the roots. M. Favsas pr Sr. Fonp, gives the following 
mode of preparing the fibre. He dissolves three pounds of 
soap in a sufficient quantity of water, together with twenty- 
five pounds weight of the split leaves of the Puormium tied 
up in bundles. All are then boiled during the space of 
five hours, until the leaves are deprived of a tenacious glu- 
ten, and of the gum-resin above alluded to, but which is 
not removed by the ordinary process employed in the pre- 
paration of Hemp: after which they are carefully washed in 
running water. 
From the experiments of M. Laniziarpiere, the strength 
of the fibre of this plant, as compared with that of the 
Agave Americana, Flax, Hemp, and Silk, is as follows :—the 
fibre of the Agave breaks under a weight of 7; Flax of 11}; 
Hemp of 163; Phormium 237, ; and Silk of 24. Thus it 
appears that of all vegetable fibre, that of Phormium is the 
strongest. It possesses too, this further advantage over 
Hemp and Flax, according to the French authors, that it is 
of a brilliant whiteness, which gives it a satiny appearance, 
so that the cloths made of it do not need to be bleached by 
a tedious process, or through those other means, by which 
the quality of Hemp and Flax is considerably injured. 
__ There can scarcely be a question, seeing that the Paor- 
_Mrum tenax has succeeded remarkably well in the open air 
In Invernesshire, Scotland, (apparently in the neighbour- 
hood of the sea,) without any shelter in the winter, and 
without even the protection of a wall, that the opinion 
expressed by Sir Joserpn Banxs of the suitableness of the 
English climate to it, is well founded. Indeed, we know 
that the late Yares, Esq. of Salcombe, Devonshire, 
did cultivate this plant upon a rather extensive scale, 
and made preparations for converting it into thread, which 
his sudden death prevented him from carrying into effect. 
The south of Ireland would, in all probability be found to 
_ be well suited to its growth and increase. . 
I shall refer my readers to the authors already mention 
for many interesting details concerning the New Zealand 
Flax, and shall devote the remaining space to a relation of 
what has been kindly communicated to me for this work, 
by that very intelligent Botanist and Traveller, ALLAN CUN- 
NINGHAM, | | 
“The Puormrum tenax is indigenous to the islands of 
New Zealand. On the northernmost of the islands, which 
has been traversed almost in every direction, by Europeans, — 
it is found in greater or less abundance, as well on the im- 
mediate coasts in low situations, subject to be overflowed 
