FLAX AND TALLOW.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1095, 26 October 1869, Page 3

FLAX AND TALLOW.

(To the Editor of the " Independent.") London, August 10, 1869. Sir, — In the present period of depression in New Zealand, every item of news calculated to throw a cheering light on the future will, I am sure, be welcomed. It has long been recognised that the future prosperity of New Zealand is likely to be closely connected with the develop- ! ment pf its native flax industry. The hopes that have from time to time been ! raised on this subject have, however, as yet unfortunately been invariably doomed to disappointment. The quantity of dressed flax sent to England, especially from the southern provinces of New Zealand, has, however, gradually increased, so that it is now well known and thoroughly appreciated in the markets of this country. Latterly shipments have been made from Christchurch of flax in its rough undressed state, simply dried as hay ; but the results have not heen allowed to transpire. From inquiries I have instituted on this side, I find that these results cannot have been of an unsatisfactory character. Devitt & Hett, flax brokers, while quoting in their last report New Zealand dressed flax at £26 to £40 per ton according to quality, add — "We sold a small lot of flax straw without any dressing for £24 ss. per ton." From enquiries from other flax brokers, I learn that good undressed flax straw is worth more than much ofthe inferior dressed flax which is sent to this country, and that the fibre is altogether \ uninjured if sent in this state, even though the flax be packed and pressed in bales like hay—provided it be in the first in- | stance thoroughly dried. If packed damp and allowed to sweat, its value for manu- . facturing purposes would of course be destroyed. My informants added that the secret of preparing flax straw is known but to one or two manufacturers in this country, and that there was a danger of their conspiring together if unduly heavy shipments were forwarded. As the boiling down of sheep is^ becoming a matter of some moment in New Zealand, I may add that the tallow brokers inform me that tallow will travel as well (and far more economically) in cases as in casks. It is continually shipped in this manner from South America. The cases should be made to hold about three or four cwt. ; they should be strong, and of uniform size and weight. Owing to the rough mode in which sheepskins are usually forwarded to this market, the pelt is utterly valueless for tanning purposes. The pelt of South American sheepskins is better prepared and often is valued at from Bd. to lOd. each. This is, of course, in addition to the value of the wool. To obtain this price, the skin must not be cut in slaughtering, and must be subsequently either soaked, in brine or in some cheap arsenical or other preparation in order to destroy all grubs. By a little attention of this sort an increase of 9d. per head to the return obtained from boiling-down sheep may readily be realised. — I am, &c, G. M. Wateehouse. Goodwood Races began on the 27th of July, and finished on the 30th. The race for the Cup produced a great surprise, the favourite Brigantine, who, it will be remembered, won both the Oaks and the Ascot Cup with the greatest ease, being beaten by both Restitution and Blueskin, and never being able to get within 100 yards of the winner. According to the sporting papers, shehas broken downbadly. Restitution, the property of Baron Rothschild, won in a canter by a length andahalf. The Steward's Cup, on the first day, was won by Fichu, a cast-off of Lord Stamford. The Stakes fell to Starter, in W. Day's stable, and on the last day, the Chesterfield Cup was won by Vespasian, who performed the unparalleled feat of carrying lOst 41b to victory, giving no less than 67 pounds to Judge, who was good enough to make all the running in the race for the Stakes. After this we shall probably hear less about the deterioration of the British race-horse in the present day.— European Mail for August. A Canal fbom the Red Sea to the Interior of Africa. — The untutored savages who roam the deserts of Central Africa little imagine what a surprise the I indefatigable M. Lesseps is preparing for them. During the progress of the works at Suez, he despatched a number of engineers to the Desert of Sahara to ascertain the exact difference between the level of that tract of country and the surface of the Red Sea. The surveying party on their return reported a declivity of twenty-seven metres, which is presumed to become still greater father inland. M. Lesseps now suggests the possibility of letting the waters of the Red Sea into the interior of Africa by means of a canal, and thus converting this hitherto almost unexplored desert into a large inland lake, which would afford easy access to the fertile countries surrounding it. The good consequences of suoh an achievement, in a commercial sense, would doubtless be vast; but to the present inhabitants ofthe country the project would be fraught with obvious inconvenience. — Ibid.