PREPARING FLAX BY HIS PATENTS. 219 



premium over the selling price of the machine best calculated 

 to prepare it. I had no patent then in 1855 for New 

 Zealand, and refused any information on the subject, but 

 now in November 1864, I am determined on having a patent, 

 as I have made New Zealand Flax worth £40 to £50 per ton, 

 by machinery, without any liquid process. The article is 

 gathered by the natives and sold in Auckland by them at 

 £10 per ton, and as the New Zealand government has taken 

 the wise and business-like course to cause the fibre plants of 

 the country to be brought into a state for exportation to 

 England by an offer of a reward of £2,000 to the first person 

 who will by s his own invention produce 40 tons of the 

 Phormium Tenax so prepared as not to exceed £25 per cwt; 

 in cost making ready for market, and £1,000 reward to the 

 next five persons who may join and work up 20 tons by 

 anyone's invention so as to produce the same advantage. 

 Such rewards has induced me to £ ' try again," and the result 

 of my labours on a bale sent me by Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, of 

 Liverpool, has caused me to receive from one of the best 

 judges of Flax in England the following letter :- — 



"Alma Terrace, Kensington, Oct, 17, 1863. 

 "Dear Sir, — The sample of New Zealand Flax {Phor- 

 mium Tenax) you have sent me may be worth from £40 to 

 £50 per ton for coarse spinning purposes, but much depends 

 on how it turns out in hackling ; the finer quality is in my 

 opinion worth about £60 per ton. 



* ' Yours truly, 

 (Signed) "J. R. W. ATKINSON. 

 "Mr. J. H. Dickson." 

 Mr. Atkinson is the retired partner of the firm of Messrs 

 Hives and Atkinson, Flax-spinners, Leeds, whose yarns are 

 not equalled by any firm in the trade, therefore, such an 

 opinion must be sufficient evidence of the value of my 

 machines and process. — J.H.D. 



