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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 820, 22 January 1867, Page 2

Cotton in Queensland. — The last cotton crop in Queensland amounted to 183,6801 b. — not much, certainly, but the wool trade was of smaller dimensions at itbeginning. There are thirty-seven cottongrowers in Queensland, whose industry is stimulated by a bonus in the shape of aland order equivalent to fourpence for every pound of cotton produced. The producers on the largest scale are Messrs. Alexander and Armour, who sent into the market upwards of 62,0001 b. The smallest quantity on which bonus was claimed was 2241 b., and no doubt there were a number of growers on a small scale who did not consider the bonus in the shape of land worth applying for. It will uot be long before the growers will discover the advantage of employing the labour of Indians, Chinese, or South Sea Islanders. When that occurs, the cotton trade of Queensland will become strong enough to stand without the aid of bounties. — Australasian. The Colonial Meat Trade. — The Australasian has an article on the colonial meat trade, in which the editor thus refers to what has been done in La Plata : — " It struck not a few, that inasmuch as John Bull likes nothing so much as beef — only from the high prices he can rarely get it— and as meat on the La Plata was a drug, it might be well to see whether a new trade could not be established. The idea was as simple and novel as when the still surviving Mr. Hopkins of Tasmania proposed to save the wool of the sheep, which till then had been thrown away. The jerked beef of Monte Video got more and more into the English market, especially for shipping. But this was only step number one. Number two was to try and export the meat as fresh as might be, so prepared as to get over the ordeal of the Atlantic voyage. The best known method for this purpose is that patented by Mr. Morgan, of injecting brine through sharp-pointed syringes, and forcing it through the arterial system shortly after death. The liquid used consists of 6^ gal. of brine, 10lb sugar, fib of saltpetre, with half a bottle of ketsup, and an infusion of cloves and pepper. The whole process is very rapid, and is extremely simple, requiring nothing that can be termed machinery. In about three minutes the vessels of the animal are washed out, in about three more the preservative liquid injected, and in twenty minntes from the killing the process of infiltration is complete. By another plan, patented by Mr. Bassell*. the meat is simply dipped for some six or seven minutes in a warm liquid, composed of water in which a certain white powder has been dissolved. Whether both or either or none of these methods have yet been employed in South America, we cannot certainly say ; but that some method is most successfully used, is patent from the results. There are now two large companies — " Morgan's Dried Meat " and " Sloper's Fresh " —in active operation. Their exports during the last sixteen months have been 500,000 lb., which was eagerly bought up at 4d. per lb. ; and as the supply is practically unlimited, the whole industry is evidently capable of indefinite expansion." The writer justly adds, "To the colonial mind, this discovery appears fraught with advantage." Missionary Influence. —In referring to the Manawatu purchase, an occasional correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writes : — " It would only be a waste of time to attempt a recapitulation of the long negotiations and tedious correspondence that have occupied the last three years ; nor would it be any benefit to refer to the many obstacles put iv the way of the purchase, in the latter of which, a dignitary of no small rank in the Church of England has borne a prominent part. The gentleman in question can congratulate himself on this obstructive policy, aud no doubt he feels greatly disappointed that he has most signally failed in his intrigues, and that even the carefully keeping back of Parakaia and Matene at Otaki during the conference did not have the desired effect of overthrowing the purchase." The Victorian Harvest. — The Australasian, referring to the harvest in Victoria, says: — "The prospects of an abundant harvest still continue good. The reports from all the agricultural districts are cheering, and without wishing any harm to pur South Australian neighbours, we trust that they will have to look for another market for at least a portion of their surplus". That they will be successful in their search we earnestly desire, for in a year or two we shall be competing with them as exporters. Perpetual superabundance is likely to succeed chronic deficiency. The new difficulty will be a more pleasant thing than the old one to deal with. If wo cannot find an outlet for our future surplus at a convenient distance, we must devise some means for bringing the bread-eaters here."