NEWS OF MR. FULTON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 162, 2 April 1908, Page 2

NEWS OF MR. FULTON.

FLAX IN'ST.'HELENA. ,' ---v ' • Mr: Fulton, our. chief, flix expert, who iaS;'. - lately: been,' ,»6u' loan"; to' the British Govern- :,. . ; ment to assist St: Helena to establish a : flax vindnstrv, -but. is. now-, returning,: was. mtor* :; viewed bv a' London Pressman. . Speaking ot , , tho: 'flax* previously planted .'.in St/ Helena- j "Mr ; Fultor S3 id :-r'.'The. -New .Zea- -j laud'jlax has grown there for mor<J;than-half: '- : :j a- ceritury—perhaps s'l orooyears. - It.waa ■''introduced:- and -cultivated ;for hedges,and .for, shelter- in, tho more .exposed portions of .the ' -'island. V'-At.-iho, present:time;there IS-onlvy-.;.; ■ a- ! comparatively.jS7Jiall']ot,tliorD, ;/ but tho .sou >■ . s j is verv. 'suitable .for '.its propagation,' and it ; .will now. be cultivated, in large fields: ■ ■ Juea : "novv,■ ho^yoverthe. : . big ; hedges'greatly. 1 need thinning, x and so a. considerable quftn-: • , tity will. bcUvailablc-vquite enough' to go a small ..way wl»kT. the:method , of; workjing isr ■ lining v practisqd.', Then ' the hedges will be > thinned' diit, /'not only .by;cutting, but . also ■ by transplantation of. the rootsi .There .will ■ -be fields- of;the flax, instead of merely lwrtgoa. „, > 'At nrcsent' .the' new industry"gives employ-• • rccnt to 'thirtv: men', : viz:, : '.sixteen- at the mill,' and the others- at convening the -mar; : -terial to the mill"with bullocks ana donkeys. i : Tho'formal-opening:of the mill' took ; yJ plAce:on 'December 1 .5; ..;■lt was>regardcd-as ■ . : quite an historic event,. .aiid tho whole popu- . . : : lation turned out ;to witness and celeurato ' it. ' They might' well: deein the occasion an :■ important one, :for the (lax industry'is. really : ■ tho only'chance: for is,;;to grow.v . the, flax and. mill: it.". • ,