NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3181, 24 April 1871, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

[ (From the Home News.) New Zealand Flax continues to occupy a somewhat unsettled position. Our readers are already aware of the attempts being made for } the purpose of rendering the fibre available for spinning purposes. Mv C Thome, whoso process appears to be more perfect than any other, haa received accounts from Dundee to the effect that " all the spinners to whom the flax prepared by Mr Thome has been shown admire the way in which it has been treated, but. •say they could not use it fov the finer sorts of yarns." Since this report was received a second spinner has made trial of the fibre, and writes: — "The fibre seems too long for the largest frame we bavp, and too hard to draw. The frames were altered in every conceivahle way, but we could not get it 'to spin,' and in order to get it ' to spin/ frames very strong and long in the reach must be purposely prepared." Whilst the problem of turning the Phormium tenax into cloth thus remains unsolved, its rope-making capabilities become more and more deve'oped every day. Rope spun from fibre prepared by Mr Thorne has been used on several ships with the best possible result. The Ramsay, from Canterbury, brought a hyf balea of the fibre prepared whilst green by Mr Thome's process — by Mecsrs Miles and Co. Tin's has been made into rope, and the spinners, Messrs Frost Brothers, have furnished the following report : — " The New Zealand flax we spun for you is of about the same character, and in no way inferior to, the parcel we made up for you in December last. We spun both lots by machine, and it ran very freely, was cleun and free from dirt and shives. It works much better than the ordinary New Zealand flax, and appears to be of a different character, the yarn and fibre bearing a much greater strain when knotted than the usual New Zealand flux. The ropo made from it is soft, pliable-, clean, and looks well in every respect. The difference in loss of weight in manufacturing is at least 31bs per cvvt in favor of your ilnx. We have tested the strength of the two yarns, witli the following results : Yarn spun from superior New Zealand flax broke at 1391bs ; yarn spun from your New Zealand flux broke at lfiilbs." Masters of vessels on board of which rope made from the ,flax has been used, epeak in the highest terms of its quality. The fibre spun by the Messrs Frost is estimated to bo worth £36 per ton. Messrs Devitl. and flett report of the flax market : — 2500 bales, chiefly consisting of the medium qualities, have been offered at auction, about half which sold at rather lower rates- The shipments from Auckland do not by any means maintain tho go< d reputation gained by some of last year's production. It is much to be regretted that shippers will not loam by experience that it is the best. dressed B)rts only that will pay to send to tiis imrkefc, which is already overstocked with the medium and lower kinds. The stook of flax on the 14th Feb. was 1105 tons. Imports since Ist January 202 tons. Deliveries, 22G tons. The following list comprises the principal marks sold :— Per Ramsey, at Lyttolton, LSF £25, North Road Mills, £21, Flaxbourne Mills £21 15s, No Mark 93 bales £16 10a to £17 ss, XXX OK £25, B&W £22 10?, B&W SF £21 to £21 ss, JC £25. IW £22 10 ; per Caducous, atLyttelton, MP£l9; per Jessie Readman, IJ £17; per Mary Shepherd, at Au-k---land, C&D A £27, CD £23, JSM £22 10s; per City of Auckland, at Auckland, 2nris P £20; per England, at Canterbury, BNF £20 ; per Otasjo, at Olago, O £15 ; per Alexundrina, ut Wellington, F. W. Nelson, £27; perElectra, ut Wellington, HM £19; per Turkish Empire, at Melbourne, TJT in diamond £16; per Clanranald, at Melbourne, M £23, DL £24 ; per Asio, at Melbourne, G&TB £14; WD £16 10s.; per Mungulore, at Melbourne, H&M £17 los. Flax from South Australia has been sold in small lots at from £'itf to £49 per ton.