Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1879. NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5527, 1 November 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1879. NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Old settlers will remember the great * rush" on flax a few years ago. Like a gold fever, the mania for setting up flaxmills possessed all classes of society, and merchants, traders, and runholders with.* di'ew capital from their businesses in order that they might become suddenly rich by the utilisation of the vast natural fields of the phormium tenax which abounded in New Zealand. The awakening from the dream of sudden wealth was fuick, and as rude as quick. Instead of fortunes realised, fortunes were lost, and hundreds were ruined by their participation in the flax rush. The mills were closed one by one, until now comparatively few aro running, and they do not bring great riches to the possessor. The fall in the price of our flax — for though not a true flax it is convenient to^give the fibre the name by which it is best known — was ascribed to various causes. Some thought it due to the fact that a large amouut of ill-dressed fibre was rushed upon the market ; others traced .it to the great increase in the production of manilla ; a third party believed the flax to have been over- rated at first; a fourth contended that the high price in the first instance was due only to the short supply of other similar fibres in the market. Probably each of these things had something to do with the failure of the flax industry, but be that as it may, the price of New Zealand flax fell swiftly and permanently. We last year sent Home only 323 tons, of a declared value of £10,666, or about £17 per ton. Sir Julius Yogel, with that commendable desire to see the natural resources of New Zealand utilised to the utmost which characterises him, has recently been obtaining from the j officials of various flax-growing centres in 1 Europe some account of the cultivation and manufacture of the flax plant, the price of the fibre, &c. This inquiry was undertaken at the request of Mr Thomas Kirk, F.E.S., of Wellington, who appeared to. think that if the flax could be simply pressed in the straw, and sent to England for manufacture, it might pay to cultivate it here. The phormium is the fibre which both Mr Kirk and Sir Julius had more directly in view, but the inquiry was extended to the possibility of cultivating the European flax here. The universal testimony is that the expense of carrying the unmanufactured straw from New Zealand to Europe would prevent a profitable trade in th c article in bulk. Probably not more than ten or twelve per cent, of the flax-leaves consist of fibre — in the European flax the proportion is saitf to be from 15 to 20 per cent, of the gross weight of the straw. These replies do not rest altogether upon theory, for the experiment of exporting flax in bulk from Algiers to France has been tried, and has failed. In Algiers there is insufficient water to dress the straw, and hence flax is

'now ottly dbltiYkJted Sh that country for the Seed. Some confusion , evidently! •exists in the minds, of some o£ the writers as to the exact nature of l^W Zealand flax. The phormxttu piiam cfoe"s itot &s a matter o£ Uxk really etiie> i&fco comp'etitioa wMi tike Euroj^ah article for the ma'fmf active *$ ; its use is. almost solely in rope and canvas m&kingv in ifefct, it is really a hemp talker than a flax. The information, as to the price which could be obtained in Europe for the fiWe i is therefore misleading. Tfce quotation's I given vary from £30 or 3640 $e£ lon for the coarser qualities fed £^40 for the very finest. 9flk* Export returns we have above show the aver&gtt of the p/iormium fibre to be v*r.y much, less. Perhaps a higher p*i<& might be obtained for it it ifc were treated with more cafe, but to produce a better quality of fibre a large amount of additional labor would be required, and this would in New Zealand probably absorb the whole of the extra price which would be obtained. The prfcccsftft fe* manufacture, as , described fey the various gentlemen with Whtoiu Sir Julras Yogel communicated, shows that in Maiice a vast amount of j care is fcesltowed on the separation of the , ifitac and the straw. Indeed, one report | mentions that the labor required is so great that it hardly pays to produce the coarser qualities. If this be the case in France, where labor is so cheap, it is evident that in New Zealand) where labor is j four times as dear* and where we are l 10,000 miles from a market, we could not successfully compete in growing the ordinary linen flax. The preparation of the phonninm for ropes and coarse canvas may still yield a small profit, but it is evident that, until we work under very altered condition s> We cannot hope to prepare it with the care necessary in order t*» make it bring a high price at Home. There is also another reason why the European flftx could not well be cultivated £"6r fibre in New Zealand. It is an exceedingly exhausting crop, especially when it is allowed to go to seed. Manuring is found to be of little use, and in France the growers have abandoned the attempt to take flax off the land more than once in seven to eleven years, according to the q\iality of the soil. Thus a large area Would have to be devoted to flax-growing, in order that each year" sufficient might be produced to keep the mills at work. We might grow sufficient for seed to supply our own wants, but that this> is the utmost wo can hope to do for many years to come is the inevitable conclusion to which one is driven by a perusal of the papers recently collected by the Agent-General.

Telegraphic communication with, the South Island was restored yesterday afternoon, the fault in the one-wire cable being removed. The communication, however, ts limited, as one wire is working instead of four. Messages are sent through, but there may be some unavoidable delay. The Friendly Societiy's Fete Committee meeting was held last evening in the Oddfellows' Hall. There was a large attendance, all the members representing the societies intending to take part in the fete being present. Mr St. Clair occupied tho chair. It was resolved that the right to erect booths, for which tenders were not accepted, be sold by public auction on Wednesday hext, by Mr Eoutledge. The booths let were to Mr Keystone, of Farndon, and Messrs Krough and McCarthy, of JSTapier. The programme was revised. After the transaction of other business, the meeting adjourned until Thursday evening next. Should fine weather prevail, there is not the slightest doubt the fete will pass off even more successfully than ia former years.

J A splendid specimen of a light American buggy, and the grey trotting mare "Dollie," -which have attracted some attention in town during the last few days, will be raffled at the Criterion Hotel on Monday evening next. Further particulars may be learnt on reference to our advertising columns. With reference to the paragraphs whichhave appeared relative to the alterations in the hospital buildings, we are requested to state that the rooms of which the ceilings were lowered were not intended for fever wards. Two of them are marked upon the plan as nurses' bedrooms, and one as a bath-room. As they were small, the architect thought that very high ceilings would appear disproportionate, and so lowered them. A large number of dogs, especially of the collie breed, have recently been stolen in and around town. Nearly every day for weeks past our advertising columns have contained announcements of rewards for the recovery of dogs. It is simply impossible that all could have strayed— in some instances they have been left chained vp — and the general impression is that the tramps now pretty numerous about the neighborhood are responsible for the disappearance of a largo proportion of the missing animals. When a dog is offered for sale to a runholder in the country it would be just as well to inquire into the antecedents of the seller, and to ascortain, if possible, how he came into possession of the animal.

We hear that Mr Becker, of the Criterion Hotel, has determined to utilise the open space at the back of Messrs lloutledge, Kennedy aud Co.'s stores, which is rented by him, by erecting baths there. He proposes to inako a large swimming bath, and a number of small ones, hot and cold, the artesian well at the hotel supplying the water. All the baths will be concreted. In front, and facing TSmerson-street, Mr Becker proposes to build a row of shops.

We are informed that during a heavy thunderstorm which passed over Takapau yesterday the lightning struck a tree, splitting it as if cleft with a large axe, setting it on fire, and killing a sheep which was near.

Early yesterday morning, a woman named Mrs Farrell, residing in Emersonstreet, visited the Star Hotel, and after awakening the proprietor, Mr Johnston, demanded to ho served with, liquor, the request was refused and Mr Johnston returned to his couch. Before many minutes elapsed he was startled by anoise~ in front of the house, and on proceeding to the spot saw the woman Farrell with an empty ginger-beer bottle in her hand demolishing the front window. He put a stop to the proceeding, and she then left. Tho matter will be enquired into at the Police Court this merning.

A meeting of the committee of management of the Napier Hospital was held yesterday afternoon in the Council Chamber. Present — Messrs Vautier (Chairman) Miller, Smith, Swan, Tanner, and Winter. The third progress payment to the contractor, amounting to £600, was passed, and also accounts amounting to £32 Is 9d. At the suggestion of Mr Smith it was decided to send to the Mosgiel and Kaiapoi woollen factories for samples of blankets, with the view of getting fifty pairs of colonial manufacture. The committee then adjourned.

Bumcient families possessed with capital to take tne land.- . . He. also proposes to . appoattbn '6nel;fift& \iHWlandso granted - f6r by; ;eolojiists.T; ikrsiiOAiibJLL, Fiidayb Mr Neil Ferguson, for many years. in the Registration.. I>e6d', department, and one olt the first settlerSj died yesterday. -. "v . Experiments were inj^de last night with a fire escape inventea 'flif R. Morris. The result was s&tisfact'o^; , A . .'C&ttVsi^H^RbH, Friday. The v Orie^it^l Exhibition was opened ye&teruay. There was a crowded attendance.

Reoent experiments &x^6^j^sjb tlje railway employees £n jbh'e Middle Maria Bhow that t\V6 and a half $j& Bent, of the men are unftblte tfi distinguish beyond black :&nd White. In Christchurch out of 266 men tested, 30 were partly color blind. At Oamaru, out of 230 men, one only was found to be colorblind, and he was, completely so. The test was made in Christchurch and Oamarti by colored cards.-. =„ . vi ... alhßxjbtpst, JFri^aV. The following entries arid nominations Jf6r the Ashburton races w'eie received last night : — . u HanditiAp Hurdle Race. — Lone Hand (Bay's), Te Whetu, Robinhood. County Hurdle Handicap. — Rover, Lone Hand (Dawson's), Johnny. Maiden Plate.— Tarn O'Shanter, Sir Roger, Dragwrel, Longbeach, Ada. Ashburton Cup. — Titania, Laertes, Sarah. Ladies' Purse. — Billy Button, Rover, Tain O'Shanter, Lone Hand (DaWson's)j Orange Peel, Longbeach. Farmers' Plate-.— Lone Hand (Daw--S6n's), Orange Peel, Johnny* County Steeplechase. — Rover, Lone Hand (Dawson's), Ada, Johnny* Outside Race, Club Handicap.— Nor ma> Titania, Laertes, Sarah. Tradesman's Handicap. — Rover, Tarn O'Shanter, Lone Hand (Dawson's),Cassadea, Orange Peel.