PRODUCTION OF FLAX.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1072, 6 August 1869, Page 3

PRODUCTION OF FLAX.

Flaxdressing is daily becoming of more importance as a productive industry, and we have on various occasions alluded to the machinery generally used for the purpose of separating the husk from the fibre, with, it must be allowed, highly satisfactory results. Still in the very best samples which have hitherto been produced, a certain quantity of gum was to be found, which to some extent detracted from their commercial value ; but we have been shown by C. C. Graham, Esq., M.H.R., some samples prepared by solution, by Mr. Coggins, of Oamaru, much superior in color, texture, and freedom from gum, to any we have seen before. Mr. Coggins says that the cost of the chemical solution is very trifling — not more than . one farthing to one half-penny per pound of the. dressed fibre — and by making experiments he has discovered that he can precipitate the gum, and leave the solution strong enough to steep, another quantity of fibre. He is now engaged in other experiments to determine whether he cannot collect the gum, and turn it into an article of commerce, in which,, if he succeeds, it will more than doubly pay the cost of the solution. Other solvents have, before now been tried for the same purpose, but, though they removed the gum, they materially damaged the fibre ; in this case, however, no injury is done, the samples we have seen being quite as strong as any dressed by the machines. The keenest scrutiny fails to detect any particle of gum in these samples ; small portions of the inner skin remain among them, but they fall off in hackling, or by rubbing. It is com•monly understood that a reward was offered some time ago by the Government for the discovery of a method of removing the gum from the phormium tenax without injuring the fibre ; this has evidently been accomplished by Mr. Coggins, and if the offer still holds good he is entitled to the reward. At all events the discovery is a very important one, as enhancing materially the value of the flax, which we are now beginning to look forward to as one of our principal exports, and we commend it to the attention of all who are interested in. the matter.— Evening Post, July 26.