NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 192, 16 August 1870, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FLAX.

The following extract from a letter received by the Suez mail, just to hand, by a gentleman in this city from a relative who is largely engaged in the flax and hemp trade in London, and has every facility for judging the market, will greatly interest those of our readers who are engaged in the preparation and export of phormium teuax : — London, 16th June, 1870. In accordance with your request I have made enquiries in reliable quarters about New Zealand flax. I find it is principally j aud almost entirely used here for mixing wiili Manilla hemp in " roping," it not being at all adapted for the ordinary uses of flax, say spinning. The present price is £29 to £31 for fine, down to £18 to £20 for medium quality, in fact, some were sold to-day at these prices, which are rather .better than have been ruling of latt j . Some six months ago the price was £54 per ton, but it had a tumble to about £22 to £23 for floe, aud was scarcely saleable thereat, but it is in better demand now and consumption is expected to | increase. There are three different qiMliiL'S — fine, medium, and good — and unless you are quite sure of the quality being Al "don't touch it with a pitchfork,' 1 as bad New Zealand flax is quite unsaleable. There is somo so-called , '"fine" now in London, that cannot be sold at £16 per ton owing to bad quality. You will see from the above that it is a very variable article, and subject to great fluctuations in price. The stock in

London vow is about 6000 bales, which is not considered at all excessive. It ig always sold by public sale, subject to a deduction of 3r} per cent, discount for prompt cash in 14 days. Brokerage, for sale, 1 per cent. The freight is very heavy. I believe some just arrived paid £7 per ton. The Insurance I cannot find out anything about, as noboJy at Lloyd's seems to have ever written it separately ; so I fancy the risk is either taken by your local insurance companies, or else is covered on the open produce policies. The best quality and the cleanest comes from Wellington, and I find nearly the whole of the supply comes through very few hands, Messrs. Red fern, Mersrs. Morrison, and Messrs Dalgety being the principal importers. This flax trade, everybody agrees in saying, will become a very important one in a little time, but the universal advice is be very careful about the quality. Any information I shall be veiy happy to give you ; and lean always <jet reliable news, as I know the principal Brokers iv the article very well.