TEA AND SILK FARMING IN NEW ZEALAND. 195 



to in connection with this bonus, although at page 42 of the 

 Appendix to the Eeport, Mr. Thomas Kirk, in his evidence given 

 before the Commissioners at Wellington, on the 8th June 1880, 

 said, " There can be no question that the Assam variety of tea 

 can be grown very well in the North Island, but the cost of 

 labour w^ould prevent its being cultivated at a profit." Doubt- 

 less, however, that important article would also be willingly 

 acknowledged as forming one of the products for which the 

 Commission recommend the Government, to " guarantee interest 

 up to five per cent, on the outlay for a period of four, five, or 

 six years, according to the nature of the undertaking." 



To epitomise the present aspect of sericiculture in New Zealand, 

 therefore, w^e would say that more than ten years ago it was 

 proved to be, on an experimental scale, a success ; a government 

 bonus was offered in 1871 for its encouragement, but was un- 

 fortunately allowed to lapse, the revival of this bonus has lately 

 been recommended by the Colonial Industries Commission ; 

 meanwhile the industry is being prosecuted to a small extent, 

 both by colonists and Maories ; the mulberry is reported to be 

 growing luxuriantly in different parts of the islands, so that the 

 colonial nurserymen are able to supply the Morus alba in thou- 

 sands (see The Press, Christchurch, 6th June 1881) ; and we 

 learn from the official catalogue of the Sydney International 

 Exhibition of 1879, that a gentleman in Auckland show^ed a case 

 of crude silk, the produce of 1000 silk-w^orms reared by himself, 

 and fed principally on mulberry, and occasionally on lettuce 

 and fig leaves, and another in Christchurch, exhibited silk from 

 worms fed in Canterbury. 



After these statements and quotations the reader wdll not 

 likely experience much difficulty in agreeing that parts of New 

 Zealand, particularly Auckland, are evidently well adapted for 

 silk farming, and by analogy for tea culture also. Further on 

 we shall endeavour to explain why, in order to make these 

 industries a mutual success, they must be linked together and 

 conducted under the same head management, by the same 

 general staff of servants, and on the same farm. 



Cost of Producing Tea and Silk. 



Before entering upon the reasons for our belief, that in order 

 to attain the best pecuniary result tea-farming and silk-culture 

 in New Zealand must be combined and worked together, it 

 will be judicious to examine such particulars of the cost of 

 production in other countries as are available. Foremost in the 

 expense connected with the prosecution of these industries in 

 every country has been tlie item of w^agcs, and, in a secondary 

 degree, the cost of land, &c. In China the lands are all free- 



