NEW ZEALAND HEMP.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 5, 11 May 1872, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND HEMP.

The following letter, by Mr W. Keid, United ; States Vice-Consul at Dundee, appears in the ; " Dundee Advertiser " of the sth January." I My attention has been called to jour Wei-; lingrou correspondent's letter in to-day's ; •' Advertiser " : and I cannot understand why ; our Dundee manufacturers (far famed for ; their enterprise) do not introduce the 2\ew j Zealand flax into their Dundee mills. Keep- } ing in view that it has now been proved to ' be infinitely superior to jute, equal (if not ; superior) to Manilla rope, and can be shipped ]

i direct to L'undee at pric -s much less than ■ jute, and can be produced in :\uy quantity, it ! seems wonderful our merelutnis do not bestir tliems'-lvc s ? in retaining-their name for local ! manufactures. The American (.Government, I through its Bureau of Agriculture, are intr>>- ■ ducing- the New Zo dand Htx all along 1 the | Southern states, and should they succeed, as I I have no doubt they will, in supplanting ns j in this new branch of our staple trade, it will i eventually lead to the decline of flax rrnnn- \ ficturcs in Du idee. Looking at the opposi- ; tion entertained to jute when first introduced j into Dundee, and to its present s,c -ess here. I and contrasting the quality of jute with IVew l Zealand flax, no one can deny but that the : latter, when manufacture 1, will eventually be | preferred in all countries. Indeed, the fact ! pointed out by the ''Times" the other day, ! that during the past five years the exportation | from New Zealand of Max had increased from j £4,000 a year to nearly £l!.K),OO0 per year, ; is a sure sign of its futuio success.