dressing to which it had been subjected. The samples had all been broken under water, so as to avoid any influence the air might exercise. The result was that the fibres were distinguishable into two classes — those that frayed out, and those that broke square across. The frayed samples were of flax that had been prepared by chemical means or retting, which implies chemical change, but exhibited the same kind of lengthy filaments at the point of break as that shown in the Irish flax, which suggested the idea of having been drawn out of a centre. The best machine-dressed samples, from Auckland, had more the appearance of having been cut. A sample of Manilla, subjected to the same test, also showed the same abruptly broken fibre as the former. A sample prepared by Booth's process—which professes to be but a mechanical adaptation of the Maori process, and in which india-rubber tables are supposed to possess the flexible elasticity of the Maori's knee—was a closer approach to the frayed appearance of the hand-prepared. A sample of Journeaux's modified retting process also showed the frayed character. The general deduction, however, he thought might be drawn from the experiments which have been made is, that those fibres which break abruptly will stand a heavy direct strain, while the others, having more flexibility, will be found better adapted for weaving and spinning into rope. Attention was called to a sample of Maori dressed flax broken by a strain of 300 lbs., which presented a bottle-brush-like end; and also to a sample of Manilla broken by a weight of 179 lbs., which broke off like a stick, or rather like whalebone. Allowing for the increased strength given to the Maori flax by the lateral adhesion of the fibre through the presence of gum, he thought that the strength of the ultimate fibre of each might be the same. Machine dressed flax, however, and Manilla, must be classed together. Particular attention was called to the fact that flax, according to the process of dressing employed, is capable of being made available for articles of greater value than mere ropes and gunny-bags. At present, the commissioners have been chiefly engaged in preliminary investigation with a view to testing, by a regular series of experiments, flax prepared by the different mills. In describing a means by which a variety of textile fibres had been tested, each sample having been laid up in the same way as nearly as possible, Dr. Hector said that while Manilla hemp broke with a strain of 188lbs., and Europe rope 135 lbs., the New Zealand flax (Maori dressed) only parted at a strain of 300 lbs; a sample of Journeaux's process yielded at a pressure of 238 lbs.; several other samples kept close to the Manilla, and in one instance—that of Demarque's—