Hawke's Bay Harald THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1895. NEW ZEALAND TIMBER FOR ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9890, 17 January 1895, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Harald THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1895. NEW ZEALAND TIMBER FOR ENGLAND.

It seems curious that after ao many unsuccessful attempts to introduce New Zealand thnboie to European markets thcro Blioukl hava Bet lv nuch a sudden apparent demand for bhipmontu to ex. periuient upon. But the London correspondent of luo Chriatohurch Pros, who was inclined to look doubtingly upon Mr Freiberg's nan^'utuo predictions, now writes tbab onr timbers really Beotu to have a grout future lieforo it, "Every disposition exlnts to give the Now Zealand woods a thoroughly fair trial," ho soyp, "and If only the Now Zuulaud sawrallleis will condescend to act ou tho advice of the oxperla and regulate their supplies nfter the method ho recommends, they Btand ft very ;;ood chanco of doiuj; well out oE tholr uMpruGula, But if they will not tnke good udvice, they will have to uuifer, Uuloas they semi Home tlio par-

Uculur kind of stuff tho Eoglinh market wants, and will take, they, might just as well sell their wood ou the epot for fuel, and so save freight) and charges, (or the London market will only buy jast what it chootcs, and if the Umber senG doen nod aulb its choica— and what is wanted ia quite well kuowu-ib will not be bought at any piioo. ... To show the demand there la in England for ont9lde timber I may mention that all the jirrah timber that Jarrahdale can furnish np to next August has been bought in advance for delivery, and a thousand loads have also been pnrchased tor delivery after August next year. Also three carpoea of stringy bark wood have been cold in advance for delivery, and another contract haa been made," After narrating successful tests made with kauri at Woolwich arsenal, the correspondent dwells lipnn ihe absolute necessity for the wood beiog thoroughly seasoned and properly cut, some recent samples having failed in both these essentials. We few that the landable desire of the Uovarnment to push this trade will be seriously hampered by the difficulty of getting any largo shipment of seasoned timber, except kauri. Our other woods are generally ent and nsed " from band to mouth," the only really teasoued stocks belug anwU lota held by cabinet-makera for their own requirements. Bub a cable message in Tuesday's lasne stated Chat the New South Wales Government U cuttiDg the Gordlan knot of this difficulty by erecting plant at which large stocks of timber can be artificially fe'.soned in a week or two by the Reiser procjss. We do not know whether this is the process which was shown in Southland some time ago. Under that system the logs were subjected to great pressure at one end, end the natural sap was forced out, its place being taken by some chemical combination held in solution. Most wonderful accounts were published of its success. Logs jnst cut trom newly-felled trees were subjsctod to tho process, then cub Into very Ihln flitchea and exposed to tbe sun and weather -withont any warping, shrinking, or craoklng. Obher pieces were tnrned In the lathe, where they cut like timber seasoned for years, and similarly realstcd the action of the weather. The process, too, except tor the cost of plant, was said to ba inexpensive. We have not board whebher it is still in me In Southland on a commercial scale. If so, it is strange thab more has not been heard of it, and that no overtures have been made to our North Island millers by tbe patentees. If it is not in use, tbab fact would tend to discount its alleged value. The New South Wales Government, however, eeem to be sufficiently satisfied to give it a thorongb test, and we trust our Government will carefully watch the results, so that our sawmlllors may not be behind in the race to capture the English market.