CANTERBURY FLAX ASSOCIATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 753, 21 October 1870, Page 2

CANTERBURY FLAX ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of the sub-committee was held at the office of the Association yesterday afternoon. Present — Messrs De Bourbel, Sheath, Pavitt, Johnstone, and Walker. In the absence of Mr Richardson, Mr Sheath was voted to preside, and Mr De Bourbel, for Mr Bird, acted as secretary. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr De Bourbel reported that Messrs Cobb, Pavitt, and Booth had consented to officiate as judges in the Sax competition for prizes to be given by the Association at the forthcoming Agricultural Show. The following letter was read: — "Auckland, 26th September, 1870. " James A. Bird, Esq., . " Christchurcb. "Dear Sir, "I have the pleasure to acknowledge receipt of your letters of the 9 th and 15th insts., the latter to hand this morning. " In accordance with your instructions, I have arranged with Mr Buckland, auctioneer here, through whose hands the bulk of the flax passes, to keep me informed of any very superior sample that may come in during the next fortnight or so. Mr Buckland thinks the late very coarse weather will prevent much coming into town earlier. Two sample bales have recently been sent in, for which £30 per ton would have been given, had. the bulk been greater ; but for such small lots there is generally but little demand. " I have been twice down to-day to see if I could get a sample of Mr Nelson's flax, who has applied for a patent for his new process, but have not yet seen the agent. From what I hear, however, the strength of the fibre is utterly destroyed, and in technical language " chewed to death," whether from too close an arrangement of machinery or not, remains to be seen hereafter. " Youra obediently, " Johh Buchanan." A communication from the General Government, intimating that the application made for £250 in aid of the objects of the Association should be laid before the Flax Commissioners, was also submitted. The Chairman said the following extract from a letter received by Mr W. D. Wood, in answer to enquiries made by him, as to fibrous manufactures had been placed in his hands for the information of the Association : — " I think a good trade might be done in New Zealand in the manufacturing woolpacks and cornsacks from the native flax fibre. I have had a conversation with Mr Bnzier, the inventor of the machines I sent you a prospectus of; he would be willing to go out to New Zealand to take the management of works if terms could be mutually agreed upon ; he has been engaged in the preparation of fibres for the last twenty years, and understands the business thoroughly, he also understands the manufacture of sackings and paper; he thinks paper-making would pay best in New Zealand, as the native flax makes a coarse paper that you can scarcely rend. The making of half stuff for the market would pay well, the cost of a plant for which would be about four hundred pounds. The machinery for making sacking, he says, would have to be made stronger than that used in England. He estimates the cost of twelve looms, with the machinery necessary for preparing the flax fibre for spinning, and the spinning machinery of sufficient power to keep the twelve looms in constant work, each loom to make fifty yards of sacking per day of twelve hours, would be about twelve hundred pounds. This cost would be independent of the cost of the driving power, which mutt be sixteen horse-power, and the buildings in which the whole of the machinery would have to be placed for working. If you think there would be any probability of Mr Brazier obtaining an appointment as a manager of a works in New Zealand for a term of years, if you will let me hear from you on what terms he would be likely to be engaged, I will see him and lay your views on the subject before him. You must bear in mind he is a married man with a large family, and would have to bring them out with him. When I met him the other day, he was taking home a bundle of dried New Zealand flax leaves to experiment upon ; he says he fears it will be an expensive process to bleach the fibre to make it suitable for best writing-paper. Mr Brazier is now engaged on the construction of a decorticating machine which it is supposed will quite put all now ?n use into the shade completely, and it will not cost more than one-fourth the price of tbe present machine." A pamphlet referring to *' Sanford and Mallory's American patent fibre machine for extracting the fibres from the leaves of fibrebearing plants whilst in a green state," was, by favour of Messrs Cobb and Sawtell, laid upon the table. Mr De Bourbel reported that in accordance with the association's grant in aid of £12 Mr Peez had completed the alterations t< bis machine, and from a personal inspection,

he (Mr De Bourbel) could say the result was very satisfactory. He produced a sample which had not been washed — the only water employed being a small stream which passed through the machine during the process— and the committee would see that it was a very excellent one. The machine did not require half the power of the machines now in use — the revolutions being 400 instead ofl 200— and the wear and tear was very small indeed. The quantity turned out was satisfactory, the machine doing quite as much as an ordinary stripper. Mr Peez had not quite completed it, and he intended taking out a patent, in doing which, he would be glad to receive aid from any person. Personally he considered the machine well worthy of a patent, his reason for liking it being, that the flax was so beautifully subdivided, and the green so affected, that it couid be knocked off with the greatest ease. The only question was, whether the machine did not smash the fibre a little, but he thought that would be easily remedied. He was sure flax could be worked in sufficient quantity to be payable. j On the motion of Mr De Bourbel, the £12 as voted at a previous meeting, was ordered to be paid to Mr Peez. Mr De Bourbel next submitted a sample of fibre which had been scutched at Messrs. Richardson and Co.'s Works, Ashley Gorge, by a machine recently obtained from Auckland. The speciality of the machine was that it thoroughly cleaned the tips of the leaves — a desideratum not accomplished by other machines. The machine was very simple, | and any one could fully examine it if they ! would visit the works. There was no patent over it, and the driving power was only about half what was generally required for scutchers. Mr M'Dougal was the inventor, aud though originally made of iron, the machine could be constructed entirely of wood. The sain pie submitted was pronounced by the committee the best dressed sample that had yet been submitted. A number of very fine samples of flax chemically prepared by Mr C. Ollivier, in Auckland, were laid upon the table. Mr Booth said he had tested one of the samples scientifically, and found that it did not contain a particle of gum. Mr Pavitt said he believed Mr Ollivier intended to apply for a patent for the process of preparation. Mr Booth said Mr Journeaux was desirous of being informed whether the committee, as implied by the wording of their advertise- | ment referring to the prizes for prepared flax, expected that the successful exhibitor should explain his mode of preparation in full. A lengthened discussion ensued upon the point, which was ultimately decided in the affirmative, should the prize money be claimed. Mr Johnston intimated that he would move at next meeting for written instructions be given to the judges.