PHORMIUM HEMP.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XX, Issue 1181, 3 April 1872, Page 2

PHORMIUM HEMP.

Messrs. Miles Brothers and Co., report on the llth January :— " The demand for this fibre has been well maintained since the December sales. Further quantities have been taken for export to America, and the market is very bare of all qualities, and the article appears to be getting into regular consumption. Quotations may be advanced about £2 per ton. For good and medium qualities say £32 to £35, and £28 to £31 . Common, £23 to £26 — partly nominal, owing to want of supplies." Messrs. Devitt and Hett report on the 24th January—" The market is still extremely bare of ' snpplies, which restriols business. About 1,000 bales have been Bold daring the month, at a further advance of £2 per ton ; fine is worth £35 to £39 ; half-dressed to good, £32 to £'4 ; and there is nothing to be had under £30. Tow also would now sell readily at £15 per ton. Referring to our table of statistics, we mast state that we believe the actual stock is now not much over 400 tons, the deliveries siuue the last returns having been very good and the imports light. We have pleasure in reporting the Bucoessful result of experiments made by some enterprising Sootoh spinners in conjunction with Mr. C. Thorne, of this city, in the production of a few bolts of sail canvas made from this fibre, which we consider very encouraging. Reviewing the course of this article during the past year and the position it has now attained, we cannot bnt regret that so few producers have persevered in sending forward regular consignments, as it ie of great importance that consumers should be able to enter into this trade with a certainty of a constant and regnlnr snpply of good standard qualities. Should this practice be adopted we see no reason why present prices (which we trust are remunerative) should not be steadily maintained. The following list, comprises the prinoipal marks sold :— Per '• Edinburgh Castle/ from Wellington, Logan and Sinclair, £34 155. ; HF £33, £33, Stnart, No. 1, £30 10s. f HEM £30 55., H4Co. A £29 10s., CR&Co., R £29, CHB in diamond £27, R&G in diamond B, £26 ; per ■ Helenslee,' from Lyttelton, Kowai, SF, £27, Ashley Gorge Ist, £32, Ashley Gorge, £31, Styx B, £28 10s., HF, £3*2, M, £25 15a., GBO in circle, £30 ; per ' English Empire,' from Melbourne, BM&B sorted, £30, R, £31 ; per ' Alexandrina,' from Auckland, FTS £32 155., FTM 1, £25 155., FTM 2, £24. Arrivals. — ' Excelsior,' from Auokland, and ' Janet Ferguson,' from Port Phillip, 170 bales in all. Stock on Ist Janonry, 653 tons ; imports for 1871, 2,950 tons ; deliveries, 3,213 tons.