A SERIOUS MENACE

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 41, 16 February 1918, Page 7

A SERIOUS MENACE

BLIGHT IN FLAX SWAMPS j

THE INDUSTRY IN THE BALANCE

(BT OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)

Brief reference was recently made in The Post to the serious turn taken by a hitherto undefined disease' which has appeared, in the Mauawatu flax swamps. The disease appears to attack the roots, and causes the leaf to turn a rich golden yellow, and ultimately" die. Isolated bushes have been noticed-in tim«s past to have been affected in this way, but quite recently large areas of swamp have become so ravaged' by the trouble, whatever it is, as to render the flax leaf growing in them commercially valueless. On Thursday a representative of The Post accompanied a large party of flaxmillers and others interested in the industry over the Opui and Tane blocks, Foxton, approximately 3500 acres. Dr. L. Cockayne, F.R.S., who is investigating the matter as botanist; Mr. Alfred' Seifert, president of the. Manawatu Flax Millers' Association; aijd Mr. James Stewart, Government Hemp Grader, Foxtp.n, were of the party. Mr. A. J. Gibbs, managing director of the Opui. Company, Mr. Herman Seifert, managing director of the Tane Company, and Mr. -Hugh, Akers, proprietor of the Biyersdale Estate, in which both blocks are situated 1, were also present. From the Opui mill the party set out by tram, seeing on the way flax of various ages after cutting, which had a thoroughly healthy appearance—a sturdy, bright green leaf, with a bluish tinge or. "bloom" upon it. As the line continued, however, the yellow leaf began to make its appearance, and where it was at all prevalent, the other leaves were stunted or below the size and strength they should have been if thoroughly healthy. Gradually the condition of the flax became worse until the Tane block was reached, when it was found that in this block of 2000 acres the flax was practicallxja6eleEs. THE &REAT SWAMPS. The flax swamps milled 1 stretch roughly from Waikaiiae to Bulls and cover fully 22,00 C acres. The trouble which is now giving flaxmillers and others concerned so much anxiety is at present limited in area, although that area is in itself large, say 4000 jacres. It is seen in the Whitaunui, Ashlea, River, Te Mukanui, Tokomaru, Mukapai, and Miranui blocks, although the edges only of them in some cases may at present be affected. But the growth of the blight —}f it be a. blight—is very rapid, as is evident by the- alarm with which it is now regarded by millers and 1 owners pi swamps. A few months ago it vras thought the trouble would pass, but instead it is spreading over an ever widiening area-. ' The Manawatu. hemp passes ' through. Wellington or Foxton grading ports, and is shipped at Wellington overseas. The .Output of the Manawatu flax is fully 65 to 70 per cent. v of that of the Dominion, aiid in this '. district are the largest and most modern equipped mills. The Opui and Tane mills 6b the'affected blocks are most modern .examples. The former mill has been running but two years, and the Tane mill twice as long. The Tane mill has four etrippers, but work is stopped there for want of millable fibre, which is all destroyed. The Opui mill lias f onr strippers-T-one only "is working. As an instance of loss it may be.stated' that. the"-.Tane output should be equal to 1500 tone per annum. At £50 per ton, a low value, the loss amounts to- £75,C00 at least. The dam. age i&far wpTse than fire. MONEY AND MEN. \ The value of the hemp graded f OS export last year, at £50 per ton, was £1,540,450. This great undertaking, representing the fifth in importance of , exports of the Dominion, employ's directly a large number of men who may be classified as "skilled-unskilled" workers for the most part. The capital involved runs into- some hundreds of thousands of pounds.. The port "and town of Foxton are almost entirely dependent upon flax. The swamps keep both'going. Foxton ie very much concerned in" this matter. Will it any longer pay to grow flax instead of beef? That is the question swamp owners are asking themselves today. . Another question is: Shall the flax still salvable be cut out at once, or shall things be let alone, in the hope that Nature, may rectify the damage already done and in progress ? It is* to settle, if possible, these important considerations that the Manawatu,Flaxmillers' Association invited Dr. Cockayne to report upon the whole matter. His views at the moment were expressed at an assemblage of millers arid .others concerned, when, in reply to Mr. AH. Seifert, he said they must not expect him, at that stage, to make any definite statement on the matter. He remarked,. however, that to the flaxmillers belonged the distinction of being the first 'to adopt what was urged throughout the British Empire to-day— i.e., the practice of calling on the services of the scientific man. He might ] say that his scientific friends throughout the Dominion were extremely pleased i that the flaxmillers were the first to choose a scientist to help them solve an industrial problem. He hoped within a cpniparn.tively brief period to tell them something definite about the disease —if it really was a disease—and, what they most wanted to know : whether it was going to get better or worse. That he wbiild endeavour to answer. This socalled disease, it should be remembered, came after two successive extremely wet winters and extremely dry summers. If a plant bad its roots in stagnant water for too'long a period, it would die, and if it had 110 water at all it would die. The 60-called <%sease had come under certain peculiar conditions, which made him feel that those conditions were at the root of the whole matter—namely, excessive dryhess . and _ excessive water. That was as far as he' could go at the present time. He was, however, conducting a series of experiments in various swamps with individual plants under different' conditions. Mr. Alf. Seifert put the position of' the Manawatu flaxmilling industry in a nutshell, thus :—"There are millions of pounds at stake. Shall we have to rej convert pr scrap the whole of our machi- ! nery??' Yesterday an inspection was made of j the part of the Whitaunui block in which the blight has made some headway—viz., at the extreme northern corner of the block, which is at the southern end of thg Makerua Swamp. After the inspection a meeting was held, at which Messrs. A- E. Mabin (chairman), B. T. Bell (mapaging' director), and F. W .Wilson, W. Barton, and A. J. Toogood were present. The policy to be followed with respect to the blight, should it progress further, as it' promises to do, was discussed. The disease, blight, or whatever it may be, that is kiljmg the .flax and making such rapid ' progress in the Manawatu swamps affected, has' confronted swamp owners, millers, and all'concerned in the industry, especially in Foxton, with a problem that is providing much material for serious thinking at the'mo-, ment. ' .'