COLONIAL INDUSTRY

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 172, 24 April 1869, Page 6

COLONIAL INDUSTRY

Meat Expoet Company. —77o shares have been taken up in a company of this nature, which has just been established in Canterbury, will shortly commence operations. It is intended to confine their efforts to boilingdown for the present, until the most profitable process is ascertained for meat preserving. A correspondent of the Australasian gives the following result of the boiling down of 1019 sheep, half wethers, half ewes, fair average 501b5., in December last:—“They were boiled down at Mr. Lowe’s Rooranghoop establishment, on the Barwon, and the yield of tallow was 23Mb. per head. The net result in London, the tallow selling at 435. 6d. to 445. 9d. per cwt., gives a return of 7s. per head. The cost of boiling-down, Is., and of casks, 7d. per head, less the credit for pelts, legs of mutton sold, &c., make a charge of Is. 3d., leaving the net return for the 1,019 sheep of ss. 9d. per head.”

A tannery on a very extensive scale is about to be started in Canterbury. The Lyttelton. Times informs us that the promoters have recently come from Wellington, and have purchased five acres of land oil which to erect the necessary works. The firm will operate under the title of Hirst and Co. The imports of tanned leather into Canterbury are roughly estimated by the Times at £12,000 per annum. A Christchurch firm has also purchased an acre of land on the Ferry Hoad for a similar purpose. The Yictoria Co-operative Company at the Kanieri are just now receiving first-rate dividends. Last week £lO per man was shared, and we learn that during the first half of the present vveek 40 ozs. was washed out. The ground has been improving latterly, and the shareholders are sanguine of increased dividends for the future. ' Flax Dbessixg, —The Wanganui Herald says: —A flax-dressing company has been formed at Turakina, by resolution of a meeting held at Mr. Brooking’s. It was proposed to commence with a capital of £250, in 50 shares of £5 each ; and the matter was received so enthusiastically by .the meeting that 38 out of the 50 shares wore then and there taken up. From inquiries, it was ascertained that the machinery and a suitable building would cost £l5O. The necessary steps have been taken to procure the machinery from Wellington, and the company it is expected will have commenced work in two months from the present time. The demand for the dressed flax is at present unlimited, and a market is readily ound at £22 a ton.

Reaping machines, which were formerly imported into Oamaru and neighbouringdistricts from England, are now being manufactured by Messrs. Reid and Gray, of Oamaru. The machines manufactured by this firm are said to be of excellent construction, and to contain several improvements over those imported from the old

country—facts which appear to be confirmed by the favor with which they have been received. The Oamaru Times says : “The firm referred to have turned out this season no less than twenty-two of these machines, and while confident of being able to drive imported machines out of the local market, are now making arrangements for manufacturing upon a larger scale for exportation. With regard to the performances of these machines, we may add that we are informed by a gentleman who had one of them at work upon his farm that this single machine, drawn by two horses, cut no less than 90 acres of wheat in first-class style in 54- days, which, when it is stated that the crop was a heavy one, averaging 40 bushels to the acre, is sufficient to show that a better implement could not be desired.” Silk Culture. —Mr. Batchelor, of Wakapuwaka, in the Province of Hclson, writing to Mr. Huddleston, the Secretary of the Helson Acclimatisation Society, gives it as Iris opinion, based on experience, that, owing to the advance in the price of silk, £SO a year might be obtained in Hew Zealand from every acre of mulberry trees.