﻿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 
  

  

  