NEW ZEALAND TIMBER.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2021, 16 August 1880, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND TIMBER.

TO THE EDITOB OB THB PBESS. Sib, —In the report of the meeting of the committee of the Industrial Exhibition published in your issue of Friday last, some remarks were made by various members on the suitability of New Zealand timber for coach building purposes, and in reference to which my name was made use of._ I some sixteen years since conducted a series of experiments, tho results of which 1 have been recently able to verify, and which are to my mind very conclusive as to the suitability of manuka for wheel making at least. I hope my friend Mr Howland will excuse me for stating facts which will rather tend to show that his search for manuka has not been very extensive, for I commenced my operations by having some trees felled one winter when tho sap was least active, which were from 16in to 20in in diameter, from 30ft to 50ft, without a branch, as straight as matchwood, and would have split from end to end. I had them out into lengths suitable for spokes and sent to Christchurch. I then had them sawn into sizes suitable for spokes and stacked in my drying sheds, and when they weresufficiently seasoned made into wheels. And in no single instance that I am aware of did they fail. Mr Moor alluded to some tilbury wheels. I

am not aware which particular one he alluded to, but I know two or three that are running that I made from twelve to fifteen years ago, and, excepting fair wear and tear, they are as good as ever, manuka having been used in each case. But one particular instance I should like to mention if you will kindly afford me space. In 1865 I made a very light waggon to run the mail from the Selwyn to Snowdon, forty-four miles each way, eightyeight miles a week, which it did for eighteen months, running a distance during that time of nearly 7060 miles. It then passed into the possession of O. J. Harper, Esq., and was used by him as a station waggon for some years, carrying far greater loads than it was intended to carry. Prom him it passed, when ho sold his station, to B. M. Cotton, Esq., with the station ; was used by him for several years, and it is now carrying the mails and passengers between Coalgate and Hororats, doing its twenty-four miles daily. With the exception of new tires occasionally, I am not aware that they have needed any repairs. They have been in constant wear for fifteen years, have covered a distance during that time of at least thirty-two thousand miles. The’spokes are tho'same that I put in originally, and are not worn out yet, and they are manuka. I made a single-seated buggy for John Maofarlane, Esq., of Hawkswood, in which I used manuka spokes. He ran it for seven years without any intermission or repairs,as the end of which time, excepting that the tires were worn out, the wheels were quite good. He then favored me with an order for another buggy, expressing a hope that it might be as good as the last. I could multiply instances the result of my own experiments and observations, but that I fear I should be trespassing on your space. I have tendered these remarks in defence of our native woods, simply to show that they are suitable. The question whether they could be manufactured here as cheaply as hickory can be imported, already manufactured, is another phase of the question that admits of considerable argument. Yours, &e., Hekbt Waqstapf. Christchurch, August 7th.