117 



The One is rarely more than 5 feet high. The leaves are very glossy, 

 and rather red at the edges, causing the plant to assume, at a distance, rather 

 an orange green colour, as against the bluish-green of the other kinds. 



5th. The Rongotainui. This flax grows most extensively on the East 

 Coast, and at the Bay of Plenty ; it is, of all, the most prized for the 

 manufacture of fishing lines and cordage. 



The Rongotainui is probably the best for commercial purposes generally; 

 it is rather scarce in its wild state, but is carefully grown about the native 

 settlements. The leaf of this kind of flax may be scraped or beaten without 

 injury to the fibre which it contains. The natives cut across the epidermis 

 on the under side of the leaf, previous to drawing it over the edge of a shell 

 or knife. 



On the West Coast, and at Taranaki; the flax called Hati rau kawa is 

 used by the natives for the finest mats ; it is probably the .same as the Oue. 

 The following are also known to the West Coast natives, viz : — 



1st. The Pare kore tawa, Huhiroa, [probably " Oue roa "] Rataroa, and 

 Tihore yielding the best fibre. 



2nd. The Ngaro, Tara riki, Wara riki and Pato. The Ngutunui, 

 Ngutu parura, and Tai one contain a stiff fibre. 



The Raumoa and Manunui are good kinds for cordage. 



Mr. Hursthouse states that, at Taranaki, the Takaiapu, Ate weka, and 

 Korako are of a first-rate quality. There are also kinds called the Tepuna 

 and Tutai wiki. 



It is probable that many of the above-mentioned are the same, under 

 different names ; there appears to be no marked generic diffei-ence in any, 

 save that from the South-west Coast ; but difference of climate, locality, and 

 soil will no doubt alter the relative quality and quantity of the fibre, and the 

 appearance of the plant. 



The Oue should be grown in rich, deep soil, properly drained. The hill 

 flax as a rule yields the largest proportion of fibre, to weight of leaf, but the 

 leaf is generally short. 



The leaves may be cut twice a year. After steeping, the natives make 

 the Oue leaves up into small bundles, and hang them on horizontal poles to dry, 

 shaking and rubbing the leaf, from time to time, to get off the fleshy part of 

 the leaf. A chemical process would probably be more suited to the 

 preparation of this kind of flax. It is important to remember that the Oue or 

 Tihore should not be exported for rope-making purposes, nor, if possible, the 

 other kinds for textile fabrics. 



The native names for the various parts of the flax plant, are :- — Purake or 

 Pakauka for the outside leaves, which are rejected, the Muka ; or inner 

 leaves, are collected for use, and the Rito, or unfolded leaf, is carefully left uncut. 



The Korari is the name of the flower stalk, often, but wrongly, used as 

 the name of the plant. The edible root is the Aruhe. 



The word " Muka " is commonly applied to the dressed fibre ; it is the 

 correct name for the inner leaves. 



Cleared bush-land is suitable for the cultivation of the flax plant, and 

 even swamp-land is improved by drainage. In the various flax swamps near 

 Nelson, through which roads have been made, it is invariably found that the 

 finest plants grow upon the soil that has been thrown out of the ditch, at the 

 road side. 



When cultivated, each plant should have about two square yards of ground. 

 An acre would thus give room for 2420 plants. About 10 lbs. of leaf will be 

 obtained from each plant. A farm of one hundred acres would give 1085 tons 

 of leaf. Allowing one-sixth of this to be convertible into fibre, 180 tons of 

 marketable flax would be the result. 



