NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 4, 5 January 1910, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

1 INVESTIGATING THE GROWTH.

(By Telegraph.—PrJss Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH,. this day.

Miss Bella Cross, M.A., who has for sevei-al months been engaged in. •preliminary work of investigation, regarding New Zealand flax and • the possibility of. developing, the .flax, industry -,by the application of, more scientific 'methods than -hitherto employed, gave 'an interview to a repbrter.' She said 'she was not concerned with the mechanical side of the industry; the best methods of extracting the 'fibre- in ' a commercial form must be: determined by engineers. Her object was to dis- ; cover" which'variety of" flax would prove most profitable .for giving the largest- and most,-valuable..-yield of •fibre, and. which .localities. ..were best adapted for its growth. One of the most important sections' of her research would be the preparation of a work to provide a directory to all publications.bearing on the. subject. As yet no such work-had been- compiled, and. no index works of reference were'available.' Miss Cross has already spent time in examining the libraries' of the institutes- at Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, and is going to Dunedin with the same object. Many seedings of different kinds have been planted in Christchurch Botanical Gardens, and their development will 'be watched- by Miss Cross . this year. Comparatively little .is known, about the different varieties, and the experimentation has not been very satisfactory. " Miss Cross' work will occupy two or three years.