TEA AND SILK FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4533, 16 July 1883, Page 2

TEA AND SILK FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND.

(To the Editor of the * Tenirtg Btw.) Sib, —Adverting to former communications to the Press of New Zealand on the above important subject, I shall feel obliged if you can grant me a little space in which to continue and supplement my previous remarks.. It seems to ba universally admitted, both with you and in the Mother Country, that the industries of tea and silk farming are well adapted for portions of your colony, and the question now among friends of the proposed enterprise here is, " How to. set chaser.culture started in a form commensurate with its merits ?" . It is felt that there has been enough of mere experimenting and writing on the subject, and the belief .seems fixed among those who hare been connected with 1 ope or other or both the industries in China, India, Java, Japan, and Ceylon, that attempts on a small scale, and the amiable pottering at leisure hour* of amateurs, will fail to establish a tea and silk farming in the colony permanently and speedily side by side with' our other great national vocations. The proposal, it should be recollected, is to deal with two important articles of commerce, the piroduotion of which has for many years absorped the powers of the chief mechanics, chemists, physiologists, and agriculturists of Europe and Asia. UaleSa New Zealand, therefore—handicapped as slie will at first to some extent be by distance from the world's principal markets, and by a certain scarcity of labour—can enter upon the struggle with other tea and silk harvesting countries, fully equipped, and N boldly commence on a scale of bppsiderqble magnitude, she need scarcely hope for success, and had better, perhaps, leave tea and silk farming wholly alone.. On the other hand, the adequate establishment of chaserieulture, particularly in an undeveloped country, will necessitate an txtra large outlay of capital; *ut such lavish expenditure supposes the previously obtained confidence of capitalists. This confidence, unfortunately, by reason of the faint-hearted and dilatory attitude hitherto shown by the New Zealand Government, is precisely what is wanting. Thirteen years ago Mr T. C. Bachelor of Nelson read a paper before the members of a local society in advocacy of colonial silk farming, in which ho pointed out its advantages, and gave hia own experiences of four years' duration. His essay, and other interesting matter - on the same subject, appeared in 1870 tv the form of a State Paper, which was doubtless circulated in New Zealand as well as here, with the result that an offer was made by the Colonial Executive of a small bonus to silk-growers. This offer, probably on account of its meagrenssa. no one seems to have considered worth paying any attention to. The failure of this shabby little bounty might have taught greater liberality for the future, but such seems not to have been the case. Bristling all over with chevdux defrise or' trivial limitations, the. same micros^ copic premium, according to colonial newspapers of the 23rd February, has again been revived, and the likelihood is that unless members of the House of Representatives interfere this session/ and obtain at least the quadrupling of the bounty, and a clearance ol> the objectionable, restrictions, European capitalists will prove as shy of the proposed enterprise a* heretofore, and the Government effort at subsidising will have been again in vain. A similar tone of remark would apply to tea farming, were it not that, although proved to be a suitable product for the soil and climate, particularly in the North, this industry has not yet had the offer of any encouragement whatsoever from Government. On the contrary, it has apparently been-put to one side as of little importance, and hardly worth consideration. Regarding this product, of which the receipts at Home last year were 173 850,0001bs from all sources, there are erroneous ideas afloat which require correction. Before the present state of excellence in tea manipulating.and agricultural machinery had beett attained, a large supply of cheap Üboarwa* required in India, as is stilt theoate in China where tea preparation is, conducted in a very primitive manner. But, between improved engines in the field, and such complete yet simple implements for the factory aa Jackson's rolling and sifting mills, and Davidson's " Sirocco " for rapid desiccation, an Indian manager can now produce as much finished tea in a few hours v a large Chinese hong, full o f men woman, and children, required days to accomplish when I was there not maov years ago. The popular belief connecting tea-farming with a large crowd of en? ployes tnay therefore be unheaitatiQsly dismissed as no longer universally apptof. able, although it was true ef a former state of the industry in India. Another error is that which supposes that the cost of producing tea in New Zealand mnit

necessarily, irrespective of tl»e difference in the cost of labor as compared with other countries, be much beyond the price the public will p»y for tbe article. In thig connection it should be borne in mind that colonial grpwu tea would compete with the imported product under the adTaatage of baring no Customs duty to 'pay, no freight commissions, fees, and the usual long catalogue of outside charges; and it would reach the retailer in every New Zealand town with a more moderate crystallization of petty additions clingine to tbe original cost than China tea arrives with at the shop of the Shanghai grocer, or Indian tea carries to the premises of the tradesmen at Calcutta or Bombay. Indeed, when it is considered how short a distance any part of New Zealand is from the sea, as compared with tbe enormous Stretches of mud, mountain, and jnngle over which the products of China and India have, on an arerase, to travel ere taey reach a purchaser or shipping port, it will surely be acknowledged that the colonial saving in this respect alone must go ~)&r towards balancing any higher outlay for labour and other item of cost, leaving the colonial four pence per pound for un. charged duty as a margin to fortify the proposed chasericaltural company against loss. If these and previous arguments carry conviction with them, it can be no exaggeration to say that tea and silk farming, conducted together on the same estate, upona sufficiently comprehensive basis, and under proper management;, need not pine under any serious obstacle when compared with similar industries prosecuted in older countries. Admitting that the hire of human muscles may at present • be somewhat costly, this drawback will gradually alter in favor of the farmer as the land gets better populated ; indeed it is certain that the establishment of chaSfricuJture will prove a magnet of rare strength in attracting to New Zealand the Very classes of technical immigrants the Colony most require^, thereby leading, to a rapid, development of the colonial resources in other branches of industry. *Meaowbile, by laying under contribution the copious water-power so prevalent and accessible in most parts of the country, employing the highest skill to head departments, and conducting the' industries together, I entertain the hdpe that in the course of a short time the-lverage cost of production to "The New * Zealand Chasericultural Company, Limited," will not exceed the outlay of the tt&planters of India and Ceylon, and the silk-farmers of Europe and Asia, and that the company's invoices, at no very distant date after commencing operations, may compare favourably with theirs. All this, of course, will reqnire considerable capital, probably not less than £150,000 to eommcbce with. That amount, and much more if required, will doubtless be , forthcoming whenever, within a reasonable time, your Government sees fit' to abandon its present narrow and stinted policy for one approaching 4hat of liberality. I should prefer to work bsn'tt in hand with my countrymeh and fellow subjects of the Queen in New. Zealand in pioneering chasericulture there, rather than begin in any foreign land; bat one is apt to gee tired knocking, as I have already done, for year* at the door of bland officialdom wit's out any result. The opportunities ol; carrying out my viewß in other countries are not so remote as they night b»ve been at one time. -California is in the market holding out the brighest of prospects, as well as other parts of the United States. Aus tralia will eagerly welcome the ohaaeriojflturiat; and Turkey offers facilities within ten days mail travelling of London. Thi*fini*j -soon be magnificent openings 1 aft over tbose territories where thousands of immigrants, capitalists, and millions /of treasure will speedly find encourage meat and employment, a considerable number of vrbom a, little timely generosity i on the part ot the New Zealand Govern" '' snent, might divert to their colony. If the colonists are well advised they will give this matter their early and serious • consideration, and arrive at some understanding with their legislators which may prove attractive to the proposed entertprise ere it drifts elsewbere.—l am <kc, I- ■ i ' •'- WIIMAM CQCHBAN. ■ Overdble, Dunblane, Perthshire, Scotland, May Sod, 1883.