NEW ZEALAND HEMP 189 



is advantageous, as the plants put out roots during 

 the winter and are thus enabled to grow vigorously 

 with the advent of spring. 



Propagation can be effected by means of seed or by 

 division of the roots. The former method is not 

 satisfactory, since the early growth of the plant is 

 very slow and the seedlings are apt to develop char- 

 acters different from those of the parent plants. The 

 usual plan is to plant out the roots at a distance of 

 6 feet from one another in rows 6 feet apart, this 

 arrangement giving about 1,000 plants to the acre. 

 It is not improbable, however, that it would be more 

 advantageous to allow not more than 4 feet between 

 the rows and 3 feet between consecutive plants, as in 

 this case the plants would shelter one another and 

 would produce finer fibre, whilst at the same time a 

 larger crop would be obtained per acre. Should the 

 land become impoverished as a result of planting so 

 closely, manuring must be resorted to. According to 

 another method, ten or twelve rows of plants are set 

 in close proximity, and then a road-space of 10 or 12 

 feet is left in order to facilitate the gathering of the 

 leaves. 



One Phormium plant yields from twenty to thirty 

 roots suitable for transplanting. Some difference of 

 opinion exists as to the number of roots which should 

 be planted together. If the plants are being set wide 

 apart, two or three roots may be placed in one spot, 

 but if close planting is adopted, one root is sufficient. 

 Care must be taken to avoid planting roots which have 

 borne a seed-stem or those from the centre of an old 

 plant, since these are not so productive and are liable 

 to flower, the nourishment being thereby diverted 

 from the leaves. Flower-stalks must be removed as 

 early as possible, and the wound rubbed with a little 

 dry earth to prevent " bleeding." 



The Phormium tenax plants usually grow together 

 in tufts or bunches containing, on the average, ten 

 shoots, each bearing five leaves ; thus each group of 

 plants has about fifty leaves. The leaves vary in 

 length from 3 to 10 feet, and are not ready for cutting 

 until the plants are from five to eight years old. 



