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Mr. J. Arthur Campbell, of Arduaine, Argyllshire, writes as 

 follows as to his experiments in cultivating New Zealand flax : 



" Some years ago, when there was a good deal of talk about 

 bringing in a ' Small Holders Bill/ knowing how difficult it 

 was for people with a small holding to make a living oft' our 

 West of Scotland land, I suggested to the Congested Districts 

 Board that as Phormium tena.r grew well in my garden here in 

 peaty soil, and as New Zealand was at that time exporting fibre 

 to the value of a million sterling, it was worth their while 

 experimenting with its cultivation and endeavouring to get the 

 industry started in this country in the congested districts. 



4fc As nothing appeared to come of it I decided to exj>eriment 

 with it myself. 



" I procured seed from New Zealand but as it failed to germi- 

 nate I decided to try home-grow^n seed. This was kindly sup- 

 plied by Lady Ilene Campbell, of Stonefield, Argyllshire. Some 

 of this I sowed in the open ground in my nursery and some in 

 boxes in my greenhouse. 



" The latter came up well and some 500 or 600 plants were 

 pricked out in the open in the spring. The seed sown in the 

 open failed to germinate. Owing to the war and the shortage 

 of labour, the plants are still in my nursery. 



M What I have so far learnt is this : 



" 1. The most successful way of raising plants from seed is 

 to sow in boxes in a cool or heated greenhouse. 



" 2. The plant grows luxuriantly in cultivated peat soil. 



" 3. New Zealand friends tell me that with them the plant 

 grows on both drv ground and in swamps and that it grows more 

 luxuriantly in the swamps. 



My experience is that it grows best in a well drained and 

 cultivated peat soil. I have planted some in a wet peat and 

 they are growing, but much more slowly than those on a drained 

 though moist soil. It may be that the ground is too wet for the 

 young plants, but as they get older and larger they will dry 

 the ground to a certain extent and may then possibly beat those 



on the drier land. 

 re 



a 





4. From my limited experience I should say that if planting 

 roots, split off a large clump with leaves 4 ft. to 6 ft. long, 

 it is advisable to cut off the old leaves about a foot or 15 in. 

 from the ground before planting, taking care not to injure the 

 top of the new young leaf which will be coming between them. 



" 5. I have two species under cultivation, the ordinary Phot- 

 mium tenant — the Powerscourt variety — of this I have three 

 kinds; and Phormium tenax ColensoL The latter is very much 

 shorter in the leaf and is probably not worth cultivating from an 

 economic point of view. 



u One of my varieties of the ordinary New Zealand flax I 

 obtained from Mr. Osgood Mackenzie, of Inverewe, Poolewe, 

 Hoss-shire, and was grown from seed sent him by an old shep- 

 herd who went to New Zealand. It is very like the Powerscourt 

 one and may be the same, but at Inverewe it produced leaves 

 8 ft. long, and none of my others are more than 6 ft. 



" I have had no experience as to the proper distance apart 

 to plant for economic purposes, but from the way the plant 



