FURNITURE WOOD, WOOL, AND FLAX.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 152, 1 February 1845, Page 189

FURNITURE WOOD, WOOL, AND FLAX.

In the New Zealand Spectator of January 18 appeared copies of two letters, lately received in Wellington, relating to these valuable exports. Tlie first was addressed to Messrs. J. Boulcott and Co., and is as follows : —

" 75, Old Broad Street, London, "July 24th, 1844. "Gentlemen — We beg leave to hand you herewith, contract for the sale of the wood per Glenarm, at our public auction of yesterday, the disposal of which, in the careful exercise of our discretion, we consider to have been judiciously made at the prices quoted. You are doubtless perfectly aware that there invariably exists a prejudice against the introduction of any new produce, and we know of no market where this feeling is more strongly developed than in the one for fancy woods. Our cabinet manufacturers regard with suspicion any article of the supply of which we can furnish no definite data, and therefore there will be (until we are better prepared to answer every inquiry) some difficulty in bringing it into consumption, from the distaste the consumers have to obtain its adoption, in the shape of furniture, and then to discover that it can no longer be obtained. " Of the wood 8 imported per Glenarm, we make two classes — the totara we place by itself, the residue we amalgamate. Ot the amalgamation there can be said but little : there is not much demand for anything in our market that cannot be reduced to length, breadth, and depth, and therefore we should say that, as a whole, the importation is not entitled to that consideration which we .certainly do think may very safely be given to the totara wood. Of this description we would recommend, as a beginning, the shipment of a parcel of about fifty logs, not in thin plank, as in the case per Glenaroi : the length should not be less than twelve feet, and as wide and thick as possible. We think this plan will give the wood every chance, and if it should not turn out to be too strong in the grain (of which we have some fear), the figure and quality should bring it into general demand. " We are, gentlemen, " Your obedient servants, " SXEBN AND LSARY.

The following is extracted from a letter from a Director of the New Zealand Company to Colonel Wakefield: — "The wool by the Indemnity has been most favourably received, and there can be no doubt that any quantity of the best of it would sell at the highest prices of Australian wool.

"The ornamental woods brought by the German Levin (whom we have set up a« a cabinetmaker) take greatly ; and an amply paying price would be got for well selected quantities of the roots or knoba of hinau (which we call marble wood) and totara, for ornamental purposes, and of the rimu for general purposes. The marble wood is the most popular for tables, piano fortes, &c, and hundreds of loads of it would now find a ready market. And the rimu is so much liked for general purposes, that there is no saying what quantity might be sold. The only difficulty about them all is, that we have only the small quantity brought by Levin (none of which he will sell to the trade), and a little by the Indemnity, which seems to have been not well picked. Of the ornamental woods, those pieces are the most valuable from which broad planks can be cut. I think there can be no doubt that it is a safe export.

"The flaxis still a problem, on account partly of the small quantity that arrives, which is not enough to interest the larger manufacturers, and partly on account of the indifferent condition of most of it. Good judges, however, assert that some (H. Petre's) which sold for £?0 a ton^ would have fetched £40 if it had been all useable. A good half of it becomes refuse upon dressing."

The remarks of the Spectator on the export of flax, are worth noticing —

" While on the subject of exports, we may add that the flax which went home by the Indemnity, was not sufficiently dry before it was packed, and was not pressed tight enough. An old colonist, who was formerly engaged in the New Zealand flax trade, informs us that on its arrival in Sydney, the native dressed flax was hackled, and then made up in bales packed very tightly, and covered with a canvass wrapper ; that the tow paid for the expense of hackling, and that the flax on its arrival in this state in England usually realised £40 per ton."