LINEN FLAN SEASON

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 159, 18 April 1947, Page 5

LINEN FLAN SEASON

EFFECTS OF ADVERSE WEATHER An indication of the adverse effects of the weather this season on linen flax production is given in a report yesterday from the general manager of the Linen Flax Corporation, Mr J. W. Hadfield. “During the 1946-47 season we sowed 407 S acres of linen flax and harvested 3G54 acres,” lie said, “so that a fraction over 10 per* cent, of the area sown proved not to be suitable for fibre production. In view of the unfavourable climatic conditions this low proportion of rejections may be regarded as satisfactory. “Continuous rain in the spring delayed sowing in some districts by as much as four to six weeks. These latesown crops matured very rapidly, some between SO and 90 days instead of the normal 100 to 110 days, allowing insufficient time for the development of fibre. The result has been that the fibre content of crops in these districts is very low and since crops are bought on a basis of fibre content it necessarily follows that the payout to growers has been proportionately low. For example in the Methven district not one crop so far tested lias reached even the average of the fibre content of the 1945-46 crop. “On the other hand in the Fairlie district, where sowing was normal, crops are exceptionally high in fibre content and growers are receiving excellenl prices. The same position applies to the Winton district.”