EL—l7.

Oaten Hay. —This is not much in demand in ordinary times, although very large business has been done in it during the existence of the war. Forage. —That is to say, as reaped from the fields complete with ear and chaff, packed in bales of 1 cwt. each, or about, would sell well on this market. This would require to be first made up in bundles of about 5 lb. each, and then packed ear to ear with board on the four corners, and then wired round with a fairly strong wire in order to stand handling, and avoid breaking or bursting in shipping. Bran. —A large demand exists for this, filled in sacks of 1001b. and 150 lb., at £6 per 2,000 lb. c.i.f. Flour. —In this New Zealand is not considered to be able to compete with Australia, much less America. Hard-wheat flour of great strength is what is required. One firm of agents inform me that they have sent samples of the American article to New Zealand on more than one occasion for the purpose of testing, and the result in each instance has been that millers acknowledge they cannot produce a strong flour equal to the American from wheat grown in New Zealand. This same firm (Messrs. W. Cotts and Co., Durban) say they should be glad to forward samples to any address for the purpose of being tested on behalf of the New Zealand Government, and would be glad to hear the result of the test. As regards the feeling against the quality of our New Zealand flour, I think this is due not so much to the fault of the flour as to the fact that the American has already got a very great hold (also the South Australian), and that the New Zealand product requires pushing. Whether this is so or not, large quantities of New Zealand flour can be exported for mixing with American and Australian flours. Timber. —There is a great demand for timber, and with regular freight a big trade can be done. To a great extent this is a timberless country, and large shipments come from Canada, America, and the Baltic. In the mines at Johannesburg, and in connection with the extensive building operations likely to begin so soon as the country is settled, great quantities of wood will be required, and New Zealand should have no difficulty in securing a portion of the trade. I have had many inquiries about timber for building purposes, and should recommend the sending of samples to the secretaries of the Durban, Johannesburg, and Port Elizabeth Chambers of Commerce, these gentlemen having very kindly expressed their willingness to exhibit such samples and to interest themselves in introducing them. In Cape Town, of course, Major Pilcher, the New Zealand Government Agent, is prepared to do the same. Hops. —With the opening-up of Johannesburg there should be a good demand for hops for brewing purposes. Eggs. —At present large quantities of eggs are imported from Madeira in baskets ; also from England, preserved in liquid, in 14 lb. tins. The latter are sold at 7Jd. per lb. landed here. They also come from the Commonwealth in fifty-dozen and one-hundred-dozen casks, and packed in salt and bran. I consider there is a great opening here for eggs. Woollen Goods. —The samples of goods I brought with me have been much admired, especially the rugs, but they are generally rather heavy for this warm climate. They are also rather high in price. The English market is near at hand and a formidable rival. A lighter class of goods at lower prices might insure business being done. Stud Stock. —Cattle and sheep, especially merinoes, for breeding purposes are generally inquired for, and wall be in great demand for restocking the country when the war is over. The country is being rapidly stripped of herds and flocks. Even before the war cattle were wanted, particularly in the Transvaal, the rinderpest having swept hundreds of thousands of head away. Oysters. —There appears to be an excellent opening here for frozen oysters. One firm alone in Durban has had offers from Johannesburg for 400 cases of oysters. This would represent over fifty thousand dozen oysters, which would give employment to at least five cutters catching all the year round in New Zealand—to say nothing of opening, freezing, and making of cases for export. A little extra care must be taken with the handling of oysters, and they also must be put up specially for the trade and climate. They should be frozen, in enamel dishes with divisions in them—each division to hold about four or five dozen oysters. They may be put up in blocks containing as many dozen as the shipper thinks fit, provided they are easily divisible into the four-dozen or five-dozen blocks without breaking the oysters. It would be absolutely necessary to have special appliances for fetching the oysters from the steamers to the cool-chambers, otherwise they would be all thawed out long before they reached the shore. And once frozen oysters are thawed they are perfectly useless. Oysters on this coast are very scarce, being confined to small patches of rocks. They are sold at Is. per dozen wholesale and 2s. 6d. retail, but their flavour is so coarse and strong that very few people use them. The oysters should be put up in small crates rather than cases, and blocks of oysters should be carefully covered with the best clean rice paper as soon as possible after being frozen. This is to exclude the light, or they will all turn rusty or brown, which destroys the appearance. They should be tightly packed in the cases or crates to prevent breakage in handling : 144 dozen will make a nice-sized case or crate. The cases should be perfectly clean, and made of dressed white-pine (New Zealand) ; and if kerosene is used in branding this should be done some time before the cases or crates are used, otherwise the oysters are likely to suffer. Cleanliness and care in opening are very essential. Smoked Fish. —This trade could be very largely increased by studying the requirements of the shopkeepers. The system practised in New Zealand of rejecting the head should add greatly to the sale, as there would be little or no waste. The Picton herring should also get a trial, although the blue and red cods would form the principal trade in smoked fish. One firm alone in Durban has had offers from Johannesburg for 200 cases of smoked fish per month. Frozen Meats. —I now come to what is one of the most important of all the products from the exporters' point of view. During the last six years a considerable trade in frozen meat and other produce has sprung up from Sydney and Melbourne to South African ports ; but in the case of Durban, and also of East London, Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town, that trade has been subject

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