The pounders in each row, however , must not strike all at once, 
because the fibre would thus he torn , but the machine must he 
so arranged, that they rise and fall one after another, the leaf giving 
way in tins manner to each successive stroke. The only additional 
requisite is moreover, that during the whole process plenty of pure 
water be kept running over the leaves, thus carrying ofi' the par- 
ticles smashed. 
A steam-engine of 8 horse-power is sufficient to work such a 
machine, consuming daily about one ton of leaves, and yielding 
8 cwts. flax, since 5 to 6 cwts. green leaves average 1 cwt. pure 
flax-fibre. 
One acre of land grown with phormium tenax is said to bear 
80 to 60 tons green leaves; it is, however, not yet established 
as a fact, how much of this quantity can be gathered every year. 
Purclias is of opinion , that about one half of the leaves may 
lie taken every year without damage to the plants. Each bush 
is stripped of its outer leaves; the inner ones remain standing for 
the following year. Upon the machine the whole leaf may be 
used from the thick lower end, — which the natives formerly left 
unused, but which is the very part that is most easily to cleaned 
and contains the most fibres, — to the top. 
The samples of flax produced with the new machine, which 
were sent to me by my friend Purclias , leave no room for im- 
provement as regards the purity of the fibre. The inventors have 
taken a patent for the whole of New Zealand for the term of 
14 years, hoping that before long the number of machines worked 
will bo such as to render the flax a chief article of export. As 
the flax-macliine according to experiments made with it, may be 
used equally well for obtaining the fibres of other fibrous plants, 
such as the American Aloe (Agave), the so-called Manilla hemp 
(Musa textilis ) , the Ananassa saliva, etc., its introduction into other 
countries might prove advantageous. 
In comparison with the Phormium tenax the other fibrous 
plants of New Zealand are only of inferior importance. The only 
still noticeable plant of the kind is the Ti or Mauku of the 
