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commerce in the great markets of the world, wei'e quoted day by 

 day, like cotton, flax, hemp, or any of the essentials of life. 



For instance, Espartei'o or Spanish grass, which in 1850 was 

 little known, and considered of doubtful character, a drug in the 

 market at ."JOs. the tun, now commanded eleven or twelve guineas, 

 if to be had at aU. Two hundred thousand tons would probably be 

 a low estimate for the importation and consumption of " Sparta 

 Grass " for paper making in 1873-4. On the New World side of 

 the ocean, the ordinary broom-coi-n (of carpet brooms) which used 

 to be plentiful at three to five guineas per ton, was now contracted 

 for in advance of its growth, at £12 to £15. 



If they ran their eye down the Mincing lane produce sales of 

 almost any day, they would find 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 bales " sold 

 on the spot " at pi-ices ranging from £15, £17, £20. Some marks 

 and brands of jute, the product of good growei's, excelling in 

 quality, like Major Hallett's cereals, commanded premium rates in 

 advance of arrival. There was no end to the uses to which this 

 useful fibre was applicable. He had seen thousands and thousands 

 of bales landed at Boulogne from London to go inland to the 

 French beehives of industry. 



New Zealand flax, Phormium Tenax had not made the headway 

 that several other fibres had. It grew abundantly in all the 

 districts, and in one place, wild in the woods ; the Colony being so 

 far distant and in a primitive state, they had not given the atten- 

 tion to it they ought. To get proper machines to manipulate and 

 render it supple and the readier for manufacturing purposes. Dr. 

 Featherston, the Agent- Genei'al for New Zealand, in London, had 

 recently furnished his confreres with a quantity, and it was hoped 

 they would soon have a happy surprise for them, in machines which 

 would do the work as it ought to be done, and thereby revive a 

 demand for and use of a very superior fibre for many purposes. 



He was sorry to tell them, and it might be no news, that with 

 so much of good alloted us, also came much of evil ; good and evil 

 ought not to go hand in band together, but so it was ; there were 

 adulterations in textile manufactu\-ed goods, and tbe officials at 

 Somer'set House ought to have an eye to the adultei'ators as well as 

 upon the gi'ocer, baker, and other ti'adesmen. It required longer 

 and nicer calculation to produce refined shoddy goods for weaiing 



