r° 



i& 



Lord Ventry's account is of value more particularly because 

 he has dealt with the cultivation of the plant and given full 

 details as to the system he has adopted, the nature of the soil 

 most suitable for its growth, the yield of fibre and the time 

 taken to produce a crop. 



"With regard to the future commercial value we are not directly 

 concerned, but it seems clear that if the fibre grown in this 



from 



Zealand, its success as an industry should be assured. 



the 



experiences of Mr. Wallace in the S.W. of Scotland, and of 

 country can be used for such purposes as that imported from New 

 Zealand flax, are recorded. 

 Mr. Wallace, of Loch It van 



H 



with New Zealand flax : 



experience 



a t 



M 



The plant is easy to grow and it will grow in almost any 

 soil and will stand up to 20° of frost. There are many varieties 

 of the plant, but only comparatively few of them are suitable 

 for cultivation in this country as a fibre plant. While it will 

 grow in almost any soil, it undoubtedly does best where there 

 is moisture present, even in absolutely swampy places. 



11 The plant takes a long time to come to maturity from seed 

 or even from division of old plants, both of which methods of 

 propagation succeed quite well. I find home-grown seed does 

 better than imported seed from New Zealand. 



. find it means locking up land from 8-10 years before a 

 first cutting can be got, so would not be inclined to plant arable 

 land with it. Swampy, wet land and rough hillsides, where 

 bracken grows strong, suit it well and such places might very 

 profitably be planted with it. I had a few tons of fibre 

 extracted by an experimental machine the year before the war 

 commenced and got an excellent report on the fibre from the 

 ropemakers some of it was sent to to be made into binder twine. 

 1 It produces seed freely in this country and the plants are 

 easily raised. My experiments have all been made near the sea. 

 After reaching maturity a certain number of leaves may be 

 cut every year or the plant may be cut over entirely every 

 third or fourth year. Both methods, I believe, are practised 

 in New Zealand/ 



" I incline to think that cutting the outside leaves of each 



. . 



.. 



crown every year is the more satisfactory method and gives a 



more regular 



stren firth. The 





making of binder twine. I 

 the use of rones made of it 



main objection to annual cutting is that it entails more labour. 



As to its uses, it is, of course, a very strong and long fibre, 

 ana it is in great demand for the 

 understand the Navy do not favoui 

 as it does not take tar well but has to be oiled if used in 

 water. The Maoris make a fine cloth of it and I believe the 

 Japanese use a fine quality of it to adulterate silk. 



*i It could be used for almost anything that a strong fibre is 

 wanted for. 



a 



The fresh leaf can be used, torn into strips, for gar 



tymc 



91 



