FLAX CULTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21583, 30 August 1933, Page 12

FLAX CULTURE

WORK OF DEPARTMENT * BREEDING VALUABLE TYPES FURTHER FACILITIES WANTED An interesting summary of the scientific investigation work carried out on various types of flax by tho Department of Scientific and Industrial Research under Dr. E. Marsden is contained in tho annual report of Mr. J. S. Yeates, botanist to the department. The period dealt with is the year ending March 31 last. y The primary object of the investigation was to' select the best varieties after comparative tests of their cropping power and fibre qualities. Tho provision of, labour under the No. /> scheme of tho Unemployment Board enables a great deal of work to be done at a low cost.' Over 250 varieties of had been collected and planted before the depression set in. and subse(ji'.ant work on these varieties has fortunately involved little expense. It. has jiow been possible to narrow down to junne 20 or 30 the varieties which are worthy, of more careful study as fibre plr.nts. Many of tho others are likely to bo of use in breeding work, so that 83 a rule'three or four plants of each jiro still kept. An area of ono acre of the Ngaro variety has now been planted for four years, and, its fibre should bo worthy «f sending for thorough tests abroad. In yield of leaf and fibre quality combined this is probably tho best variety lhat the department has. A number of ether exeelleht varieties has been propagated, by fans, so that in about two years the department will have enough to plant bne,#cre and at the same time provide a bulk sample of fibre for commercial trials. Twenty Thousand Seedlings _ Three of these especially are characterised by gfeat strength of fibre and apparently by resistance to disease. Tliis collection of promising plants is not regarded'in the least as being complete. The department has now much better knowledge of tho sources of detirable varieties, and is anxious that »s soon as financial considerations permit further collecting shoidd be done. This matter -is rather urgent, since the plants in those particular spots are japidly being destroyed. The work of raising new and superior plants by hybridisation has been pushed forward most energetically, and the department has about 20,000 seedling hybrid plants aged from oue to live rears. These represent the best plants from a still greater number. Twenty or thirty of tho oldest hybrids are now ready to bo tested, a"nd, if suitable, to bo broken lip and set out for a further test of yield and resistance to disease. One type of hybrid which is very interesting and likely to bo useful is that between phormium tenax (the fibrous species) and phormium colensoi (socalled mountain flax). The plants r<v nulting from artificial pollination aro definitely much more vigorous in growth than other seedlings resulting from the self-pollination of the same plant of phormium colensoi. By inbreeding it is hoped finally to secure a good fibre type with the uneoloured and almost unthickened leaf-edge and keel of phormium colensoi. Strength Testing of Fibre The main work in strength testing of fibre Was done in connection with fibre bleached artificially under a new process-by M'r. J. Niglitingall, of Auckland. The artificially bleached fibre was superior in colour and strength to control lots bleached in the ordinary way. After Several months' storage the chemically bleached fibre shows tp still greater advantage, having retained its good colour, while the control lots have turned yellowish. "The " point concerning this work which most needs emphasising at the present tiifte," writes Mr. Yeates, ''is that we have come to a definite point beyond which we can make but little progress with the present staff and equipment. Without regular facilities for tests by complete processing of our raw material, followed by strength tests, further selection and breeding work will be severely checked. "The reports of fibre growing in other countries aro considered by European fibre merchants to indicate a certain fibre shortage within three years. The progress being made in phormium growing in foreign countries and the repeated efforts to securo our good varieties in bulk indicate what other people think of our plant." . -A report on various official tests recently carried out in England on various types of ropes shows that tho percentages of. losses of strength of the New Zealand hemp ropes during the first two months were generally similar to those sustained by the sisal ropes, but that'subsequently the losses tended to be less than those of the sisal ropes. This was particularly noticeable with two ropes' made according to tho Admiralty specifications. These two ropes, although initiaily weaker than two of their competitors, were after four months and, after six months' immersion definitely stronger than these, and, in fact, stronger than any of the other ropes used in the trial.