THE FLAX PLANT.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8013, 19 September 1906, Page 1

THE FLAX PLANT.

ITS CULTIVATION

CREATION OF A NEW INDUSTRY

Mr G. M'Gregor, of W'anganui, who is taking part in the work of supervising the erecti u of tbu Maori pa at the Exhib.tion, is taking further st- ps (says the Lyttelton Times) to bring under the notice of the Government the desirability of H.x cuhure on a large scale. Mr M'tiregor is the best authority on the subject. He ht.s made a hobby of growing flax in tiie S'jrne way as other wen maue a hobby of growing daffodils and rosea. He finds jhis occupation just as fascinating as theirs, and is convinced that it will prove to be many times more profitable to the oolony. He believes that if flax-culture is made a national industry, Urge sums of money will be returned, tnd he estimates that a fair average yield should be from .£lO to w£ls a year per acre.

He told a reporter the o'.her day that he was pleased to note that the public was beginning to recognise the importance of cultivating flax iu a proper manner. Careful observation had led him to the conclusion that the present knowledge tonohed only the fringe of the subject, and that in a short time the pe pie would realise the value of their possession.

His studies had shown him that the first thing to be considered was the selection of those varieties that were valuable on ac count of the quantity and quality of their fibre. There were many varieties which were practically fi'jerless. In others, the fibre was so weak ts to be quite unfit for milling. Ihere was still other varieties that had too much vegetation and too much waste. The best varieties oould be sflected only by carefully testing the different varieties and marking and discarding all below a oertain standard. When that hai been done, there should be systematic cultivation. At the same time, the testing operations should be continued so that the relative value of all varieties could be known, and finaliy, the most suitable could be obtained aud cultivated in large quantities.

When improved machinery was used, and the quantity of fibre was increased by betier dressing, each variety would have its own commercial valu*, as |was the Ciee with different kinds of wool and other products. At present' the buik of the flax used for milling was of a very low grade, judged by the varieti-8 used by Maoris for their finer class of woik. The average quality cf flax dressed by millers, in fact, was used by the Maoris cnly tor making such articles as rough mats and kits, for which the flax was not dressed.

'ihe Agricultural Department ought, without delay, to have a complete collection made of all varieties. These should be planted on some of the experimental fatms; and they should be named and numbered, bo that they should not ba mixed. When they came to maturity, they should be tested, and those only that had a good, strong, bright fibre, and a large proportion of it to the leaf, should be kept Seed could be distributed from the plantation, and those who wished to cultivate flax could obtain Government seed. In that way they would know exactly what they were doing as far as the varieties and their quality was concerned. The Government had valuable collections of flax plants at Levin ana Ruakura. At the former, unfortunately, many of the varieties had been mixed, and their value as a collection had deteriorated in consequence. It was immaterial whether the Maori names were preserved or not, so long as they c uld be distinguished, and it seemed to him that numbers would be as effective as names.

It was well-known that there wai no other crop which would give the same return per acre as a crop of flax, aud it was fair to assume that with only good varieties in U6e, and systematic cultivation, there woold be a greater yield than at present. Unless cultivation was taken in hand, the plant would very soon beoome a thing of the past. The Government therefore, should help as far as possible to distribute seed of plants with the best quality of fibre, and the only way of doing that was to ascertain the most useful and profitable varieties. Ihe manner in which information on the subject is spreading is shown by the fact that M'Gregor haa lately received letter* from two gentlemen in different parts of Australia, asking for further mfoimation. O:ieof his correspondents read an article on the subject in the Melbourne Argus, and he states his belief that tae plant might be grown at Strathbogie, Victoria, where he lives. Another correspondent, in Nelson, asks for supplies of seed Several long letters on the subjeot have appeared in Bitllarat newspapers, a correspondent there having been attracted by articles in the Canterbury Times aud other publications. During this week, Mr M'Gregor accepted an invitation to inspect some flax plantations at Rangiora, North Canterbury, where he met a gentleman who i 6 cultivating the plant, and with whom he had an interest : ng chat. He intends to bring the matter under the notice of the Government again, and to urge it to carry out the schwme he hss sketched.