MANAWATU FLAX

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 111, 6 November 1935, Page 21

MANAWATU FLAX

INDUSTRY REVIVING

SATISFACTORY MARKET

After several years of intense depression the New Zealand flax industry is again rejoicing in profitable prices in overseas markets. Another development, nearer at hand which offers good hope of a steady market, is the manufacture of woolpacks at Foxton. These indications of improvement in the industry lend considerably greater interest to the investigations on flax-growing which have been carried on at Massey College for the past seven years. Flax fibre was one of the very earliest products exported from New Zealand. The fibre of early days was hand-dressed by Maoris and a considerable trade in it was carried on more than a century ago. Once the Maoris had procured firearms in exchange for their fibre, they could not be induced to supply any great quantities and the export practically stopped. The industry experienced a lean period in the early sixties of last century on this account and because of the Maori wars. The revival which occurred from 1866 onwards, was due to the invention of machinery and to European interests. The most remarkable fact of all is that the machinery and methods used in those early years were virtually the same as those in use today. In spite of the fact that the Maoris prepared their fibre from speciallyselected and highly-prized varieties, the European has continued to use for his purposes the raw material which the old Maoris 'would scorn, namely, any of the many wild-growing varieties in the natural swamp. EMULATING THE MAORI. The main work at Massey College in flax improvement is therefore merely an. attempt to emulate the Maori by finding , and propagating the best varieties for purposes desired. The! European's requirements of a flax plant are very different from those of the Maori, so that for the purposes today one cannot rely on the varieties known to the Maori. There must be a heavy yield per acre and also leaves which are economical to use in machines. Besides that, when a good variety is found, it cannot be relied on to "come true" from seed. Extensive work is therefore necessary to provide the large numbers of plants required by commercial areas. The college has at present some 35 acres planted in flax of specially selected or hybrid strains, and has supplied many thousands of plants to growers for experimental purposes. Although the work of selecting and breeding improved varieties is at first sight a .simple one, a wide range of work is necessary to produce the best results. Therefore, careful work on such problems as the inheritance of various qualities in flax, and the testing of fibre from many hundreds of Plants must be continuously carried on. Palmerston North is especially well suited for work of this type, as it is the natural centre of the best and most extensive flax-growing areas in New1 Zealand. I