LOCAL INDUSTRY : AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4356, 1 August 1871, Page 2

LOCAL INDUSTRY : AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.

On passing the shop of Mr. liorman McMillan yesterday we saw that he had turned hia attention to the production of agricultural implements. There was a single, furrow iron plough almost completed, and, judging from the form and appearance of the implement, it should work well. It is a swing-plough, but as they are chiefly used by Scotchmen, who have been accustomed to their use in youth, we think Mr. McMillan should produce some of the moie frequently used wheelploughs. It has a steel mould-board, a wrought-iron share, and a steel coulter, and is altogether a substantial {though not heavy) and serviceable-looking implement. We were pleased to learn that such articles could be produced by him at a less price than that usually charged for the imported article of a like description, which ought to be a recommendation for our agriculturists, even although they had not the patriotism to support local artizans in preference to foreigners. Mr. McMillan has not made any double-furrow ploughs as yet, but there ought to be some demand fer them even with the backward condition of agriculture in this province. When a little town like Oamaru, in the province of Otago, can support two large establishments for the manufacture of agricultural implements, it has always been a source of wonderment to us why a large city like Auckland (having almost the whole trade of the province) cannot support one such establishment. One of the establishments in Oamaru (Messrs. Reid and Gray) has turned out since the end of last harvest no fewer than 100 double-furrow ploughs and during the same period we question whether the province of Auckland has produced one, or even taken an imported one into use.