THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1806, 23 October 1888, Page 2

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

By the last mail Mr- E. ■ Fiibrow, of Temulra, received the following interesting letter fromi Mr J. 0. Wallace, of Belfast, and has kindly-placeduit at our disposal for publication-: ‘ Olympia (London), Sept. 7,1888. Edward Pilbrow, Esq., Temuka, Canterbury, N.Z. Dear Sir,—The Hon. Geo. fisher, Minister of Education, Wellington, bag sent to me your letter to him, of date 19th July, 1888, regarding my flax machines. One Man-Power to Work, —Theripplera will take off the seed-bolls as quickly os any man can feed the straw to the machines. The price of these machines is £7los each free on board steamer at Belfast, cash before delivery; Two Horse-Power to Work—Scutching Machine.—My invention yields all the fibre that is grown in straw. I can work Ramir or Ehea or China grass equally as well as raw hemp plants and flax. All these plants must be dry and ready to work. Each class requires loolsifitled for it, although 1 can work all on the flax machine, ,

The European flax {linwn mitatmimm.) is beat when retted, although for rope and twine-making the machine will break and clean the unretted straw. The fibre in the latter case is worth only from £l2 to £l6 per ton, whereas it is worth from £45 to £IOO per ton, according to quality, and has frequently sold as £l2O per ton in Belfast. The machine has yielded 33 per cent, of cleaned fibre to the ton of retted straw, and' will work from Bcwt. to 12cwt. per day, according- to the length of the straw, but the machine, gives all the fibre that is on straw—against 12£ > per cent, on present syatemjthe average ot the flax crop in the United Kingdom. Three attendants 1 only are'required for each machine, and. two or three more machines placed alongside can be worked * also by the addition of one attendant only for the buffing at each; machine. No skilled labor for feeding of preparing is required. T will give a fen machines to introduce them in different'districts at £175 each, free on board steamer at Belfast, oasb before delivery. These and tipplers subject to a brokerage to you of ten per cent. The machines I have here on exhibition cost over £2OO, including patterns, and 1 shall require this rata when the machines are known. No other machined produced can equal them for efficiency and economy. The tact of giving growers an increase ' of 100 per cent, more fibre than by old methods would pay in a short time if farmers alone worked the machines] Ahy further information I shall be glad to send on hearing from you.—Yours truly, M' Jno. Okk Wallace. r