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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9832, 29 May 1895, Page 5

On March 18 the first of a series of Cantor lectures was delivered before the Society of Arts, London, by Dr. Morris, M.A., the subjecb being "Commercial Fibres." The following is a summary of the lecture :The commerce in vegetable fibres was one of the moss important in this country. The total burn-over during 1893, including imports and exports, was of the value of one hundred and nineteen millions sterling. Of this immense amounb British possessions contributed only about five millions of imports. This was capable of great expansion. Canada could grow excellent flax. Thephormium fibre of New Zealand was capable of indefinite developraenb if once ib was available for the higher textiles. Queensland had a superior eida fibre, and the West Indies were naturally adapted to grow the best sea-island cotton and ramie. As showing the antiquity of linen, the lecturer referred to some specimens of linen-cloth in the Kew Museum taken from the Temple of Hawara, builb B.C. 2500. In South America the Mataco Indians made an arrow-proof cuirass from the floss or vegetable silk of the yachan, felted by steeping in water. The house steward of the District Hospital desires through our columns to thank the Town Clerk for a parcel of illustrated papers, for the use of the patients,