The Southland Flaxmilling Industry.

Southland Times, Issue 19553, 6 May 1905, Page 3 (Supplement)

The Southland Flaxmilling Industry.

(By a Southland Flaxmiller)

I take pen in hand on this subject, believing that some of my experience may be of interest, if not of advantage, to your readers. Flaxmilling is now one of Southland s leading industries. An enormous amount of money is invested in the various mills scattered throughout the province. There must be between one and two thousand men employed at these mills at a highly remunerative wage. Host of the large mills are situated along the Oreti and the Wyndham district, Wyndham township being the Foxton of the. south. It is an undoubted fact, that notwithstanding the high price of fibre, many of these mills have not been a business success. Various reasons account for this state of affairs. Many inexperienced men rushed into the trade, believing it to be a second El Dorado. They planted mills where there never should be a mill. Others again in their keenness to outstrip their rivals, paid exorbitant prices to the settlers for their flax, with the result that their mills sooner or later fell into the hands of some business firm or another. These men beside ruining themsel ■ r es in raising the flax royalties in Southland, do an incalculable injury to the legitimate millers of the district. With high royalties and wet seasons there will soon be nothing in flaxmilling. Now, as to the management of the mill. The jwn?r, to get the most out of his plant, wants the whole business to be under Iris own personal supervision. His eye wants to bo everywhere. Most important of all, he - wants to be a thorough expert in every department of the trade himself. No employe likes to be bossed round by an ignorant owner that does not know his own business.. If not the owner himself, a first-class feeder and strip-per-keeper should be employed. There is nothing swells the banking account more than a. good feeder and a millowner who has the brains to keep him well supplied with fla» "e will now touch on the scarcity of thei raw material ; a large percentage of the mills will have to close down this season for this reason. Most of them will, however, start again in a season or two. Most mills could start sooner if settlers would 'exercise more care in preserving the young growing plant during the winter months. Instead, many of them allow cattle to chew the life out of it. This unwise policy, and seme millers allowing their cutters to cut too near - the root, is enough to exterminate the plant altogether. From these combined causes I have seen splendid blocks of flax totally ruined. It is to the best interest of settler and miller to remedy these defects as much as possible. I believe there is a considerable quantity of stunted flax growing in the swamps and law-lying country in Southland, that if it was properly drained, would grow flax of the first quality. Manawatu is a striking example of what drainage will do as a means of increasing the flax areas. I believe planting the roots would be a li stclass investment in suitable land. This is the method recommended by the Department of Agriculture. Before planting it is well to follow the native mode, and cut off, cn a bevel from the root to the crown for centre leaf) all the outside leaves, leaving the centre one (Acrito) only, and if that should be over, say 3 feet, to cut it off also. If all the leaves are left on they die away, and retard the growth of young shoots. In planting, the ground should be well worked, four roots being planted together at right angles to vach other, the ends of the roots together, the top to incline outwards. The plant will then have a slanting position. This is the method adopted J.y the natives and is in my opinion the best. If jpjanted in rows, I think there should be a space of not less than 6 feet from centre to centre each way. By planting at this distance apart, it will require 4800 plants to the acre. Needless to say the better the cultivation the letter the result. Mr McGregor, of the Department, considers that on suitable soil cultivated flax will grow from 45 to 55 tons to the acre. Before concluding this article I think it was a very wise suggestion of the J'laxmillers’ Association re having bales of the different grades as a guide to the graders at the different i'o>ts of the colony. However comnet.ent a grader may be, he is bound to err or vary in his judgment at times. If he has bales in the grading shed showing him the lowest and highest points in the different irrades. it should be of material aid to him >n his responsible work. With careful management in the mill and grading stores, and good markets abroad, there is a bright future before the flaxmilling industry for many years to come.