NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Southland Times, Issue 1237, 15 April 1870, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Messrs T. and W. Young and Co.. have furnished ub (Wellington Itidependent), with the following private letter on the merits of New Zealand flax, which does not seem to be held in high estimation in Scotland. However, it does not seem that the write has had much experience ef New Zealand flax of any description : — "Dundee,,22nd January, 1870. "My dear IFriend— l duly received yours, and would be very glad indeed if! could give any satisfactory information abost New Zealand flax. I am sorry, however, that it is not in my power to do so. We h >ye very often had samples of the fibre sent us, in a more or less perfect state of preparation, but I have never yet seen it in such a state as to be useful for our manufactures, except to a very limited extent, for clothes-lines, mattings, Ac. The reason of this is, that although the fibre has great strength, it is very bare, and has not (30 far as I have yet seen) sufficient tenuity to make it useful for making into yarns for cloth. It is possible, however, that may be inconsequence of the samples of fibre which I have Been not being thoroughly free from the gummy substance that is incorporated with it, and which seems to harden and become them ore inseparable the older the fibre gets. You will see the effect of this hardness and bareness if you cast a knot on a few fibres and pull it tight, it breaks with very little force, and instead of leaving minute broken filaments at the place of breaking — like flax — the phormivm tenax, when thus broken, has the appearance of haying- been cut with a sharp knife ; and it is the want of these little fibres at the ends which prevents the New Zealand grass from welding together so as to be capable of being spun into yarn. It is quite likely, however, that I have never seen any of the fibre in its best state of preparation, for I have never seen anything that could be sold here, even in very small quantities, at more than from £26 to £28. 1 shall be glad to see a sample. My impression is, in reply to query No. 14, that the flax should be made up by hydraulic pressure into bales of about 3001 b., the same as jute from Calcutta. I agree with the remarks that fermentation seems to be the only means to impart that softness, whiteness, and freedom from gtumny and vegetable substances which is so necessary.