SPARE THE TUSSOCKS.

Evening Star, Issue 7301, 27 August 1887, Page 2

SPARE THE TUSSOCKS.

Messrs Green and Sonness, of Gore, have received a lengthy communication from Mr James Forsyth, of Dunedin, relative to the valne of tnssock and other native grasses for fibre manufacture. He writes: "I some time ago made a discovery of a valuable fibre in many of our native grasses, viz., the silver and yellow tussock, the snow grass, and the sedge grass, the three former belonging to the ' Poa' family. I registered the discovery, and about a fortnight ago I obtained the patent. Messrs R. and A. J. Park have sent home to England on my account, and I now ask the assistance of your firm as to the best means of bringing the matter before the public, with a view to getting support for the project in your neighborhood." Mr Forsyth then proceeds to point out that the Manilla flax, from which reaperand-binder twine is made, costs about L3O a ton, and continues thus: " I can produce the fibre fit for this twine for LG per ton, including cost of material and labor, and will undertake to spin it with proper maohinery for 3d per lb. The selling price is 7£d per lb, or L7O per ton, while the outside cost for this is L2s per ton. Messrs Reid and Gray took 42 tons last year to supply their own customers with." Mr Forsyth then goes on to give some details about the manufacture of the twine, and continues: " I have collected some seeds which I would much like to have sown this year, and I ask yon to assist me in this object; I want to see what the tussock is like under cultivation. We all know howytenaciona of life it is under unfavorable conditions ; and if a crop can be grown yielding four tons to the acre, the farmers will derive an immense benefit. I could better afford to give 20s per ton for the cultivated plant than 7s 6d for the same in its natural state. If yon observe a bunch of tussock jyou will find some of the straws dead, others dying, and others not yet matured. The fibre produced from that sort of tussock wants that uniformity of length and strength which an annual crop would give. Once' the crop is sown, ana cut before seeding, a number of crops can be taken in succession without further expense. This should surely prove a blessing to struggling farmers when grain, wool, and mutton are at their present low ebb in the Home market. You will have observed, as I have done, how, despite the number of 'years this grass is burned off the runs, it grows again. What, then, might be

done with it under intelligent cultivation ? And there is an unlimited market for this material, for the manufacture of waggoncovers, sails, twine for sacks, wool-packs, spun yarn for shipping, etc., etc. Scotland alone in 1862 used 40,000 tons of jute, and what then would Great Britain, France, Germany, and, above all, Belgium use ? If this plant can be grown—and of that I think there is little doubt—milk at Clinton, Waipahi, Gore, Matanra, Wydnham, etc , would be established, and the material either bought, or prepared by the company on commission at a fixed rate per ton, shipped, and advances made in the ordinary course of business." —'Ensign.