FLAX CULTIVATION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2578, 10 April 1869, Page 3

FLAX CULTIVATION.

(From the Auckland Weekly Herald, March 20,)

It is of no small importance to ascertain how the colony can throw open new channels of profitable industry. How it can nurse new industries fora short time, until they emerge from their infantile state, and are able to march alone from their increasing strength. The greater the number of profitable industries among us, the wider becomes the basis of national prosperity. At present that prosperity, as we have seen, mainly rests, as we have seen, on two things, gold and wool. In addition to an extension of certain classes of articles of ordinary farm produce, there is the cultivation of flax, which is steadily progressing; it is doing as much in a quiet way for various districts as a moderately paying goldfield. That flax growing is a permanent industry, it can be added to the work of eacli farmer, give him a certain crop free from the ravages of locust or caterpillar; free from thedestructiveeffects of heavy rains, and the produce of his flax field will always find a ready sale at a remunerative price. The beat proof of the value of this article to a neighbourhood is seen in several immigrant settlements, formed on confiscated land. Before the flax movement commenced we heard of nothing but sore and painful distress in those settlements. The people were brought from the old country, and put upon their ten acre allotment, many of them unaccustomed to work on land, most of them without means, and in more than one instance not much work to be obtained within any reasonable distance of the settlements. The immigrants suffered hardships, pinching poverty had to be borne by them, they spoke bitterly of the contrast between the picture of a life in New Zealand and the reality; and repented that they had ever been so foolish as to leave their homes in the old country; and at length some of them were tempted to kill cattle grazing on the neighbouring runs for food rather than starve. But the flax hackle Benevolent Society served to call attention to the subject in these districts, and to suggest various experiments to the flax into a marketable article. was amongst the places visited by hscklers assisted by the society, and now, instead of there being a cry of distress and supplications for aid, we have flax constantly sent to market, and the persona who before had land but no money and little food, are now constantly adding by purchase to the acres given to them as immigrants with money obtained from flax. Not a week passes that some of these immigrants do not pay sums to the Government for several acres of land. The quantity is small so far as the individual purchases are concerned, but the aggregate is considerable, and the fact is significant and showing that the people who a little while ago were in need of help, are now well able to help themselves, and feel a desire to make for themselves and their families a permanent home in this country. We desire to call special attention to this phase of the flax question. The persons engaging in its cultivation'will he permanent settlers, their sons and their daughters will grow up and be likewise rooted to the country. The industry, the revenue of the country will be therefore permanently benefited in an annually increasing ratio; and the increase of population will increase also our means of defence, and lessen the chances of war. ■ A gold mining population on the contrary, is a nomadic, a roving population ; a rush may at any day materially reduce it in this province, hence we would ask the authorities, not to be led completely away by the glare and glitter of the goldfield, but to seriously consider what it can best do to promote the interest of that permanent source of wealth, the flax field, and generally the agriculture of the. country. On enquiry we find that the greatest drawback the struggling settlers engaged in flax cultivation have to encounter is the cost of carriage. Flax is a bulky article, and the profit to the flax grower is Materially less than it would be were there better and cheaper means of transport. This is a point, as we have often urged, of paramount importance. But there are two other points connected with this important plant. At present the flax obtained ia that growing wild in the ccuntrv. A good deal of this ia of an inferior

character, but yet it yields very good returns to those who work it would evidently pay a great;: deal* bMtv were it all of a superior character, (or the sane labour would Erodqee aa pttiQte that would command a etter price, and the waget of the iiax worker would be thui Increased. While therefore the wild flax it being used the flax wuHrer should plant for successive crops only plants of the very best stort. They will take no more labour or trouble either to cultivate or to dress. This was impressed upon the persons interested, Ity speakers, at a meeting of the Auckland Institute some time ago, and we called attention to it at that time. We do so again, for it is of great importance. It may or may not pay to grow grain in certain districts, but it evidently will pay handsomely to grow superior flax, and put a certain and by no means small source of income within reach of the country settler. And we may hope that we shall not export all our flax, and then buy it back again in the shape of a manufactured article, but that we shall manufacture it ourselves, and so add another industry, another source of _ wealth and prosperity, to those, already existing.