T. KiEK. — On the neglected Forest Products of New Zealand. 135 



As it is not tbouglit advisable to make any wound of greater length than 

 eighteen to twenty inches during one season, from eight to ten years will 

 usually be required to operate upon the trunk to the height of twelve or 

 fifteen feet. A short pole, with sloping notches to receive the feet, is used 

 by the operator when the incisions are more than six or seven feet from the 

 ground. An exjpert operator does not require more than two or three 

 minutes to ascend the tree, form a new surface to the wound, and descend. 

 He is expected to attend to between 200 and 300 trees per diem, and to 

 take the entire management of from 1500 to 2000 trees each season. It 

 need scarcely be remarked that eight hours does not constitute a working- 

 day in the district under notice. 



Burgundy Pitch. 



This was formerly manufactured in Finland, Austria, Switzerland, and 

 the Grand Duchy of Baden, by boiling the crude resin of the Baltic spruce, 

 straining and evaporating until the proper consistency was attained. The 

 manufacture of the pm-e article has greatly diminished of late years so that 

 now it is not easily obtained. 



The substance usually sold as Burgundy pitch is a compound made by 

 melting Bordeaux or American resin, and mixing it with palm oil, a little 

 water being added during the process of mixing to render it opaque. It is 

 obvious that the local demand for an article of this kind could be readily 

 supphed from local resources, as the manufacture can be carried on in the 

 colony at a very small cost. 



Kauri Besin. 



I am particularly desirous of di-awing attention to the enormous waste 

 of this substance, which is continually going on. Whenever a kauri tree is 

 cut down, the bark and chips become more or less covered with exuded 

 resin in a few days time. Even the leaves, while still green, exhibit 

 numerous rounded particles, or minute " tears " of the so-caUed " kauri 

 gum." Taking into account the vast amount of kauri timber converted 

 annually, the value of the resin thus allowed to waste must be enormous. 



I venture to suggest that it would prove highly remunerative to extract 

 it by distillation. At present this raw material is valueless, but if a cheap 

 mode of extraction could be devised it would add largely to the wealth of the 

 Auckland district. I do not despair of seeing even the sawdust of the kauri 

 become of value on account of the resin which it contains. 



The leaves of the hemlock spruce-fir of North America are made to yield 

 a volatile oil of great value, by distillation, and the industry is yearly 

 assuming larger proportions. 



Although the recent resin of the kauri is considered of less value than 

 that found in a fossil condition, it does not follow that its extraction from 



