MR. THORNE ON NEW ZEALAND HEMP.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 138, 27 March 1873, Page 2

MR. THORNE ON NEW ZEALAND HEMP.

Mr C Thorpe, to who^e labours in connection with NewZealand flax we (Taranaki Herald) have so often drawn attention, has addressed the following letter to the Journal of the Society of Arts — "I would venture to draw your attention to the fibre now being produced in large quantities from the plant Phormmm leiuix, in our colony of New Zealiiud. For ninny years past this fibre has been known as a fibre, when properly prepared, adapted for making very strong rope ; it is only, however, within the past four years that it has boon an article of regular importation into this couutry. I notice in the journal that works referring to Phonnium tenax have been presented to your library ; and I think your society would greatly benefit this importaut branch of industry in ouo of our far oft' colonies if you would cause notice of the progress therein recorded to he extracted from these works, so thnt our manufacturers may learn that a fibre which, less than two yoarf ago, was considered perfectly Useless for any textile fabric, is now in a fair way to prove of very great value, not only for making the coarse material, fitted for colonial use, such as woolpacks, cornsacks, &i , but, when used as a mixture, it will greatly improve and •treugthen fabrics similar to those which have hitherto been composed of ordinary flax and Russian hemp. Your journal published a letter from me on the uses of the Phormium fibre, on the 2nd August. Since that date Mr A. K. Forbes, of Hattoit Mill, Arbroath. lias manufactured further fabnei from the ' nativc-diessed' fibre, for Dr. J. Or Feathprstono, the agent-general for New Zealand, and from fibre prepared by myself. On pngo 19 of ' The Report of tho Commissioners Appointed to Inquiro into the Preparation of the Phormium Fibre,' you will find thnfc, so late us 13fch Juno, 1871, ono of our leading Dundee manufacturers gave it as his opinion that this fibre ' is not suitable for fine fabrics of cloth, and for common purposes it would have to competo with jute, which is much more easy to manipulate.' Mr Forbes has now worked up a very largo quantity of the fibre, and from his practical experience, he having gone beyond tho stage of experiments, gives it an his opinion, that if cloth wero made in New Zealand from the Phormium fibre, it would entirely supersede jute for consumption on tho spot, though here in '■ England it uould never compete with it. When the works on the Phonnium fibre, now m your library, haro been carefully perused, I think it will bo admitted that there is every prospoct of this fibre eventually becoming of great servico to our manufacturers ; although no doubt the prejudices and antipathy which they, as a body, always exhibit against the introduction of any fibre which is new to them, and therefore requires more care and attention at their hands, and occasionally a slight alteration of machinery, will prevent that rapid development of its usos, to which its merits must lead in n. few years, in spite of any adverse opinions which maj bo offerecl."

A Livfia' Stait — Xorth Carolina, since the close of the war, seema to be acquiring an unenviable reputation for lawlessness and ci'irao As a specimen of the way in which the peaceable a^ocatiom o( life aio carried on in the ''Old State," we gi\e the following incident as we ihnl it reported "Do you wi-sh to sell that cow ? " asked one neighbour of anotlior, a* the latter was driving homo one of his stray kino •' No, not by a good de.il," was the reply- " Well, I guoss I'll take her then." " That means one of m, I tako it," said the owner of the cow, drawing a revolver. " Well, it does," cooly roplied tho oilier, also drawing a revolver. Shots wroe instantly exchanged, and the firing waa kept up until the pistol chambors wore exhausted. Each man waa sliglitly woimdod, and one went into his house and the other drove his cow home. The traveller who witnessed the unexpected affray had the curio M lv to nsk the cow-driver what occasioned it. '" Oh, nothing 'tickler," w>i« tho roplv ; "wo ain't good friends general;, and so wo jes' let dr to \s\\o ovui' we give uu excuse."