IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES WITH REGARD TO NEW ZEALAND FLAX. ,

Taranaki Herald, Volume XX, Issue 2046, 16 November 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES WITH REGARD TO NEW ZEALAND FLAX. ,

A New Zealand correspondent, writing to England, and referring to the revival of the phormium (New Zealand flax) iudustry, remarks that an important discovery in connection with this produot has been made, and the resnlts of cruoiat experiments of its value have been published by Dr. Hector, the Chairman of the FJax Commis. sion, which sits in perpetuo. Dr. Heotor, i< seems, met an old Maori woman one day, ani Baid to her, " How is it your fishing lines last m long, and are not rotted by the wet, as other flat things are ? What do you do when yon are preparing them ?" " Oh," she replied, "we a> ways keep oar hands annotated with the oil of tie weka (the New Zealand woodheu) when we are plaiting them." Dr. Heotor therenpon obtained same rope which had been laid ap with oil in tie process of its manufacture, and ran it, togetler with a common phormium rope and one of Madia of the same size, over a revolving shaft w.th weights attached to them, treating all in the same way, and wetting them all occasionally with, both fresh and salt water. The following-results were obtained.* — The common phormium ran 22 days, the Manila phormium ran 45 days, the oiled phormium ran 95 days ; the latter getting no re supple by wear, and, as Dr. Hector expresses it, more like catgut in its pliability after running for a time. Farther experiments are being made as to the kind of oil to be used, and the most effectual method of applying it to the fibre. Bat the discovery is one which will place our New Zealand fibre above the Manila fibre for roping purposes. We take the following from the Lyttelton firms : •—" We have inspected a piece of rope made of Canterbury flax, which has undergone a test of more than ordinary severity, and yet is as sound in the fibre as the day it was manufactured. The piece was oat from the topsail-halyards of the ' Wild Dock,' and is 3| inches in circumference. Tbe rope was procured from Messrs. Miles and Co., last year, and a portion of it was at once put in for running-gear. The vessel went home to England, came oat to Auckland, went thu ice to Newcastle, New South Wales, and finally returned to Lyttelton, the rope remaining in use tbe whole time, and not even yet being discarded. The captain of the vessel states that, on going round Cape Horn, the rope was so superior to Manila, that when coated with ice he had only to shake it, and it became perfectly pliable, whilst the Manila would have been as stiff as a rod. He was highly pleased with his experience of the rope in every possible respect, aud states tbat he greatly prefers it to Manila."