AGRICULTURAL.

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

From "Brodie's Remarks on the past and present state of New Zealand"

It is surprising, that although so much. concurrent testimony has been adduced in proof of the great importance of promoting the cultivation of New Zealand flax, the subject has met with such a small share of encouragement in England with a view to practical results. Many causes, unconnected with the peculiar subject of the cultivation of the phormium tenax have operated to occasion the long delay that has taken place without any experiments being undertaken upon a large scale, but the principal reason has been the want of adequate machinery for properly preparing the fibre. But I am now happy to state to those thousands already connected with New Zealand, that a machine admirably adapted to the purpose has now been constructed, though at present I am not at liberty to give any information concerning it, but hope I may be allowed to do so very soon.

Linens of the most beautiful texture, and cloths for wearing apparel, have been made from the fibre, and paper of different qualities (impervious to wet) has been made out of the epidermis, glutinous substance, and refuse tow; the tow has been valued at £28 per ton. One great advantage in this machinery is, that we can undersell the foreign flax-growers in a surprising degree, and at the same time give a large profit to those concerned in the machinery.* There is at present a great prejudice against NewZealand flax, simply because it has been sent home in such an unfinished state; it has been cut at all seasons of the year, but now it is ascertained that there is only one proper time to cut it, which is just about the time it flowers: much attention has been paid to the cultivation of the flax in the colony during the last four years. The flax which has been worked up by this machinery has been the wild flax of New Zealand, the weed of the country: thirty thousand acres may be repeatedly seen in one spot, and it is but natural to suppose, that when the flax is cultivated, that its fibres will greatly improve. The largest farms in New Zealand will eventually be flax farms, and not wheat, as we can procure

"This machinery has a great advantage over any other process ever tried, as there is nothing chemical required in the cleaning of the flax; no other patent having been taken out, nor can be taken out for it."

our wheat from the colonies of Valparaiso cheaper than we can at present grow it.

In farming flax there is not the slightest risk attached to it; the roots will require to be planted about two yards apart, and in every year each plant will produce about 28 fresh roots, which may be transplanted or left, as the parties think proper. Flax will now very soon be cultivated upon a large scale in New Zealand, and under systematic arrangement will at once confer benefit on its supporters, and call into exist ence a staple export, as inexhaustible as it will be valuable; it will not only produce incalculable advantages to the settlement, but will give to all interested in the colonization of New Zealand the strongest assurance of the resources of the colony, and of its future greatness and stability. Many parties in Dundee, Aberdeen, and Glasgow, assured me of the immense importance of the flax cleaned by this machinery, samples of which I showed them, and Mr. Mullholland (of the largest house in the flax line, &c., in Ireland) assured me, that if I could procure a large quantity of the flax, the same as the sample, it was his candid opinion, that before long the New Zealand flax would supersede the American cotton in many fabrics now made in England and Ireland.

When Capt. Fitzroy (our present gover nor) was examined before the committee of the House of Lords, in 1838, he said:-"If properly manufactured, the New Zealand flax would make very good rope, but there has been some defect in the way it has been manufactured, for it breaks in the nip sometimes.

It wears an incredibly long time in a straight line, but sometimes, when much bent, it gives way; yet, as the natives use it for nets three or four fathoms deep, and often 300 fathoms long, it lasts them for many years; there must, therefore, be some way of preparing it which would make it available for our rope.

A net made in that way is kept by a family in the stump of a tree, on a wooden frame made for it, and it las's them for many years. It may be pos sible that it loses some particular quality, and becomes brittle from the defective mode of packing, and its heating in consequence on a long voyage. Now, the defect in preparing it, which Capt. Fitzroy alludes to, is the glutinous substance in the flax, which is all taken away by the machinery, and with the epidermis is converted into paper of dif ferent qualities, according to the process, which is impervious to wet. In 1831, gov ernment gave £40 per ton for 800 tons: if

that flax was worth £40 then, in its unclean state, what is it worth now? Fair play has never been given to this flax; in all instances it has been cut in the improper season-a very material point, for then the flax is coarse and wiry, the fibres rugged, and not easily cleaned; the staple short, the color bad but with all these defects, government have given £40 per ton for it.

The phormium tenax resembles the garden iris its chief peculiarities consist in the fibre being obtained in the leaf, and not, as is the case with European flax, from the stem; the outside coat of the leaf being stripped, the fibres are perceived running parallel to one another through the whole length. All the flax sent at present to this country has been cleaned by the natives with the use of a muscle shell, a very rough and imperfect way of cleaning it, which must more or less injure the fibre. The leaves may be cut twice a year, the roots remaining in the soil for reproduction: a given quantity of phormium tenax will contain more of the fibrous substance than an equal quantity of Russian hemp; and, I believe, of any European flax, on account of its lighter intrinsic weight. It has been in universal use among the natives from time immemorial; formerly they cultivated it with great care, but now they take no pains about it, and the whole growth is spontaneous; it is adapted to every kind of use by them their mats are made of it, some of which are exceedingly handsome, and just like silk, as well as other articles of clothing; also their baskets, sails, cables, fishing nets, &c.

The production which I think is likely to yield a larger profit than any other, and is, therefore, better calculated to engage the attention of the colonist, is the smaller and shorter leaved. This sort grows in great abundance in every part of the colony; no soil seems unsuited for it—not even the very worst; and it thrives as well in an exposed situation as in a sheltered one. Of all other plants it can with the least delay and the least capital be rendered fit for export in large quantities. A flax farm of 100 acres will grow 2,410 plants per acre, each plant Occupying two square yards, and yielding 10lbs. of green leaf (which is under the average) this would give 1,076 tons, and allowing one-eighth of the gross weight of green leaves (which has been proved by experience out there) for real fibre, gives 134 tons of hemp, besides which a quantity of coarse tow, equal to about one-quarter of the green leaves, which gives 268 tons fit

for making baggage and coarse canvas then comes the glutinous substance, mixed up with the epidermis, for making paper. The two last ought to pay the expenses; but say they will only pay one-half, and that the hemp is only sold for £20 a ton (which is £20 less than it is worth,) this would pay the exporter 100 per cent.

I firmly believe that in a very few years the export of flax from New Zealand will be equal to that of wool from New South Wales; the flax is already the weed of the country, and all it requires is cleaning. In New Zealand we have no blight, no hot winds, no heavy droughts, as in New South Wales, to hurt our flax. Compare the risk of the sheep-holder in New South Wales with that of the flax-grower of New Zea land: supposing the expense of herding a flock of sheep, clipping the wool, sorting it, and sending it on board the ship for this country (which is often 500 miles land carriage,) to be the same as growing the flax, &c., of an equal value in proportion to the wool. In growing flax we have no risk; it will grow whether we like it or not.

POLAND.-Letters from Poland represent that there has been great suffering in the ancient palatinates of Sandomir, Plock, Lublin, Augustow, as well as in part of the palatinate of Craeovia. Famine and all the evils in its train had been felt. In those unfortunate provinces, entire masses of people, deprived of every necessary, wander about the country, divided into bands, in search of the most loathsome food which is oftener more adapted to soothe their hunger than to afford nourishment. Numberless diseases, the unavoidable consequence of destitution, rapidly diminish the number of these unfortunate men, and despair sometimes drives them to acts of violence which the authorities are not always able to repress.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE WABASH.-The people along the line of the Wabash, we are pleased to see, are taking active measures to improve the navigation of that river from its mouth to Lafayette. A Convention of Delegates from Indiana and Illinois was held at Vincennes, on the 24th ultimo, to take this subject into consideration. A large number of Delegates attended, and their proceedings were spirited and well directed to effect the object in view. No doubt is entertained of the practicability of making the Wabash navigable by means of forks and dams.

HOLLAND.-The Hague, Sept. 15.-The disease which has attacked the potatoes in a great part of the kingdom has attracted the attention of the government. It has induced an inquiry into the causes and character of the disease, and the means of preventing a rise in the prices of articles of subsistence.

by which countless streams of water were thrown in different directions from the mouths of as many marble figures of various forms and sizes. These figures were ranged on the sides and summit of a conical eminence, and so placed that the pure white currents cros sed each other with regularity, yet variety, and formed a rich dome of snowy spray, sparkling with millions of drops, which sometimes showed the colors of the rainbow, as they rose and fell into the marble basin below.

On approaching the palace doors, I observed a gentleman standing in the shade of its walls, with a boy about fourteen years of age, who drew my attention by his apparently close regard of our party. On coming nearer, he stepped forward, with the air of diffidence of a well bred man, accosting strangers, and, with an apology for his boldness, enquired whether we were Americans. We replied in the affirmative. "Then," said he, "here is a young countryman of yours," pointing at the boy I have mentioned. He has recently arrived in France; I accidentally met him in Paris. I had a sister who removed from England some years ago, to live in America, and this is her son. I learned the fact with great pleasure; and, being an old bachelor, and being on a tour on the continent, I anticipated much satisfaction in taking him with me. But I have already made a discovery which fills me with chagrin and mortification. What sort of schools have you in the city of- -? I understand he has lived there, and supposed your people were intelligent enough to provide well for the education of the young. But he knows nothing. He is totally unfit to travel; he never should have come to Europe until he had become able to understand something of what he sees; he ought never to have stirred from home without a good preparation to go abroad. "You have a great and increasing country," said he, "and need virtuous and intelligent travellers to impart sound views and pure principles."

We expressed our surprize and regret, at finding one of our youth abroad under such unfortunate circumstances; and felt mortification at the too just exclamations of our new, intelligent, and polished acquaintance. At the same time, his eloquent lamentations over the ignorance of his nephew excited in us sincere sympathy with him; for I cannot recal at this day, among the numerous travellers I met with in my foreign tours, any person who expressed a more deep regard for solid practical learning, or one who lamented the want of it in another in such feeling tones. I know not how long I stood, under the shadow of the vast palace, listening to the eloquence of his grief; but I recollect I rejoiced at the reflection, that the gay groups which sometimes passed near us, and engaged the attention of our frivolous young conntrymen, so that he heeded not our discourse, were unacquainted with our language, and unsuspicious of the topic of our conversation.

Often after the polished stranger had bidden us farewell, the incident returned to my mind, and led me to inquire, whether many of our youth are not as unqualified for the places they are to occupy at home, as he was to make his appearance among travellers abroad. How many of our cities, villages and families would have reason to shrink from the scrutiny of a sagacious observer, if such an one should come among them to enquire into the principles, modes and extent of their education?

This incident led me also to reflect, more than I had before done, on the sort of qualifications desirable for an American traveller in Europe, and on the subjects most worthy to occupy his attention. Should the readers of this magazine derive any gratification or instruction from such notices of my tours as may perhaps be inserted in its succeeding numbers, they may ascribe it, in some measure, at least, to the interesting stranger, whose urbanity and eloquence so powerfully pleaded in favor of good education and sound opinions, and taught me, on the grand terrace of Versailles, to rank them, as he did, above the highest beauties and magnificence of art.

The Annual Fair and Meetings of the American Institute.

These commenced on the 8th of October, and, as usual, attracted great attention. The saloons, passages, and even the yard attached to Niblo's Hotel in Broadway, above Prince street, have been crowded with the usual variety of objects in different branches of the arts, fine fruits, flowers, vegetables, &c., deposited for exhibition. The evenings were enlivened by addresses from distinguished gentlemen, by music and fireworks. Interesting meetings were held at the Lyceum of Natural History, opposite, by the Conven tion of Agriculurists, at which a great number of important facts were communicated by members from different parts of the country, relating to soils, products, &c., which, we regret, want of room forbids us to record. The exhibition of fine cattle, and the ploughing-match, which took place out of town, attracted much attention.

Connected with these, though preceding it by a few days, was the meeting of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society of West Chester County. This was the work of Dr. Underhill of New York. proprietor of the celebrated Vineyard of Isabella Grapes at Croton Point, (formerly Feller's Point,) on the North river, just above Sing Sing. With great zeal, perseverance, and good sense, Dr. Underhill has prosecuted the organization of