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In view of the many advantages we possess—a large and constantly-growing market at our doors, and separated by so many miles from its present base of supplies, a practically unlimited supply of ironsand, suitable coal at a low price close at hand, and the cheapness of our process of working—we have no hesitation in offering the shares of this company as one of the safest and most profitable investments which have ever been before the public.

No. 10. SUGAE-BEET. Me. A. Thiele, Confectioner, Allen Street, Christchurch, to the Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. Sib,— I beg to hand you a paper on the growing of sugar-beet, and the manufacture of sugartherefrom. I only give a brief outline, and could explain it better personally. The growing of sugar-beet has now been carried on profitably and successfully for the last thirty-two years in France, Germany, and also of late in England. There are several sorts of sugar-beet, but the Silesian, French, and North German are considered to be the most profitable for agriculturists, and best-yielding in crops and percentage of sugar. The French differs slightly in size, the latter growing larger. By observations of my own, I can say there is not a better country than New Zealand, both in climate and in the land, suited for that purpose, and farmers must acknowledge that root crops are no more likely to be damaged by the sudden changes of weather which prevail in New Zealand than grain crops. I had some seed sent a few years ago from my brother, who is a large shareholder in one of the factories. He sent me some North German seed, which I had grown on some land at Avonside. It produced 35 tons per acre, and, I have no doubt, on heavier land, would yield 40 tons per acre. The next spring I planted about a dozen roots for seed, and got about a bushel of seed from it, which I gave to Mr. Chudley, Duncan, and Mr. W. Baker, Colombo Eoad, who grew it for feeding cattle. I made a trial at the last Ashburton Exhibition of some inferior sugar-beet grown by Mr. Mayo, of Ashburton, from which I abstracted the syrup, and boiled it to sugar-pressure, and found it to yield 16 per cent., and have no doubt best sugar-beet would yield 18 per cent. In Germany 12 per cent, is considered to pay well. The question is the cost of labour, which is higher here than in England and Germany, but can be considerably reduced, as a great many boys and girls are employed, which would bring the the adult labour to about ss. per day, the factory guaranteeing work all the year round. Growing. —The land requires deep ploughing and harrowing in spring. The seed is planted generally two to three seeds about 12in. apart. As soon as the seed has come up it is required to be cleaned, as the weeds grow quicker than the beet. It is cleaned by boys with a hoe. About a month after comes the pulling and planting. The strongest plants should be left and the tender ones pulled away. Should, in some places, the seeds not come up, they must be replanted. One month after the seed will require to be cleaned again from weeds. Should farmers be short of food for their cattle the outer leaves may be stripped, which will give the plant clear growth and sun. When ripe, the beet must be lifted and the tops can be cut off for food for the cattle, and the roots carted to the factory and there pitted. In Germany, at present, all this ploughing and carting is done by bullocks, which are afterwards fatted from the pulp or press, which is like an oilcake, and sold in the English markets. Working of the Factory. —The beet is first washed and cleaned, then grated and pressed; the liquor then, being strained and cleared, is put into boilers and boiled to treacle, from which the sugar is abstracted. For the clarifying of the sugar strontia is required. At the present time North Germany has no loss than ten factories within fifty square miles : there is one in AnhaltCothen, Dessau, Halle, Calbe, Bernburg, Eisleben, Lobegin, Salze, Shonebeck, and Assersleben. These factories employ no less than 3,000 persons yearly. Starting of the Factory. —At Anhalt-Cothen the factory started by shares, by a company with capital and growing shareholders. For each £10-share the farmer would have to grow five acres of beet, which at once secured to the factory the growth of the sugar-beet. The farmers get paid according to the quality of the beet, less the interest to equalize with the capital shareholders. The cost of a factory would be from about £18,000. By starting a sugar-factory in Canterbury other local industries would spring up, as, for instance, the burning of bones for charcoal, the manufacture of moulds for loaf-sugar, the importation of guano for manure, &c. At present we import yearly 200 tons of sugar from Mauritius, about 500 tons from Sydney, and about 500 tons Dutch or beet-sugar, which all could be manufactured here, and at the same time we could export from here to other places. I have, &c, The Hon. Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. A. Thiele.

No. 11. SALE OP FBOZEN MEAT AND WOOLLEN FABEICS IN INDIA (OOKBESPONDBNOE BBLATING THEBBTO). (No. 4178 of 1884.) The Undek-Secketaey, Bombay, to Sir Julius Vogel, K.C.M.G. Sib, —■ General Government, Bombay Castle, 14th November, 1884. With reference to your telegram, dated the 25th September last, to the address of Sir James Fergusson, inquiring whether there is any prospect of New Zealand frozen mutton and fine woollen fabrics manufactured in New Zealand finding a market in India, I am directed to forward