NEW ZEALAND at the VIENNA EXHIBITION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 116, 16 May 1874, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND at the VIENNA EXHIBITION.

The following is an oxlract from a letter by Mr Kirchner to tbe Agent- . General for New Zealand, daiel 14th January last. Mr Kirchner represented Queensland at the Vienna Exhibition : — "It would have been better if your collection could bave been arranged by Professor von Hochetetter. Your catalogue, however, made up fcr any slight confusion. The other colonies had no catalogues, and consequently many exhibits of importance were overlooked. New Zealand had the advantage of Professor von Hochstetter's friendly oilices; he appeared very frequently with the Crown Prince of Austria in your exhibition, when he drew great crowds together, who listened with much interest to tbe glowing descriptions of New Zealand which he gave from his personal experience. " As my attention was mostly devoted to Queensland, I was only able to give, now aui then, information about your colony to some casual enquirers. It seemed to me that your wheat commanded much attention. Numbers of agriculturalists were eager to procure samples, so tbat Mr Bavaa had to put a price on the Bame, and sold it at sixpence per email wineglassful. By some very intelligent farmers and millers your wheat was preferred to that frora South Auslrulin; they considered it would yield more flour and less bran, &c. The color of the flour might be slightly darker, but tbat would be no objection in Germany. The miller who looked at your samples of flour, thought that tbe quality of it could be greatly improved by a slight admixture of the flour of dinkel, a grain not much koowu in Englaud. ]t is much used in Germany in wheat flour, improving the color and making it cake more. >r;(I shall be very glad to send you some seed for trial.) Some of the v a bove farmers asked me if beetroot was, grown for sugar in your colony; they thought tbat the land -that could produce such wheat was emineolly adapted for beetroot, whioh is now considered the most profitable crop in Germany for good land, although the home-grown beetroot sugar is subject to the same duty as the imported cane sugar. Madder root also was mentioned ns a likely and profitable crop for your land and climate. " Your flax caused much attention, and I caused Mr Bevan to distribute some amongst manufacturers and spinners, who were desirous to make a trial of itß adaptability to various purposes. Sample, of your bark were given to the Imperial School of Chemistry, who will analyse and report thereon. "Your tweed was found superior to the Victorian manufacture, and was purchased at prices that ought to pay the manufacturer. " Lastly, the maps and geographical surveys were much admired, and caused no small surprise at the advance of science in your remote colony. "Ihave still to mention a subject of interest respecting New Zealand wheat. The year bofore lust, I procured for a friend, a large farmer of Mecklenburg, some samples of Australasian aod other seed wheat. It was sown in patches of ground separately, adjoining each other, and all came np well; but the May frost that year destroyed the South Australian and Californian wheat, but did no damage to the New Zealand crop."