H.—lsa

12

Continue this until the stick is holding about six plants, or more if they are small; Gin. to 9in. is the distance the plants are to be apart on the sticks, and Bin. between each stick on the poles. Now take the spear-head off, and commence on another one, until all the tobacco is hung. As the plants shrink the tobacco on two or more sticks is crowded on one, and that is lifted to a higher tier until the upper tiers are pretty full, but care must be taken not to crowd the tobacco too much. Mild, clear weather is the best for drying : strong, high winds dry too rapidly, besides knocking it about; and wet weather will hinder it altogether, turning the colour black, which is not desirable. Should a damp spell come on, the shed should be shut up and charcoal fires should be started, and the heat allowed to go through the plants as evenly as possible. The heat should be kept up to 90°. Hotwater pipes are of course the best, but the high price of such things in this country deters one from putting them up. When the large stem of the leaf becomes brown, and snaps when bent, it is thoroughly cured, and advantage should then be taken of a damp spell, when it is in proper case for handling without breaking, to strip the tobacco from the stalks and sort it, making it up at the same time into " hands." Description of a Tobacco-drying Shed intended to hold Eight Acres of Tobacco. —Length, 65ft.; breadth, 20ft.; height of studs, 18ft. Materials: Sides, 13in. weather-boarding; gabled roof, galvanized iron; double-doors at each end of the building. For ventilating purposes, every fourth weatherboard is made to open on hinges, which can be closed down tightly when necessary. The floor is best made of fine scoria or gravel, well trodden down, and raised slightly above the level of the ground outside. Hints to be observed. —Dust the plants frequently with lime (not caustic lime); use lime also for manure. The dusting keeps caterpillars off. Keep all caterpillars off by hand-picking. Do not grow any varieties for seed close to one another. Do not attempt to sweat the tobacco, except under the direction of a skilled person. Insect Remedy. —Take one part of muriate of potash, and dilute it with 1,000 parts of water. Applied with sprinkler or syringe. It is death to any bugs, worms, or caterpillars. The mixture is a harmless saline, non-poisonous. It is also a good plant-food, very cheap, and can be mixed by any chemist. The large proportion of water is necessary because it rapidly evaporates when applied, and so makes the solution stronger. Handle your tobacco carefully. Be particular in cutting your tabacco not to allow it to get sunburned; and do not leave it piled up in heaps overnight, for it will get bruised more or less, and on a warm night it will heat in a few hours, and decomposition will set in to such an extent as to render it almost worthless. All after-curing should be done at the factory. Above all, do not forget to use plenty of lime before topping. Be careful not to cut your tobacco until it is ripe: better always wait a day or two to make sure, as otherwise it will never cure up well. A tobaccoshed need not be built by those who have a barn or large shed, or even a watertight raupo or nikau whare. The fires not to be started by those who are growing small quantities: it is sufficient to shut the shed up. The tobacco will be packed under instructions that will be supplied by the manufacturers. These instructions must be carefully attended to, but may be modified to suit circumstances, There is no duty or fee to be paid by growers; these are paid by the manufacturers.

No. 9. lEON. The New Zealand leon and Steel Company to the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel. Sie, — Auckland, 20th February, 1885. Enclosed are some papers that might interest you, as they throw some light upon the aims and history of the New Zealand Iron and Steel Company. I have, &c, Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. John Chambees.

Enclosure No. 1. Sie, — Queen Street, Auckland, 25th May, 1883. Having been requested by friends who were unable to go fully into the process of making iron at Onehunga, to give a plain statement, showing the advantages claimed in the Wilson patent direct process, I now put down the principal items, and take the opportunity of saying that I think the public have no idea of the importance of this industry : it is making far more impression abroad than here. The advantages claimed are — 1. Less coal is used than in any other process, 30cwt. of coal-slack being all that is required to make one ton of finished iron, lOcwt. of same being used in the deoxidizing process. Our local brown-coal slack will answer every purpose about the works, as Wilson's patent gas-producers will be used. 2. By our process wrought iron is made direct from the sand, using no foreign substance whatever, ironsand and coal being the only materials that will enter the works. Place the above as against the usual mode, requiring 56cwt. coal, ll^cwt. limestone, 45cwt. iron ore, to make 22-Jcwt. pig-iron. Add labour and interest in expensive plant, and then the product is not equal to 40cwt. ironsand in its raw state, requiring as much coal and more labour to make one ton of bar-iron from pig than we require altogether. 3. No fettling is required, the oxide making more than is necess'ary. 4. The very small cost of ore, or sand. The expense of collecting and delivery to the works, taking the average deposit as equal to 50 per cent, of pure iron, will be at first 3s. per ton, which equals 12s. for two tons of pure ironsand ; and, if cleaned, and separated at Manukau Heads instead of Onehunga, about 7s. only.