THE TECHNOLOGIST. [Oct. 1, 1864. 



126 PHORMIUM TEN AX, OR NEW ZEALAND FLAX. 



ance as it grows in its native habitats, where it flourishes in such great 

 luxuriance that we have often seen its sword-shaped leaves attaining, a 

 length of upwards of six feet ; and the whole plant is in such profusion 

 that in the gulleys and ravines the cattle, while wandering in the midst 

 of it, are completely lost to view. The strength and tenacity of the 

 fibre, which is got from the leaf of the plant, are such as to render it 

 superior in these respects to that of any other vegetable production. The 

 following table, by the illustrious botanist De Candolle (taken from 

 Professor Balfour's ' Class-Book of Botany '), will show the strength of 

 different vegetable fibres as contrasted with silk : — 



Silk supported a weight of . . .34 

 New Zealand Flax . . . . 23£ 



Common Hemp 16£ 



Common Flax llf 



Pita Fibre 7 



The above comparison speaks for itself ; indeed, it is unnecessary to 

 insist at any length upon the value of the fibre in question, which has 

 been admitted by all the scientific men and others, under whose conside- 

 ration it has been brought, as far back as from the date of Captain Cook's 

 voyages down to the present day. The real difficulties of the question 

 are not connected with any doubts as to the nature and properties of the 

 fibre, or as to the possibility of exporting it in sufficient quantities, but 

 relate to a practical difficulty in its preparation ; and we would 

 now very briefly direct attention to this matter, and to what has been 

 accomplished in regard to it. 



As already alluded to, it is from the leaf that the fibrous material of 

 the Phormium tenax is procured. Every leaf contains it in abundance, 

 but at the same time it must be mentioned, that there is incorporated 

 with it in the unprepared state a quantity of a substance of a gummy or 

 resinous nature. To extract this resinous matter from the fibre, and at 

 the same time leave the latter intact, has been found somewhat of a 

 difficult problem. The solution of the problem has to some extent been 

 obtained by the natives, who have long been in the habit of manufac- 

 turing clothing, baskets, &c, from this valuable production of their 

 islands ; but their process is somewhat defective, and being entirely 

 manual, is unsuitable, both on economical and other grounds, for the 

 preparation of the fibre to any large extent. It may be mentioned, en 

 passant, that the settlers of New Zealand are a good deal in the habit of 

 availing themselves in a rough and ready way of the tenacity and 

 strength of this plant, which grows around and amongst their settle- 

 ments, and are accustomed to employ strips of the green leaf in lieu of 

 cord, &c, in various ways. The attention of the Government of New 

 Zealand has been several times directed to this matter, the importance 

 of which to the colony under its charge it has had sufficient reason to 

 perceive ; and in consequence it has offered various liberal rewards to 



