Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1867. BOILING DOWN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 11, Issue 855, 2 July 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, JULY 2, 1867. BOILING DOWN.

This, as mentioned in our last, is a subject which now engages much attention. The increase of sheep is so rapid, and the outlet for the surplus so limited, that the necessity for converting them into tallow has been for some time apparent. With that view communication has been opened by one or two gentlemen with correspondents in the sister colonies, in order that full information might be obtained as to the cost and working of a boiling down establishment. It is to be regretted, indeed, that this step was not taken at an earlier period, as the effect of such an establishment being now in working order would be to relieve very materially the pressure in the money market. Thousands above thousands of fat sheep are ready for the " pot," aud would speedily be turned into money were the necessary apparatus available. It being known that one or two let_ters on the subject had been received in town, a number of gentlemen interested met on the afternoon of Saturday last, in the Council Chamber. Sydney Johnston Esq., was voted into the chair. Extracts were read from two letters, but the writers labored under want of iaformatiou as to what was required — whether for sheep or cattle, or sheep otUy, and if the latter, how many per week. It was accordingly decided, after some consideration, that, before going further, a committee should be appointed, whose duty it would be to get the fullest possible information, aud lay the same before a public meeting, to be called hereafter. In course of the conversational discussion that took place, the estimate of fat sheep available for raeltiug, every year, was variously put down at from 70,000 to 100,000. We have no j doubt ourselves that the latter estimate is a low one, and that, barring the disco very of agoldfield,2ooo would be ready every week for conversion into tallow. In another column will be found an article upon this subject, taken from the Lyttelton Times, in which, after allowiug for the annual cost of feeding the sheep, it is estimated that the yield for each, under the boiling down process, would be six shillings. This is a low figure compared to what our sheep-farmers have been in the habit of getting, but a fixed price of six shillings per head would be infinitely preferable to the alternative of ceasing to breed altogether. And, even at that price, a large sum of money would be put into circulation. We allude in another column to a fresh rumour respecting the proceedings of the gold prospecting party. This time, too, it is rather more thau a rumour. Such a discovery would solve the difficulty of how to get rid of the surplus stock of the district without the necessity of melting j but the information as yet is of doubtful authenticity, and we trust the committee will not for a moment relax in the work they have undertaken to do.