NEW LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 506, 7 April 1880, Page 3

NEW LOCAL INDUSTRIES.

A. meeting of farmers and settlers in the Wanganui district has been called by the President of the local Agricultural end Pastoral Association, to consider how best to promote certain new industries suggested by the Local Industries Commission as being suitable to that district, and equally suitable to Patca. These new industries are the manufacture of beet-sngar, butter, cheese, bacon, leather, and the export of meat. All these products could be adapted to the district around Carlyle; and we may even claim that this district could grow beet better than Wanganui; could turn out butter, cheese, bacon, and meat whieh could not be excelled by any other grazing area in the Colony ; and that there are facilities for manufacturing leather which could not be excelled in the world. This is not said by way of detracting from the natural capabilities of Wanganui, which are great; but rather to place adjacent districts into fair competitive notice, to attract -capital to Patea as well as,to other places, and to stimulate settlers already here to make efforts in the direction suggested by the Royal Commission. The meeting at Wanganui is called for to-day, and the Chronicle says ;—“ With regard to the first article mentioned in the above list, we are not aware that any attempt has been made in the district to produce the beet-root, the raw material from which the sugar is manufactured; and obviously the first step towards the introduction of the industry would be an experiment on as large a scale as possible, to test the capabilities of soil and climate for raising a crop But, even before that was done, it would be advisable to ascertain with certainty what had been accomplished in the manufacture of beet..sugar elsewhere, the expense of cultivation, probable yield

of raw material per acre, percentage of sugar obtained, the cost of manufacturing plant and manufacture, its quality, and finally the price obtainable for it when placed in the market. But there are yet other enquiries which it might be advisable to made before an experiment in beet-raising was gone into. We published an article relative to the production of sugar from the Sorghum Saccharatum, or Chinese cane, a plant which of late years has been cultivated for purposes with varying success in America, as far North as the State of Maine. In successful years the yield from the Sorghum has sometimes been enormous, and if we are to produce sugar in this part of the world it would seem that really the first thing to be done is to select the plant which is to furnish the raw material. In New Zealand cultivation of the ordinary cane is out of the question, and the choice appears to be between the Sorghum Saccharatum and beet-root. It is probable that valuabla information is already iu the hands of the Government concerning both these plants, and the respective methods of manufacturing sugar from them. A suggestion has been made that the establishment of a manufactory for batter and cheese under the management of a person capable of conducting it on scientific principles, might be attended with success, a daily supply of milk being contracted for. There would be a difficulty, however, at the present time in attracting the attention of the public to such a scheme.*) Money would be required, and it was never more scarce both in town and country. The Local Industries Commission have touched on the question of meat export, and invite suggestions. It seems to us that the Wellington merchants should bestir themselves to make necessary arrangements, and we believe they have already done something in the matter. When a ship is ready the stock will -be forthcoming, and we have no doubt whatever that before long the meat export trade will assume large proportions,”