FLAX PREPARATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2681, 19 February 1866, Page 4

FLAX PREPARATION.

We are aware that an attempt is being made to raise £300, or thereabouts, for the purpose of fairly testing the patent, known as Purchas and Ninnis's patent, for the preparation of New Zealand flax, and there is every reason to believe that the required amount will be subscribed. The machinery and buildings are erected on a creek on a branch of the Manukau, within a few miles of Waiuku, where there is abundance of the raw material ; and should the result of the experiment prove successful, its promoters contemplate forming a company for the purchase and working of the patent. This is a laudable enterprise, and we wish its spirited promoters every success. We understand that there is another patent in course of preparation for the manufacture of flax, from which its inventor anticipates the most favourable results ; but as ib has not yet been brought before the public, it would be premature to say more about it. * As our readers know, there is a flax mill on the Thames, belonging to an English company ; but, so far as we at present are aware, the machinery has not been tested by preparing any quantity of the fibre. The difficulty eucountered at the outset was with the natives ; and difficulties of a similar character are always certain to be met with where Europeans must depend ior labour; and a supply of the raw material of manufacture, upon the natives. We trust, however, that the price agreed upon, namely, £1 per ton for the green flax, will content the natives. It is 3s 4J. per ton higher than is paid to Europeans for the same work, within 16 miles of Auckland. Men who are industrious can earn 63. per day cutting and bundling green flax at 10 J. per cwb., on Papakura flat. We are likewise glad to say that the Waikato natives are beginning to show a disposition to clean flax for market. Very little has been done in this way at preaeut, but from information which we have received aud which we print elsewhere, it will be seen that a beginning in this direction has been made. We hail this as a cheering sign for the country. We now come to notice another flax mill, the existence of which is known to but few of our fellow colonists, but to which we attach more importance in the main than to all the others put together. 'It appears to us to solve the question regarding a flax export, by proving that machinery of simple contrivance, and inexpensive, can be erected in the vicinity of flax fields by country settlers, and worked by horse power. The flax mill to which we refer is situate on Mr. Gruchys farm, near Papakiua Bridge. The buildings consist of a shed which covers the machine or mill, aud a whare in which the- green flax is stored. The woiks are carried ou by Mr. Murray, a native of Jersey, who has been brought up to the manufacture of rope and cordage. Air. Murray was sent out by his employers in Jersey, to make inquiries regarding the growth and manufacture of New Zealand flax, with the view of going into it on a large scale. He brought with him machinery, as he believed, adapted for the purpose ; but found, on making experiments, that it would not do. Being an ingenious man, he set to work to alter his machine, and at last succeeded in his attempt. He arrived in Auckland by the 'Alliance,' schooner, last June twelve moaths ; he commenced to build the machine in March following ; and afber considerable delay has succeeded in preparing over four tons of flax for the market, one ton of which was sold in Auckland amougst the upholsterers, at from 4d. to 6d. per Ib. A sample of the flax was sent home by Mr. Murray, and he received a letter intimating that 100 tons, equal to sample, would be taken at £35 per ton, if the order could be executed. This, with Mr. Mm ray's limited means, he was unable to do. However, he sent one ton of flax home by the ' Bombay,' which sailed on the 3rd September last ; aud 2£ tons of prepared flax have been shipped by him in the • Percy,' for London, haviug been shorbshioped per ' Ida Zeigler.' On inquiry, we find that the model machine, which Mr. Murray is working, produces 2261b. of cleaned flax in 54 houis. One horse, with driving gear attached to two machices of similar construction, but of greater power, would produce Bcwfe. of flax per day of nine hours. The machines, Mr. Murray informed us, would cost somewhere about £10 each — an outlay which would bring the manufacture of flax, if the principle were known and adopted, within the reach of almost evei*y out-settler whose circumstances placed him in a position in which he could take profitable advantage of the flax gi'owing upon his land or in adjoining swamps. There are drawbacks to this process of manufacture, however. We believe a chemical is employed to remove the gummy substance from the leaf j and about half an inch at the end of the stalk remains un cleaned, where it is held by the grippers of the machine. This defect in cleaning might, we imagine, be remedied by an improved construction of the machine ; or the clean fibre might be cut off from the uncleaned end. The loss, by cutting, woulddbe comparatively trifling. A sample of this flax was sent over to Melbourne by Mr. Alfred Woolley, whose correspondents informed him they could find a ready sale for it if •sent in quantity. The rope manufacturer to whom it was submitted spoke very favourably of ib ; and said that in hand-spinning the uncleaned ends offered no difficulty, but tha.t when used with machinery it was different, as the green ends were twisted up in the rope. However, that is a defect which, we apprehend, may be easily remedied. Mr. Murray procures the green flax by employing men and boys to cub and bundle it at lOd. per cwt. ; aud those employed can earn at the rate of 6s. per day. The full-grown leaves only are cut; by this means all the young shoots are saved, and every flax plant will afford three cuttings in the season. Mr. Murray calculates that a square mile of cultivated flax (pJiormium tenax) will produce 2,000 tons annually of prepared flax, if the plants are treated in this way. This produce would be worth £40,000 in Auckland, and, at £35 per ton, it would fetch £70,000 in the English market. But with improved machinery, flax of the finest fibre may be produced, for cloth manufacture ; and we know that the linen spmuers of Ulster pay as much as £150 and £170 per ton of dressed flax, for particular purposes, in Belgium, — the fibre being as coarse, and the colour not being equal to the finest samples of New Zealand flax. We look upon the result of Mr. Murray's experiment, however, as the greatest step towards creating a flax export that has yet been taken. The machinery is inexpensive, is easily worked, may be generally used, and the return is large and certain.