GROWING N.Z. FLAX.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19471, 29 October 1926, Page 16

GROWING N.Z. FLAX.

A MODERN PIONEER. SELECTION OF PLANTS. BY H. T. GREEDY. To tho peristent advocacy .of Mr. George Sraerle, at present flxamilling on his own account on the Hauraki Plains, the present stimulus in the formation of various companies for the purpose of selecting, planting and milling flax owes its being. For many years, and up to the advent of the yellow leaf disease, flax millers concerned themselves almost exclusively to endeavouring to obtain expertness in the milling of the flax blade and the improvement of the machinery in connection therewith, that is to say that practitvally no heed was paid to the raw material, the flax plant, in the way of caring for propagation or cultivation. It is only within the last ten years, or since the yellow leaf disease almost ceased to exist, that there was any observation of what conditions were bestsuited for promoting the growth of the leaf, so necessary for tho continuation of such a valuable industry. . Side-Cutting Flax. It was during Mr. George Smerle's engagement with tho Manawatu Flaxmillers' Association of a few years ago, for the purpose of further investigation into the cause of the yellow leaf disease and the selection of varieties that would be immune from the disease, that the first work in the direction of selecting and caring for the flax plant took place. Mr. Smerle, being an agriculturist of many years' standing, was very quick to perceive that we. as millers, were treating the plant most harshly with the system of cutting then in vogue, thereby weakening the plant at each time of cutting and making it most susceptible to disease. He immediately very strongly advocated the present method of side-leaf cutting, which, at the time, seemed almost impossible from a commercial point of view, but after a demonstration given by Mr. Smerle, in the Miranui Swamp of The A. and T. Seifert Flax Dressing Company, of what was possible in increased production by side-leafing, Mr. Alfred Seifert was courageous enough to adopt the system in the face of what seemed a prohibitive increase in the cutting rate, practically 100 per cent, on the old method. However, it was soon proved beyond doubt, owing to tho increased production of leaf, that it paid and, today, the principal millers of the Dominion are cutting by the side-leaf method. It has also been proved that when the plant is side-leafed, and then planted out, that a light cut can be taken from it after a period of three years, as against waiting for from five to seven years under tho old method of hook-cutting and planting. There is still a good deal of scope fof the improvement and care of our flax swamps. Cultivation of Flax. It have proved that by thoroughly cultivating the ground, allowing for the additional cost of cultivation, it is easier quicker, and consequently much cheaper to obtain a crop than by any other means. Even if one did not intend to further cultivate it is necessary, when practicable, to cultivate, to cheapen and hasten the planting, which, at all times when it comes to £s. d., is a big item. in well-cultivated ground flax can be planted, under proper supervision, by day labour for £4 per acre, or probably less, which includes selection of plants, grubbing, trimming the leaves to leave only the sucker, casting and planting in rows 6ft. apart each way to allow for aftercultivation; cultivating or preparing the land would be additional. By having tho spacings between the plants the same as the width between lows, the flax can be further cultivated for a period of two years, after which it will be so well established that any further cultivation will not be necessary. When flax cannot very well be cultivated, it should be planted as desifed, and the plants kept free from weeds by clipping for 18in. all round the plant. Handling Flax Plants. Care should be taken that after tho soil has been grubbed the plants are put in as soon as possible. This plant is Very hardy, and can be dissected to plant one or more fans and, unlike most other plants, does not seem to receive such a check after removal, shows no signs of drooling, and does not appear to stop growing. It would seem that there is sufficient sustenance stored up in the largo root bulb to keep tho plant supplied until such time as the root system is established. Light trimmings of the plants during the first twelve or eighteen months very materially assist the growth and development. The production from flax-growing in its wild state is considerably less than from flax which has been planted by any recognised method, so much so that it will pay all growers to gradually eliminate the wild plants as timo permits, and plant afresh, when it will be good for twenty or more years. I am sure this will become so apparent to those growing flax that in time there will be very little in the wild state, and it will be just as necessary to cull it as the robber cow is culled in the dairy industry. Beneficial Floodings.

Nothing retards the growth of flax so much as stagnant water, and nothing is more beneficial than occasional flooding, when adjacent to rivers, providing tho water remains only for a short time, and the consequent silting from floods is perhaps better than most forms of manuring.

It will be noticed where flax is planted, and not cultivated, that very soon other forms of very undesirable vegetation commence to grow, much to the detriment of the pant. This can, to some extent, be obviated after the plant has become fairly well established, by grazing a few sheep, care being taken to see that they are only put on at intervals, and removed as soon as they attack tho flax. When not kept on too long a little damage may be done by them chewing an odd sucker, but. as against this, they graze the land bare of anything that would tend to choke the plant, which is very mnch in its favour, also by keeping tho laud clean in this way it very much facilitates cutting the crop when ready. General Summary.

I have proved by taking a milling test of numerous varieties of flax that the higher tho fibre content in any one variety the better the quality, which makes it doubly essential that only tho best varieties should be planted.

Persons who are enterprising enough, and entertain the idea of planting mix, should be quite sure that they are adopting a good method to ensure the earliest, possible return. A lot depends on the proper treatment of the fan in trimming, preparatory to planting. If harshly trimmed ono may wait one or two years longer for the first cutting. There is much yet to be learned in the growing of this valuable leaf, and there is no industry in New Zealand that invites research work more than flax-growing and milling, research such as our Government could well take np by establishing a small experimental station, which should he self-supporting. A venture of the kind would bo worthv of the co-operation and assistance of all millers engaged in tho industry.