ITEMS FROM THE COUNTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 419, 30 January 1909, Page 3

ITEMS FROM THE COUNTRY.

Our . Palmerjton North correspondent writes:—Nominations for the various vacant olfices in the , A. and P. Association are coming in .steadily. The following have been nominated,so far for the twelve vacancies on the General Committee:—Messrs. K. i St. C. Sutherland Hugh Gilhes, F. W. Arbon, O. A. J Levett, M. Cohen, J. Balsilhe There are members of the committee, twelve I of whom retire annually. A number of flaxmiflers and others interested m the flaxmilhng industry paid a visit to the Miranui-mills yesterday to inspect Mr. W Seifert s automatic washing and sbakizfe machmes which havo recently been installed ,, and are working there. During the past four years Mr Seifert has been expenmentmg with his patent and effecting I such improvements as have suggested them-1 selves from time to time to such good pur-1 pose that, as the present time, it has stood i every test to which it has been subjected and is now being worked in oiie or two of the % largest mills m the district. It is claimed for tho new machine that it entirely dispenses with the < services of two men, and that the saung thus effected will defrav, in one r season alone,\ the entire cost of the, machine and its installation without taking into, consideration the improvement eliect«i in the quality of fibre. The machine (it is' stated) does away with the old method of shaking, and washing the fibre in the trough, which often was not as effective as could be desired. It works in such a manner that water is brought to play upon every thread of hbre, at the' same time straightening, the fibres out and treating the hbre of earh blade instead of tho whole ' bank as now. The machine is said to give s larger result from raw material, because of'the absence of tousled or tangled ■fibre, and, therefore, the action of tho scutcher m tearing snch fibre from tho fielded hank is reduced, and, m addition (because the fibre takes less-time to bleach), it can be brought in from the,paddocks after less- exposure to the action of weather- It is claimed also that the machine gives' more even and uniform colour, because the butts are more'evenly treated, and that less time is required for paddocking, because the machine effectually remo\es all stain and dye matter from the green leaf The risk of' damage from flood is minimised on account of the shorter time required for paddocking, and consequently, winter milling becomes more nracticahl*