LINEN FLAX

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 January 1942, Page 2

LINEN FLAX

POSSIBILITIES IN WAIRARAPA. SATISFACTORY GROWTH ON CLAY SOILS. “Sufficient information has been obtained as the result of experimental crops, to establish the fact that linen flax will grow satisfactorily in the Wairarapa, at least on the clay soils,” Mr N. Lamont, of the Department of Agriculture, Masterton, stated yesterday. “A five-acre crop on the property of Mr H. J. Cooper, Opaki, which has been harvested, appears to have been particularly well grown, as far as length of stalk is concerned,” said Mr Lamont. “As a result of delay due to unfavourable weather the crop was over-ripe when it was harvested. It is not known if this will affect the fibre quality, but it did result in loss of a very substantial proportion of the seed. The processing, which had yet to be done, will determine the fibre quality.” Referring to three spring sown areas, Mr Lamont said one grown on light stony country was unlikely to prove suitable for pulling and would probably be treated simply as a seed crop. The other two areas were in a better class of country. Although they were sown over a month later than was intended owing to the abnormally wet spring, they had proved fairly satisfactory and would be sufficiently well grown ■to warrant pulling. It was most unfortunate that the first season in growing linen flax in the Wairarapa was an abnormal one from the climatic point of view.