56 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 
allied to this is cultivated for food by the natives of the Upper Wanganui 
district. | 
Some years ago leaves of this plant were sent to England and manufactured 
into paper at one of the Yorkshire mills. The article was highly commended in 
a trade periodical, and the propriety of importing a constant supply of the raw 
material steadily advocated. I greatly regret that I have mislaid my reference 
to the trade circular in which the notice appeared. 
Ti ngaherehere, Cordyline banksii.—A much smaller plant than the last, 
producing fibre of a superior quality, but in smaller quantity. It is abundant 
on the margin of forests, gullies, ete., throughout the North Island and 
northern parts of the South Island, and, like the preceding species, could be 
readily cultivated. 
Cutting grasses, Gahnia setifolia and Gahnia ebenocarpa, appear well 
adapted for the manufacture of coarse papers. The former is abundant in 
both islands, and could be procured in almost unlimited quantity ; the latter 
is rather local in its distribution, but the tussocks individually afford a larger 
quantity of leaves, which are often 8ft. in length. 
Other sedges and grasses might also be utilized, especially the curious 
sand-grass, Spinifex hirsutus, and the sand-fescue grass, Festuca littoralis. The 
last might possibly form a substitute for Esparto. The curious sedge called 
the pingao, growing on shifting sands, might prove to be valuable ; also, the 
tawera, or New Zealand screw pine, Freycinetia banksii, which is abundant in 
moist woods, often climbing to the tops of the loftiest trees, and might be 
procured by thousands of tons. The nikau also appears to offer material 
suitable for the manufacture of coarse wrapping papers, etc. 
I have not mentioned Phormium, since its merits are so well recognized 
that a company has been formed in Auckland specially for the utilization of 
its fibre in paper manufacture. 
The various species of Ce/misia, chiefly known by the settlers as cotton-grass 
or leather-plant, appear well adapted for our purpose. They are comparatively 
rare in the North Island, the most common being C. longifolia, which is 
abundant on the central plains but does not attain a large size ; to the north 
of Auckland it only occurs in isolated localities. In the South Island the 
genus is plentiful, numerous fine species with large leathery leaves, more or 
less hairy or woolly, being abundant. I have specimens of C. verbascifolia in 
my possession, in which the leaves are nearly 2ft. long. C. coriacea, a much 
commoner species, is perhaps still more valuable. 
Although strictly outside the limits of this paper, it may not be amiss to 
state that at several English mills wheaten straw has, for many years past, 
been manufactured into paper of good quality, and which has come into general 
use. At present wheaten straw is of little value in the Colony, so that а 
