19

H.—s.

P. C. Tiibelkeld, Elaxton, Canterbury— Exhibit of half-bred Lincoln and Leicester Fleeces, 4-tooth and hoggetts, ewes and rams, twelve months' growth; weight, 13J lbs.; average price of previous clips in London, Is. 4d. Eenest Geay, Huon Hay, Canterbury— Exhibit of Leicester Fleeces, ewe hoggetts, fifteen months' growth ; greasy ; weig'it, 13 lbs. T. S. Tanceed, Ra-kapuka, Canterbury— Exhibit of half bred Leicester and Merino Fleeces, first cross, ewe hoggetts, thirteen months' growth, first combing ; greasy; average price of previous clips in London, Is. 6d. H. J. Tanceed, Grass Lea Farm, Canterbury— Exhibit of Romney Marsh and Merino Fleeces, third cross, wethers, twelve months' growth; greasy; weight, W\ lbs.; price of last year's clip in London, Is. 6|d. (two qualities). H. P. Mueeay-Aynsley, Mount Hutt Station, Canterbury— Exhibit of Merino Fleeces, ewe hoggetts, fifteen months growth ; hot-water washed ; weight over 2 lbs.; average price for previous clips in London, Is. 9d. to 2s. 5Jd. John Hail, Hororata, Canterbury— Exhibit of Merino Fleeces, ewe hoggetts, fifteen months' growth ; cold-water washed ; weight, 5 lbs. Robekt Chapman, Spring Bank, Canterbury— Exhibit of Merino Fleeces, ewe hoggetts, thirteen and a half months' growth, first combing ; cold-water washed ; weight, 3f lbs.; average price of previous clips in London, Is. lOd. Matheson's Agency, Femside, Canterbury— Exhibit of Merino Fleeces, 4 to 8-tooth ewes, twelve months' growth; washed. H. P. Muebay-Aynsley, Mount Hutt Station, Canterbury— Exhibit of Merino Fleeces, ram hoggetts, fifteen months' growth; scoured. A. H. Cunningham, Rangiora, Canterbury — Exhibit of Merino Fleeces ; scoured. New Zealand Ageicultueal Society, Auckland — Long Wool in Grease; 8 hoggett fleeces, Lincoln and Leicester ; grown by J. Wallace. T. B. Gillies, Auckland — 3 Ewe Fleeces, 3 hoggetts; Long Wool in Grease ; grown by F. R. Claude. 6 Ewe Fleeces; Long Wool in Grease; grown by J. Wallace. L. D. Nathan and Co., Auckland— Long Combing Wool; scoured; 2 cases; grown by Reid Brothers, Motutapu. Long Combing Wool; scoured; 1 case ; grown by Middleton, Papakura; assorted and scoured at the Turanga Creek Wool-scouring Works. Maeceoft and Ayees, Lincoln Road, Canterbury— 21 samples of Long Wool from pure bred Lincoln, Leicester, Cotswold, Romney Marsh, and Reyment breed of sheep, and cross-bred Cotswold 7-8 Leicester ; all cold-water ■washed. —♦

PHORMIUM TENAX, OR NEW ZEALAND FLAX, RAW AND MANUFACTURED. Cold-Water Dressing. —The leaf of the Phormium Tenax on New Zealand Flax, is fed to a machine called a " stripper," at the rate of 100 to 120 feet per minute ; the drums of these stripping machines are driven at the rate of 1,000 to 2,000 revolutions per minute, their diameter being from 14 to 20 inches. After passing through the strippers, the partially-cleaned fibre is hand-washed in bundles of about twenty leaves ; these bundles are then suspended in water and allowed to soak for about two hours ; the fibre is then spread out on the bleaching ground for a time, which varies according to weather, and then hung on lines to dry ; it is then either scutched or hackled, or both, packed in bales and pressed for shipment. When the stripper is in good order and the fibre has been fairly cleaned, the loss in scutching amounts to from 3 to 5 cwt. per ton, and in hackling from 2 to 3 cwt. Rebs and Co., Wanganui, Wellington— One bale, dressed. Richabdson and Co., Ashley Gorge, Canterbury — One bale, scutched, £30. Ditto, hackled, £32 10s. Chineby, Rangiora, Canterbury — One bale, bleached and hackled. Ditto, bleached and scutched.

Dumekque and Place, Waikuku, Auckland— 81, bale, stripped, washed, and scutched. 82, ditto, stripped and washed only. 83, ditto, stripped, washed, and hackled. 84, ditto, stripped, washed, and bleached. Hunt Beothebs, Auckland— One bale, dressed C. Goulteb, Blenheim, Marlborough — One bale, dressed. Ditto, dressed and scutched. Ditto, ditto. Ditto, dressed and hackled. Beeby, Pabkeb, and Co., Leithfield, Canterbury — No. 1. Bale, stripped and washed only. No. 2. Ditto, stripped, washed, and scutched. No. 3. Ditto, stripped, washed, scutched, and hackled. Warm- Wafer Dressing. —After passing the leaf through the stripper, as in cold-water dressing, the fibre is washed and placed to soak from six to twenty-four hours in tanks filled with warm water, which is kept heated either by means of a fire or a steam pipe ; when taken out it is scutched or hackled, or both these operations are performed. Bjciiaedson and Co., Ashley Gorge, Canterbury — One bale, stripped, boiled, and hackled, £32. Chineby, Eangiora, Canterbury— One bale boiled and hackled, with sample of Tow from the same. G. Gould, Halswell, Canterbury— No. 1. One bale, stripped, water-scutched, hot^- water washed, and machine hackled. No. 2. Ditto, ditto, with sample of Tow from same. Maori or Native Dressing. —The Maoris only use a portion of the fibre on one side of the leaf, the leaves being selected with great care. They scrape the leaf with a mussel shell, or a piece of hoop-iron, on the thigh; it is then soaked in cold water and dried. Some of their very fine samples are obtained from particular varieties of the plant, and then only the youngest and best leaves are used, particular attention being also paid to the manipulation. Bevan and Sons, Wellington — One bale, Native dressed and hackled. Colonial Museum, Wellington— Samples of Native-dressed. One bale very superior ditto. Kjneoss and Co., Hawke Bay— Native-dressed Flax. Manufactured — Bevan and Sons, Wellington — Assortment of Cords and Twines manufactured from Native-dressed Fibre, by Exhibitor. Kjneoss and Co., Hawkc Bay —■ Nine exhibits of Cordage and Twines, made from Maoridressed fibre. Gbant and Co., Otago— Assortment of Cordage, manufactured by Exhibitors. Auckland Patent Steam Rope Company, Auckland — 1 coil 6 inch 4 strand white rope. 1 „ 6 „ 4 „ oiled „ 2„5 „ 4 „ 2„4 „ 4 „ 2 „ H „ 4 „ 2„3„ 3 „ „ „ 2 „ 2i „ 3 „ „ „ 1 coil of White Rope. Canteebuby Flax Association, Christchurch, Canterbury— Assortment of Cordage, tarred and untarred; 7 exhibits. T. Lennon, Christchurch, Canterbury— Assortment of Cordage, Ropes, and Twines, manufactured by Exhibitor. W. Cook, Nelson — Twelve Exhibits, all manufactured by Exhibitor, viz.:— Two Hearth-rugs, two Parlour Mats, two Bedroom Mats, four Hall Mats, one Railway Mat, and one Carriage Mat. Simons and Malcolm, Nelson — Two Door Mats. Colonial Museum, Wellington — 10 Maori Mats, viz.: — 1 Flax and Kaka Feathers. 1 Flax and Pigeon Feathers. {Kereru.) 1 Flax and Kiwi Feathers. (JSheruheru.) 3 Parawai Mats. 1 Piu Piu. 1 Korowai. 1 Pota. 1 Pureke. Shoes, Apron, Bag, Dyed Fibre, of Maori manufacture. Taeahoea— One fancy Mat, Maori manufacture.