New Zealand Hemp.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8155, 3 April 1906, Page 3

New Zealand Hemp.

- —— ' The Exporters and Importers' Journal of America, in an article on New Zealand industries, says :—" In addition to tbo present usee for the New Zealand hemp, one of the chief of which is the manufacture of binder twine, there are various ways in whiclrNow Zealand flax may bo utilised. It will in years to como bccome as important to manufacturers in uiany branches Df industry an it is to day to the New Zealand up-country bußhman and surveyor and settler, who goes to a flax bush for everything, from a lace for his boot to a belt for hia waist, a strap for his 'swag,' a stock whip, a rope, or a fishing net. It is believed, as the result of recent experiments, that flax will make excellent paper. It is used to a considerable oxtent in America in place | of hair iin thb manufacture of plaster, ! and .it is also coming .- into; use as a I backing for linoleum, The Japanese have taken ®. leaf out of the Maori eloakmakertf' boo'c and have produced imitation silk fr m Has. Manufacturer 5i arc new beginning to perceive the extended possibilities of the product, and the result is not paly that considerable areas of virgin swamp f land ar« being brought into use, but i the planting of flax on. a large scale is I proposed by a number of millers, to j whom, the product is a necessity of i their industry. It has W<en the custom in thu past for liaxmillers to destroy the greater part of the waste product of the hemp ■ (tow) by burning it, as only a small portion of • it could ho utilised. The detow has been stopped recently. Not only is it being exported to" London, England, but a process has been discovered by which it can bo made into * waste,' which will take the place of

cotton waste, thousands of pounds of which have to bo imported to New Zealand every year for use on the railwa>*c, in factories, steamers, etc. This now proccsß weans a great deal to the fkxmillcra, a« it will put to a profitable uso many thousands of tona of tow which hitherto have disappeared in smoke."