FLAX FIBRE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 247, 17 October 1936, Page 26

FLAX FIBRE.

INVESTIGATION MADE. USE FOR CORDAGE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research states that up to the present the main aim in the selection and breeding of flax has been to secure strong, bold fibre for corcige purposes. It now appears that the woolpack industry, and possibly later a sacking industry, will create a large local market for New Zealand fibre. The class of fibre .which these weaving industries demand is very different from the ideal cordage fibre, and intensive selection and breeding of \arieties which possess the desired fineness of fibre is being carried out. Some 25 acres of the Easton area near Shannon have now been planted with pedigree varieties, and some hybrids which have already been tested have given very promising results. The Department's chemist at Foxton is investigating problems connected with the softening and lubrication of the fibre for spinning, and experiments already in progress justify the hope that distinct improvements may be made. A knowledge of the chemical composition of the flax leaf is essential for a complete understanding of its properties, and an attack on this problem was begun during the year at the Dominion laboratory. An investigation of methods of decortication is urgently required, and next year it is hoped to proceed with the design and manufacture of a tail stripper attachment.