DESTRUCTION OF GROWING FLAX.

Otago Witness, Issue 986, 22 October 1870, Page 16

DESTRUCTION OF GROWING FLAX.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sib— l beg leave to avail myßelf of the wide publicity afforded by your valuable paper, to call the attention to the thoughtless destruction of flax by fires, which is carried on all over the province at this season of the year. Only a few days ago, ove r two thousand acres of the finest flaxcountry in Ocago, in the Oatram Hundred, were swept by fire, the teed lost for the Benson, the flax irretrievably destroyed, unleas, by fencing, the young shoots are protected irom the attacks of cattle.

A large block in this tract had lately been purchased ty Messrs Calder and Watson, of Invercargill, with a view to manufacture the flax libre. In this case, the nre is supposed to be accidental, the origin is at present unknown, but we hear of no enquiry into the circumstance, though many hundreds of pounds would not cover the actual — not to speak of the prospective — loss sustained r>y owners of the tux-land. Muoh of this land was rough, hilly, aad iaacoeaaibk country, for whivn Ll per acre had been given solely on acuount of the crop ot flax growing upon it. it has not yet been burveyed, bo mat the owners are only presumptive occupiers, ■and not in a position to protect the flax by •enc oamg or otherwise. Surely in such a ■case the deposit money should be refunded, or at ie<«s Government ahuuld take come Otepa to investigate the origin of the 1 WfiijAV* * regulation foy prgye«lJ9g firipg

graßS or herbage without permission from the Waste Lands Board. We have rangers of Crown Lands empowered to enforce this regulation, and we have a " Bush Fires Ordinance" requiring notice to adjoining occupiers when any Bettler wishes to kindle gras-fires ; and yet we often see burning off going on on all sides, and the atmosphere everywhere thick with smoke, while no no ices of intention to burn off are ever given, nor is any attempt ever made to bring home a penalty under the regulation of the Waste Land Board.

But if the inaction of Government in not attempting to protect the herbage on Crown Lands is to be deprecated, how utterly indefensible is the conduct of those who destroy their growing flax with the idea of improving the pasture! I say the "idea," because experience teaches us that in no case is the grass on flax-land improved by burning. Grassed country may be improved by burning where stock can be kept off it for six months after burning it, but never on Hundreds — Commonageß.

It is dear that the majority of our settlers have not yet learned to regard growing flax as possessing any special value, unless, indeed, in the neighbourhood of Dunedin, or in actual proximity to a flax mill. As an instance, I may mention the case of one settler here who recently burnt off by repeated firing more than 300 acres of fl»x of very fine quality ; and this occurred within two miles of two flax mills then at work. The flax, too, was more accessible than that being dressed at the mills, and was growing cloße to a very fine water-power. The value of the fibre of Phormium tenax, and the certainty of it becoming an article of regular export, are now placed beyond question. Granting that the Maoris by manual scraping produce an article worth 1.40 to L6O per ton in England in any quantity, the accomplishment of a simi'ar process by machinery is merely a question of time. We have seen the work of the Maoris already closely approximated to by Booth's machine, which only requires some modification in the feeding rollers, greater strength in the parts liible to friction, and some good washing apparatus added, to make it the best machine yet in uae. The greater part of the flax in this district grows within moderate distance of water power, and within 30 to 40 miles from lnvercargill. Under these circumstances the leaf of good quality must be fairly worth at least 3s per ton as it stands on the ground. Of course, from liability to fires and damage done by oattle, it is not worth so much over a large block of land ; but to the owner of the land it should bring that value per ton as it is cut. If every owner of flax land would remember that every ton of green flax growing within L 4 per ton carriage of port is worth, or will shortly be worth, as much as a bushel of oats thrashed and bagged and delivered at the same port, we should hear of no more "burning flax to improve the grass," and every one would use his influence to lessen the number of accidental fires, hy exercising due caution on his own part, and also requiring that his neighbour in all oases should do the same. — I am, &c, H. L. Squikes. Mimihau, Mataura, sth Oct.