NEW ZEALAND MADE OIL-BUTTS.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 100, 1 May 1847, Page 2 (Supplement)

NEW ZEALAND MADE OIL-BUTTS.

[From tlld New Zealand Spectator, April 21,]

The following correspondence referring to the OilButts of New Zealand wood, in which the oil of .the. David Malcolm was sent home, is . extracted from , the New Zealand Journal. Great leakage, .appears to. have taken place, but this is to be attributed to the state of the casks, being made of unseasoned wood and badly, jointed, and to other causes, than to the unfitness of the New Zealand wood for oil casks, as it is well known that the oil shipped the previous season per Bella Marina in New Zealand casks, arrived in, England with very little leakage. New Zealand staves arc extensively used in the manufacture of casks for salt pork, and the demand for them appears to be daily increasing

To the Editor of the New Zealand Journal. 3, Crossby Square, 23rd Oct., 1846. Sir,—Considering it to be of considerable importance

to the interests of the colonists of New Zealand that they should be made acquainted with the character and quality of oil-butts manufactured from New Zealand' staves, as compared with those made of the bestDantzic staves, we shall feel obliged by your giving insertion in your columns to the accompanying reports, which we have obtained from experienced oil-brokers and coo < pers of this city. ; ; - "/■ J ' We think them well werthy the attention of parties in the colony engaged in the shipment of>oil, and can add thereto, from our own experience,'that, on a small parcel .lately receivQd.per. David Malcolm, contained in casks of the best Dantzic staves, the whole leakage" scarcely reached the trifling amount of two per cent. We arc, sir, your obedient servants, - Henry H. Willis & Co.

London, 26th August, 1846.

Dear Sir, — In consequence of the greatleakage'on parcels of oil imported in New Zealand made casks, we - have had an inspection by experienced coopers, and beg: to subjoin their report, for the information of your cor-,' respondents in that colony‘ ‘ • '; ' , “The timber not-seasoned; the casks roughly madej - .badly jointed, nothigh enough ip. the bilge, inconse- . quence of which the hoops; 911 the bilge have not a sufficient bearing; also, slight, and stiff joints alongside of each Other.” . , , ; .r. , ; “Casks to contain oil should be made of well seasoned timbery the -staves all of one stickness; and-we have no doubt the inequality of thickness ofr staves greenliess of timber has been the'cause ' of'the great leakage of oil shipped in ,New Zealand made ’casks.-' follow, that when staves of unequal thickness, .are; putt, into the same casks, the joints willalways be defective, and become buckled; and, when stowed in the hold of a vessel, the pressure is unequal, and immediate leakage is the consequence.” From our. own experience, we are quite of opinion, if the preceding suggestions are acted upon, a vast amount of leakage will he saved, which; in many instances, amounts from 20 to 25 per cent, and upon" one- parcel, by the David Malcolm, ..recently arrived, the leakagewas 35 per cent.—Wfe’ remain, dear'sirs, ybursfaithfuliy, lr (Signed) 1 ‘ ’VVm. Jno. & Hy. BeaEE. Messrs. Henry H.' Willis & Co." - 1 -.'■>■l

Dockhead, Bermondsey, ’' September sth, 184-6.

Sms;—ln answer to your inquiry of the 26th“ul£irho, \vith respect to the sufficiencyof casks, made) from New Zealand timber for the purpose, of, importing sperm-or southern wliale oil from that colony, T beg to say, as my decided opinion, they will mot' ausiver.’ This'opinion is formed from the experience of those parcels of oil wherethe casks have been of a mixed character,—some of Dantzic, and others of .New Zealand timber. 'The leakage has invariably been' greatest on the latter; in several instances the loss has been very heavy. As the best proof of this, I have given you (on the other side) particulars of two or three'jparcpls have come under my own observation, and .which I, have attended to at landing, or have purchased the empty casks when landed in the docks; the. price I. have: givemforithem, has been very little more than half that of the others, considering them only fit'for very common purposes, and not suitable for exportation.—l am, sirs, yours very respectfully, (Signed,)", , v "RpbtvJ J}ki&tow. Messrs. Henry H. Willis & Co, , Crosby-squareTr7T r ■■ -J-\ .Ex Sydney, entered) May'2o,' 'd)B46/%2. casks, about 24 tuns,;.. there-were emptied 15 casks, abput,l2 tuns.; • , •. i,P|] Ex David'Malcolm, at NewZe'aJahdj entered ITuly l|t, 1846, one parcel abbut 90 tuns,. emptied - about 17tuns, 16- „ 1 *■«’ :; 4- ! „ si *. 100 „ „ ; 70 i?•:•;**}ti The whole of these 70 tuns were English made casks. N.B. I would just add, that tried a few of the New Zealand casks a, long*time ago, but the loss upon them was so heavy they never repeated the experiment.

(Signed) -R. J. Bw.