Auckland Institute. 473 
ABSTRACT. 
Dr. Purchas described several different kinds of vegetable fibre, showing 
specimens derived from the ti tree, and what he termed the most beautiful 
fibre he knew of, a fibre from the leaf of the pine-apple. He then spoke 
of the Phormium tenax, and the capabilities of the fibre derived from it. 
He thought the refuse in manufacturing might be converted into useful 
brown paper. If used from the green leaf, he thought the paper would not 
require any size. The author then pointed out what he considered to be the 
necessary processes to produce the fibre. It was simply a mistake to talk 
about getting rid of the gum; it was the cellular tissue that they wanted to 
get rid of—the gum was easily got out. Dr. Purchas said it was some years 
since he had made the discovery, that merely striking the leaf with a 
hammer on a piece of hard wood released the fibre. He then spoke of the 
native mode, which, he said, was ingenious and effective, but in which there 
was a great waste. It also very easily fermented. When they wanted to 
make kaitaka mats, the natives steeped the fibre, and beat it until it was 
freely divided. He also spoke of the boiling process, and showed a specimen 
prepared in that way. There was one person who prepared flax by boiling, 
and then subjecting it to a mechanical process, which he kept secret. In 
speaking of the process of fermentation, Dr. Purchas said that it was 
averred that that process spoiled the fibre, which he thought likely. Dr. 
Purchas then exhibited a piece of rope made from the common flax produced 
at Waitangi. He would like to see a rope manufactory established here as 
well as at Canterbury. 
Mr. Buckland said he was sure they were allitok obliged to Dr. Purchas 
for bringing before them a matter second in importance not even to the 
digging of gold. He was afraid they never could make flax well adapted to 
rope making, unless they could succeed in preventing rotting. Dr. Purchas 
had told them that, before the war, the miners in Victoria had preferred the 
ropes, but they had found by experience that they could not stand 
exposure to wet, and they had ceased to use them. The fault found in the 
rope was that it would not take tar well, and that it rotted. The system of 
cleaning the flax by beating was not new, as he had seen it in Wellington in 
1840, where flax was manufactured by beating it between two pieces of hard 
wood. This plan was given up, and they afterwards took to boiling. If the 
people of New Zealand ever made up their minds to cultivate flax, they must 
take the tihore, and there were several distinct kinds of tihore. The best 
flax he knew of was to be found at Maungatautari, where the natives could 
earn seven shillings a day, at a price of £20 per ton. That was done 
by using only the best description of flax. He trusted the time was not 
far distant when they would be able to export a large quantity of flax. 
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