THE Hemp' INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 10

THE Hemp' INDUSTRY.

QUALITY' AND -QUANTITY- IMPKOV- :; While.. ■WtUiDglon'and Foxton is.showing.au increaso''on. the'quantity,-handled at'.thia ■ ; tijne .'last year,'says/Mr'.' W. H.:-.Vbrris, ,] .Govcrpmeht.-hotnp gradi,r,- tho;au'ality-is- •! im'proyßDc'nt. • In.;scv; :\ owl ,'ca'sos millcrs-are'-being compelled to i dealswith •• unsa'isfactory- leaf; - suffering J considerably from the effects- of -disease;- -i and-"fair" is. the best grade they, can 1 rijjich. However, the'extent of diseased"' leaf .is not so great as.it was'last season. | Some fibre was-damaged .to a slight, eitont r by the wot:.weiither. .The general ■; iinbrovemc'ht --noticeable is. in tdrippiilg' ' and ?cciloiir. Thn chief weakness—and it : is as pronounced 'as it was last season—, is ih scutching. ...Very few millers are adopHa" .tho elteellc!it idea, of cutting ' out the tail ends, in! the paddock, thus leaving the objectionable. tow-balls.. . MILL IMPROVEMENTS. On the recent visit of inspection to the mills of the Manawatn, Mr. Ferris was greatly struck with the indications of pi-ofrross biking place in tho work of milling. Plants arc being brought moro ■ np to date; while the capacity of. a number has been increased. The patent Suttio catcher and washer is boing generally installed; while a feature of the . extension, being. mado on the plants is the conversion o; single-strippor .mills into mills operating two and throe strippers,.thus donbling- and -trebling -tho- capacity/ The swamps are being more carefully managed, the necessity of. clearing rubbish ns,,tho ; cutting proceeds being now more generally. recognised. Unfortuiiatelr, in some of tho- swnirips the leaf is being cut too far into tho butt, with tho result that tho. trade ,is* being supplied with a badly staine.dhemp. It ; may bb well to" remind millers that draining from the butt is especially prejudicial to high-grade quality. Manufacturers demand aii absolutely clean and evon colour in tho tet quality of fibre. |