THE FEILDING CHRONICLE AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, OCT. 25, 1879. OUR NEW ZEALAND WOODS.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 86, 25 October 1879, Page 2

THE FEILDING CHRONICLE AND ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, OCT. 25, 1879. OUR NEW ZEALAND WOODS.

.- '■ ■ • , " : ;*-'" ■'■* ~ „;♦'■',. ■: We b^efly alluded m a former issue to ; the fact that one of «ur local sawmillers. was abput" shipping a cargo of various kinds of New Zealand l tiniber as a- trial shipment,; to test thpijr value: in v r tiip. Home market. A,s the'ex^.erinient, : ii!; : successful,. must exert a very material influence on our exports, a little more; information, with respect t^'tlus "trial cargo may npji bp interest for. 'our readers.' " ; Considering the yarietyrajad excellent©, of our! woods, their beautiful or remark'-. *ajh"ie graining, their durability, 7 and the high polish of which the of them are susceptible, it is' somewhat strange that hith/rto no systematic attempt, on a large scale, has beep made to introduce them "iKxthe notice 'of the British consumers. The Mother country has \ been left to import her furniture' woods at an enormous cost from .foreign, countries, whilst one of herowncoL'nies possesses, a wealth of such, equally as good, if not batter. wh,ieh nature, with bounteous hand, baa. scattered m lavish^ prof iisidn from onpendof it to tb,e;o'ber. It "is trn'e that spasmodic and,intermittent attempts have been made to direct attention to our "wOkls,/ by .sending cabinets Or other articles, male of them, or tables, work-boxes, &c., inlaid; with theml to various exhibitions ; but pre-^ yiously to, thpt present test cargo nothings, has been done, on an,, appreciably 'largescale, to introduce them to the notice of * the British furniture-maker. - This, is greatly to be regretted, when we consider the immense amount of valuable, timber, previoua to the introdcp-' froh ol" sawmills was utterly wasted, and" the equally large quantity which,, sinoa, the establishuient of the sawmilling in-*, dustry throughout the:/4 l "" n -g , h an< l t breadth of the- polony, might have been, utilised tofar greater, advantage than ifc has-been. We have been using fair, ordinary ~ buil ling purposes timbers which, we are smigpjnp enpugh to expect, Wiil, when their q-i'aluies become known, realise far, morV lucrative ratesa*furniture woods, over aud -'above the freight^ and coat of shipment, than they Have : hitherto doue'as building material". ' „ - ' Most of the many various kinds oF timber m our ma trh I ess virgin forests, have their peculiar uses, and -very few~ ■ n're entirely worthless. The trial cargo mhst not be regarded .as cor;- is ing "ofsamples of these almost endless* varitiesy . but as; iVpr*»Re.-iting only those ■which, it is. b^elieyed. wilt uit^t with !■""■s_ %^\\ '...

give demand m! the "Home market. It comprises — rata, totara, matai, rimu, tawa, honeysuckle, .mirie, and kaikatia (spruce pine).- Lhese are J all excellent building, furniture, or cabinet woods. It is confidently expectedtnat ; bur rimu —some of which is beautifully grained —will compete successfully with Honduraa mahogany. The latter now stands at an ' high figure ; m -the English market. Tlie preleht time* therefore/ is'mostopportiiuV for intrpducihg albwer-ppicedrival. Spanish walnut is another foreign wood greatly In use, which commands long prices, and this*<it is%6pid^will-finaVf6rmid- : able rival m the tawa.of N/ew* Zealand. This, as wellas the hMr/^s'ucklp; bring good prices for^yeneering, or ihlayipg purposes'- rig-tii-tlfe exlen sive demand for illustrated papers/and illustrated books, box-wood is by- n'6 means so pUntifuljis-irwM years ago^ s and m -new of *the ""growing scarcity, " it is thought that mine, owing to the "closeness and fihepess 'of its grain, '» would make a very good substifute. It wilUthus be seen that the experiineht is being madevunder very favorable circumstances. Tfie'costs of transit to the port of^sbitimeht, 1 transhipment amd freight: -mil"; add ye*^y materially to the cost of the ra^ mateHai, still; "however, it is anticipated. that the prices realised at "Home will leave .a very fair margin of profit. Should such a con su mraation , so deyoutly^to be wished, bethereslilt pi the ex^e^mept, it give a not nil - * welcome impetus to the sawmilling industry, as wellrasVitorour railway and-our-coasting;fleet... .x . . .