century or two ago the Maori discovered the uses of the flax and today scientists have found that Phormium Tenax is probably the finest fibre-producing plant known to man. The results of cultivation, the great fans of leaf and the superfine fibres, are shown in a stall at the Winter Exhibition, which has been arranged by Australian and New Zealand Investments, 1/td., of 506 New Zealand Insurance Co. Buildings. The object is the cultivation of flax on up-to-date lines. Two areas have been acquired, one of I,2l9.acres at Kaingaroa, North Auckland, and the other of 3,019 acres at Gordonton, Waikato. An issue of 3,171 bonds, of £2l 10s each, bearing interest at 7 per cent, from the first month following that to which they are fully paid up is being made, based on the freehold, unencumbered title of the land. Bond-holders have as their trustee the Public Trustee of New South Wales, and it has been arranged that one of New Zealand’s flax cultural experts, recommended by the Department of Agriculture, will periodically inspect and report the development of the land to the Public Trustee. DOMINION’S CHANCE The world’s need in fibre is 400,000 to 500,000 tons annually, and New Zealand is supplying only 20,000 tons, of which the bulk is low grade. Science is rapidly improving not only the plant but the processes of fibre manufacture Present it takes up to 12 tons of wild leaf to produce a ton of hemp, but it has been found that six tons o. cultivated leaf will do this. This may be compared with the 20 tons of Manila and the 40 tons of Sisal required for a ton of hemp. Th% trouble has been that the Dominion has been producing only 61 jer cent, of the “good fair" srade re iuired by foreign markets. cost of production of one ton of fibre from cultivated- leaf is £2O. and the selling price is approximately £3O leaving a profit of about £lO. Areas as already produced have proved that up to five tons of fibre has been taken PUH J?? « cre V ln Ar s , - n tine, the New ■Zealand flax has resulted in from 28 to 32 tons of green leaf an acre, at the fourth year of planting, producing over 5 tons of dry fibre. An indifjf”' ° us should do even better man this here.

teJ«=i-?-° Ver ? ment bas realised the po- “ P es of this industry, having set tura? CnHeUfr at the Massey AgriculcmfUP 11 ? f °r experiments with flax culture under Dr. Yates. Mr. A W cPmrUnP' i J ,rOPe /: ty mana S e r for the attendance at the show. r,U,. - P l° perty manager for the comShiUkI 8 I” attendance at the show and deaiir. 6 P ea f, ed to Sive any information dealing with the operations of the company connected with flax cultivation, and the important part it will pI.I> in coping with the unemployment ' vhcn ether trades are slack ing -

Messrs. Joseph Nathan and Co.. LtA. have received the following cable frw their London house, Messrs. TrengTjj*** and Nathan, Ltd., Tooley Street.— ter, 186 s; cheese, 110 s to Ills*