20 



amount to be treated. Some mills are put up to produce 

 several tons of fibre in the week, whilst others aim at smaller 

 productions. 



The power employed is an important item in giving the 

 cost of a "treating plant." One capable of producing, say, 

 one ton or so of fibre per week may be set down at from £150 

 to £200; this is complete, without the power. There are 

 according to an official publication, about 400 mills at work in 

 New Zealand. Some are worked by water power, others by 

 steam, but little can be said of the machinery, from the infor- 

 mation at present available. 



From the experience gained in dealing with the production 

 of the Linum flax, one of the most important features is to 

 show that there is machinery available for its treatment when 

 produced. 



Varieties. 



The following descriptions are taken from Sir James 

 Hector's work . — 



Harahehe (Common Swamp Flax). — Leaves coarse, loose 

 drooping points generally blunt; flower stalk large, 11 feet 

 to 14 feet high, and 1 inch to 2 inches in diameter ; pod short, 

 erect. Grows almost anywhere, but attains its largest size (14 

 feet to 15 feet) on rich alluvial soil, by banks and streams. 

 Many sub-varieties are found, some with dark blue-green 

 leaves above and glaucous below, and some pale olive-green, or 

 bronzy. Some varieties have also the butts of the leaves 

 coloured with red for some distance up, while others are 

 yellowish-green almost to the very base. When the plant is 

 stunted, the flower-stalk is also small, and the best characteristic 

 is the blunt point to the leaf. 



Paretaniwha. (Yellow Hill Flax). — Leaves erect, slightly 

 drooping at the tip, yellowish-green, generally with red or 

 orange margins, slightly glaucous below, point acute, flower- 

 stalk small, 4 feet to 8 feet high, and \ inch to 1 inch in 

 diameter ; pod short, erect, fibre very good, soft and glossy. 

 Plant seldom more than 5 to 6 feet in height, grows generally 

 on clay hills. 



Tihore. Leaves stiff, erect, narrow, never drooping at the 

 tip, olive-green, glaucous below; points very acute, or cuspi- 

 date, pink at the butt ; flower-stalk 9 feet to 10 feet high, and 

 I inch in diameter. Seldom flowers and still more rarely 

 seeds. Plants seldom over 6 feet in height. Grows in rich, 

 dry alluvial land, never in swampy places. I have never seen 

 it except where planted by the Maoris. I have here applied 



