460 Transactions. — Botany, 



Let us suppose the case of a forest settler on the lower flanks of the 

 Eimutaka, or in many parts of the Wairarapa, the Kaipara, etc. In 

 clearing his land he finds trees of honeysuckle or rewa-rewa (Knightia 

 excelsa), the timber of which is almost useless for out-of-doors work, on 

 account of its perishable nature, while, as it is difficult of combustion, it is 

 worthless for firewood ; yet, placed in the English market it would fetch a 

 much higher price for cabinet work than the so-called American Birch, 

 which is retailed by the timber merchant at from 6d. to 12d. per superficial 

 foot of inch thickness. The timber should be prepared by cutting into from 

 10 to 14 feet lengths, so as to be easily moved to a rough saw-pit, when it 

 could be reduced to planking, say from three to six inches thick ; or, if in 

 the vicinity of a saw-mill it might be converted at a still lower rate, or 

 perhaps sold in the log. When converted it should be "perched" or 

 " stripped " in such a way that no two planks would be in contact, and a 

 constant circulation of air should be maintained between them. In this 

 condition it could be sold to local cabinet-makers or consigned to a merchant 

 or agent for export. But it is necessary to offer a word of caution with regard 

 to two points of considerable importance, for the neglect of either would lead 

 to loss and disappointment. First, the timber should not be sent on board 

 ship until it is thoroughly dry, or it will inevitably become foxey and tainted. 

 Secondly, it is imperative that the consignee in England should be someone 

 thoroughly acquainted with the timber trade, for it is certain that many 

 valuable timbers and other products endure continuous neglect simply from 

 their not finding their way into the proper channels of distribution in 

 Britain, Dr. Hector informed me that the object most admired in the 

 New Zealand Court of the American Centennial Exhibition, was a cabinet, 

 constructed chiefly of rewa-rewa, which, after lying in the Loudon docks 

 for an indefinite period, had been picked up by a cabinet-maker, who 

 recognized its value for his purposes, but who had been unable to learn from 

 what country it had been brought, although striving to procure a further 

 supply. 



It is not easy to form an exact idea of the cost of conversion and delivery 

 at the port of shipment, so much depends upon situation ; the following 

 may be taken as a sufficiently liberal estimate : — 

 Falling, Id. per cubic foot. 



^°^"^^"^ Isd. „ .. 

 Conversion j 



Cartage, 3d. „ ,, 



Eailway charges, 3d ,, 

 Say tenpence per cubic foot, or seven shillings per 100 superficial feet. 

 The settler would therefore obtain not merely remuneration for his labour, 

 but a direct profit by selling the planking at so low a rate as one shilling 



