RURAL TOPICS

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1675, 6 April 1904, Page 65

RURAL TOPICS

(By “Ajor.”)

THE HEMP INDUSTRY.

Ever since that capital Government 'Act, making grading compuloory, came into force the hemp industry has assumed vast and valuable proportions. Last year the export more than doubled that of the previous year it having been 22,300 tons of the value of £575,153, and this year’s estimate is far ini excess of that. Time was., and not so long ago, when flax was scarcely worth manufacturing, so low was the price, an undesirablility chiefly attributed to low grade qualities. Scientific instruction both in the growing and cultivation of phormium tenax, and the Government, .grading, has so improved the quality that good markets have been obtained and high prices have consequently ruled; a.n.d with care the future cf the industry is assured. In connection with the cultivation of flax, the Government experimental statical at Weraroa, which has plants from many districts and as many varieties as possible, will speedily demonstrate the difference in the yield per acre irorn the ordinary swamp flax and that of the cultivated flax —both as regards quantity and quality. People who have been cjlceiely associated with the cultivation and manufacture of flax for half a life-time, will tell you that the average yield from an acre of uncultivated flax is from 10 to as .high as 25 tons of raw material, whereas ais much as 55 tons have- been cut from the best soil! of cultivated flax. Then besides this there is a vast difference in fibre, uncultivated flax requiring from 8 to 10 tons of green blade to produce one ton of fibre, while it only needs about 7 tons of the cultivated flax to make one ton of the manufactured article, and of a much superior grade or quality. It is therefore important that all these engaged in the industry should not lose sight of the value of flax cultivation. jWhile on that subject it might not be amiss to quote here an authority" on flax cultivation. Mr Gregor 'McGregor, who has studied the cultivation of flax for some years, besides being intimately conversant with the Native methods of cultivation and dressing, gives the following valuable hints:—.“Flax m one of the easiest plants to grow, is not affected in any way by frost nor by the moat severe winds, and the plants can. remain out of the ground for weeks without injury. In digging up the plants it is as well to dig some lit tile distance from the roots, so as to get well milder the plant, cutting the, large or main roots. Before re-planting it is as well to follow the Native method, and cut off on a bevefl from the root to the crown (or centre leaf) all the outside ‘leaves, leaving the centre one (terito) only, but if that be over 3ft to cut it off also. . . . . The ground should be •well worked, four roots being planted together at right angles to each other, the ends of the roots together, the top.® to incline outwards; the plants will then have planting positions. ... If planted in rows there should be spaces of not less than 6ft from centre to centre each way .It will require about 4,800 plants to the acre. I think the aim of those who propose to cultivate flax should he to plant only the (longest and the best varieties—l mean those that have the largest proportion of fibre, and, perhaps the most important of all, the strongest and most elastic.” Mr McGregor lie re mentions some of the best, varieties of flax growing in his district, such as nguturua, buiiroa, katiraukawa, all of the fibre of which is! fine l , strong, and silky. With that care and consideration being given by the Government graders in the choice and Classification of flax,- and the improved machinery now used in dressing it, which does not ais formerly injure the fibre, I think there is a great future for New Zealand flax as one of the chief : industries . of the would. The industry now employs lucratively over 2000 men, and with, the knowledge that the French are now using the fibre in conjunction with silk in the manufacture of tapestry, and other delicate .stuffs, one may safely hazard the assertion that a great fillip will be given to the manufacture and sale of New Zeojlandte chief indigenous plant, phormaum tenax. And if cultivated flax is to yield as much to the acre as it is being credited with then it will pay to grow dlt better than any other crop, for the risk is minimised and the presumable profits maximised. Certainly flax takes about three to four’ years to come to maturity, but it does not require replanting, and may be cut every three yoara wjiille the labour tatt ending the 'crop is also inexpensive.- Reduced to proportion flax farming may be set down at something after this fashionlf ten

acres of the best variety in flax _be p/. anted carefully on good soil the yield should be inside four years, under favourable circumstances, say 420 tons of green blade which should produce, about 00 tons of fibre worth in round numbers £IBOO. Take £9OO away, for cutting and milling, etc., and you leave the very handsome return to the farmer of over £2OO a year for the use of his ten acres.