THE LEAF-FIBRE OF NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 25 
mechanical, and not of a chemical kind,*— that is to say, that specially 
adapted machinery is required, and not special chemical reagents. 
For myself, I believe that difficulties of bot% kinds exist; and even 
were these successfully overcome, there remain many other ** Obstacles 
to the Utilization of New Zealand Flax,” which I have discussed else- 
where.T 
So long ago as 1856 (December 20th), the General Government of 
New Zealand offered seven premiums, amounting in all to £4000,— 
the first or highest being £2000, the second £1000, and five of 
£200 each,—''to the person who shall, by some process of his own 
iuvention, first produce from the Phormium tenaz, or other fibrous 
plant indigenous to New Zealand, one hundred toas of merchandise." $ 
The competition was open till January, 1859. It was stipulated that 
there should be a oná fide sale of the merchandise in Europe at an 
advance of 20 per cent. on the actual cost of the article when landed 
at any European port,—that is to say, that there should be a demon- 
strable profit on the cost of production and sale. Subsequently, the 
Government of Canterbury offered a premium of £1000, with similar 
aims; while, still more recently, the Provincial Government of Otago 
advertised a bonus of £530 to the person or company that shall first pro- 
duce, within twelve months, a ton of paper from Phormium tenax, or 
other indigenous fibre, equal in quality and price to imported paper.§ 
artly as a result of these offered rewards, partly springing from the 
high opinion of the value of New Zealand flax entertained by the colo- 
nists themselves, the experiments| made on the preparation of the 
* ‘Jurors’ Reports of the New Zealand ong a of 1865,’ 
p. 3 
+ Proceedings of British Association, ine E. (Economic Rey: 1867. 
Beemanit’s ‘Journal of Tie 1867, etos 
*New in 
rare. copy b 
Wm. Colenso, F.I..S., pé N: Te e yas pl p.17). Details of the more re- 
cent experimen nts on n of the flax-fibre, along with the most 
worthy ti vis growt i 
in the * Juro urors’ Reports of t the Mon Zealand faepe. ES 429. Demi 
in the same me ‘ Report,’ p. 1 
