THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
71
presence of a peculiar glutinous gum in the sheath
of the leaf. When not thoroughly removed, this
gum, which becomes very hard, cuts the fibres of the
flax like a knife when being twisted in process of
manufacture. Besides, the gum has a tendency, when
the cloth made from the fibre gets damp, to decom-
pose and rot the fabric. These, it will be acknow-
ledged, are serious drawbacks, and on the successful
removal of this gummy matter depends the utility of
the plant and its usefulness for textile purposes. It
is unnecessary to refer to the various processes
which have been tried from time to time to effect the
removal of this gum and bring the fibre to a condition
that would insure its acceptance in this country. It
is only, we believe, some four years since anything
like a systematic effort to introduce a good suitable
fibre into this country was made. In 1870 the
Assembly of New Zealand urged upon the Govern-
ment the necessity of aiding and fostering experi-
ments with the fibre, and a Commission was appointed
to collect information in England respecting the
manufacture of Phormium tenax. This Commission
visited the more important manufacturing centres in
this country-Dundee included. They found that
manufacturers possessed a more or less practical
acquaintance with the flax as ordinarily dressed, and
that there was "a general impression that it was not
adapted, from what appeared to them to be the
nature of its fibre, for any spinning purposes what-
ever." This was the experience of the Commissioners
in Dundee, Arbroath, Leeds, Manchester, and, in
short, wherever they went. "At Kirkcaldy," they
stated in their report, "Messrs. Lockhart very kindly
put a strike through their machinery to convince us
of its want of adaptation for spinning, even as a sub-
stitute for low-priced jute bagging; and everywhere
else we were told that while the fibre broke short off
like a stick, as it is at present prepared it would
prove unfit for their use." This, it should be stated,
refers solely to samples of fibre prepared by the
Colonists. The Commissioners had a small sample of
Native-dressed fibre, and on showing this to several
of the manufacturers visited, a different opinion of
the future of the fibre was expressed. The Natives
have a simple and most effective way of cleaning the
fibre, but it would be obviously much too expensive
to prove remunerative were it to be carried out on
an extensive scale. They select with great care the
best leaves of the best plants, and only use a portion
of the fibre on one side of the leaf. They scrape the
leaf with a shell or knife when in the fresh green
state. It is then soaked in cold water and dried.
By this means a fibre of fine quality is obtained. As
only a small portion of the whole quantity in the
leaf is obtainable by this process, great loss of
material and waste of labour are involved in the opera-
tion. Although suitable for Native requirements, it
is entirely unfitted for producing a large and constant
supply. The specimens shown by the Commissioners
served to demonstrate the practicability of producing
a fibre calculated to remove the prejudice entertained
against "New Zealand flax." About the time, if we
mistake not, that the Commissioners visited this
country, Mr. N. T. Lockhart, of Kirkcaldy, wrote to a
Nelson newspaper,-"Flax as at present prepared is
quite unfit for spinning purposes and the manufac-
turing of fabrics. The people of Nelson
have the idea that it will do well for canvas, bagging,
and woolpacks. This is a mistake; it cannot be
spun into yarn as at present prepared in New Zea-
land." The contents of the case shows that the
difficulties are at least in a fair way of being over-
come, if, indeed, they have not been entirely removed.
Stimulated by the encouragement offered by the New
Zealand Government, the Colonists are exerting
themselves in various ways to produce a fibre equal
to Native prepared. More attention is also being
paid to its cultivation, and premiums have been
offered for the manufacture within the Colony of
corn sacks, wool packs, and gunny bags. We are
not aware whether any of these premiums have been
claimed. It is the preparation that is of most
interest to home manufacturers; and if it can be
shown that raw material capable of producing a class
of goods equal to those exhibited can be supplied at
less cost than real flax, there is little doubt of a
ready market being obtained for all that the Colonists
can send home. A large quantity of the goods in
the case have been sent for exhibition by Mr.
Cornelius Thorne of London. Three years ago Mr.
Thorne took out a patent for "improvements in
hackling machinery, applicable especially to Phormium
tenax and other long fibres." Specimens of the fibre
as prepared by Mr. Thorne are shown, as well as
yarn and cloth spun and manufactured from the
same. The case contains the material in all its
stages, from the leaves of the plant to the manufac-
tured cloth. The Phormium tenax is indigenous to
New Zealand. "It is found in nearly all situations,
on the driest hills, in swamps, and on the sea shore
within reach of the spray." One species has leaves
twelve feet and flower stalks twenty feet long. The
finest "flax" is procured from cultivated plants, and
careful attention to cultivation is of prime importance.
The specimens of Native-dressed fibre and the fabrics
manufactured from it are very fine. Experts will of
course speedily detect the difference between it and
flax, but experienced manufacturers will probably be
not a little astonished at the excellent quality of the
goods. The specimens from fibre other than Native
prepared are also remarkable. It is pretty evident
that the Phormium is quite suitable for the purposes
to which the real flax is applied. The question
remains, can it be supplied at a price that will make
it worth the while of any one adapting their
machinery-for we presume some alteration may be
necessary to manufacture it on a large scale. We
understand Mr. Thorne can supply fibre similar to
that exhibited by him at a cost of £35 per ton.* The
yarns exhibited comprise hand and machine spun, the
latter both by the wet and dry process. The manu-
factures consist of damask towelling, twills, canvas,
hammock cloth, table cloths, stair covering, sacking,
&c. These have been manufactured by firms in all
parts of the country, and from all we can learn those
who have experimented with the fibre think highly of
it. We understand that Mr. Lockhart, although
doubtful at one time as to the practical working of
the fibre, is now quite sanguine as to its future. It
is not to be supposed that the Phormium will ever
rival jute for cheapness, but it may come to be ex-
tensively used for many articles which at present are
made exclusively from flax.

Extract from the Dundee Advertiser, Wednesday,
November 5, 1873.

FLAX AND JUTE GOODS IN THE EXHIBITION.
Considering the importance of the Linen and Jute
trades to Dundee, one is rather surprised that only
two firms have thought it worth their while to send
specimens of their manufactures to the Exhibition.
This seeming want of interest may be attributable to
a not unnatural impression that Dundee people are
so familiar with the raw materials of our two great
staples, and the processes of their manufacture, as to
make their practical illustration in a local Industrial
Exhibition a work of supererogation. The impres-
sion, if prevalent, is quite an erroneous one. We are
sure this department would have possessed a wider
interest, and proved more profitable withal, had there

• This is an error; Mr. Thorne has not any fibre for sale.