Or.—No. 4.
APPENDIX TO REPORT OF
4
Messrs. Fraser and Tinne of Auckland have been directed to send you a colonial-made flaxstripping machine for the inspection of any manufacturers who may wish to make improvements on our process ; and Messrs. R. Christie and Co., of 4, Sermon Lane, St. Paul's, London, have been requested to act as agents for the Commissioners in carrying out certain parts of their instructions; and these gentlemen have been referred to you for such information as you can give them, and also for your assistance, if needed, in procuring fresh flax leaves for experiment, which I am informed may be obtained in many parts of Devonshire and Cornwall.
(No. 63.) —Mr. Mobeison to the Chaieman.—l4th March, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter No. 40, of the 29th December last, acquainting me, inter alia, that a sum of £200 was to be placed at my disposal to enable me to defray any expenses that may be incurred on account of the Flax Commission. In reply, I beg to state, that Dr. Hooker of the Royal Gardens, Kew, has communicated with me, as per enclosed copy letter, respecting the chemical and microscopic examination of the Phormium tenax; and I have agreed to pay to Dr. McNab and Mr. Church, the Professors of Botany and Chemistry respectively, in Cirencester College, a fee of £25 each on production of their report. It will be observed from Dr. Hooker's letter that he does not appear to have received the samples for examination which you state had been forwarded direct to him. I shall be glad to receive from Messrs. Fraser and Tinne of Auckland the flax-stripping machine, which shall be open for the inspection of manufacturers and others interested in the flax industry. I note also that Messrs. R. Christie and Co., of this city, have been invited to act as agents for the Flax Commissioners, and it will be my endeavour (if required) to furnish them with such information and assistance as it is in my power to render.
My deab Sib, — Royal Gardens, Kew, 13th March, 1871. I have received the enclosed from Dr. Hector, and immediately took steps in the matter by inquiring for proper persons to conduct the researches required. Dr. Hector, in a private letter to me, suggests a fee of £30 to £50 for a report on the points alluded to. These points however embrace a thorough knowledge not of botany only but of chemistry, and should be conducted by a botanist and chemist working together. I therefore put myself into communication with Dr. McNab and Mr. Church, Professors of Botany and Chemistry respectively in Cirencester Agricultural College, and proposed to them the undertaking of the investigations for a fee of £25 each ; a proposal they are prepared to accept. Under these circumstances, before finally arranging with these gentlemen, I should be glad of your authority for the payment of the fees on the production of the report, and for defrayment of the expenses of carriage of samples of fibre, &c, which I understand you will supply. The fresh leaves I will take care to furnish from the Royal Gardens. I have, &c, John Morrison, Esq. Jos. D. Hooker.
(No. 81.)—Dr. Hooker, C.8., to the Chairman.—4th March, 1871. Referring to your letter of 27th December, No. 35-70, together with its enclosures, I have to state that the subject shall have my best and immediate attention. It appears to me that the best beginning would be, to obtain a joint preliminary report from a good chemist, and a botanist skilled in vegetable anatomy, working together ; and for this purpose I have applied to Messrs. McNab and Church, respectively Professors of Botany &c, and Chemistry, at the Cirencester Agricultural College, who I believe to be competent men. I shall report further when I have heard from the above-named gentlemen.
(No. 92.)—Chairman to Mr. Morrison.—l3th May, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letters (Nos. 93 and 117) of 4th and 14th March, enclosing copy of letter from Dr. Hooker, and reports by Messrs. Manning, Collyer, and Co. With respect to the letter, the arrangements made by Dr. Hooker with Dr. McNab and Mr. Church, of Cirencester Agricultural College, and indorsed by you, meet with the entire approval of the Commissioners. On referring to my letter to Dr. Hooker, I find that samples were forwarded to him numbered and described, which he will no doubt have received by this time. With regard also to the £200, which did not appear to have reached you at the date of your letter, I beg to inform you that the Bank of New Zealand have had instructions from the Treasury to forward the same on 3rd January. There may possibly have been some delay in the Bank, which would explain your not haviDg received the remittance when you last wrote.
(No. 117.)—Chairman to Dr. Hooker.—Bth July, 1871. I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of 4th March, and am requested by the Commissioners to thank you for your trouble in selecting Messrs. McNab and Church, of the Cirencester Agricultural College, to report on the Phormium tenax. The Commissioners will look forward to receiving the report of these gentlemen, which they have no doubt will be received in the Colony with the most implicit confidence.