13 
BASKET-MAKING. 
The making of baskets has been mentioned by many residents in the country as a petty industry 
which ought to be greatly extended. The finer and medium sorts are becoming at length jilcntiful enough 
in the towns, but strong, coarsely made baskets of ditferent sizes would bo very much more used on farms 
and in gardens and orchards if they could bo obtained at low prices. This is a kind of work suitable for 
boys at public institutions ; and osiers can be grown in any quantity along the river banks, and on islands 
and spots of ground fit for nothing else. 
STRAW I'LAIT. 
The preparation of straw for plait, and the making up of hats and bonnets, has been recommended 
by a^ lady at Fitzroy as a branch of industry worthy of encouragement. This lady has been 
practically engaged in it for somo years past, and has succeeded in tho face of serious difficulties, one of the 
greatest of which is the obtaining of raw material in a suifablo form. Kyo is grown here largely, but tho 
straw requii’es to bo saved in a special manner for this purpose. Wo can also grow the .‘several grasses 
and the kinds of willow used for hat-makiug in Italy and elsewhere; and as 30,000 persons, of all ages, 
are said to find employment at this industry in Great Britain alone, and as we certainly import very largely 
for our own use, straw-plait-making would appear to be deserving of more notice than it has yet received. 
SILKS. 
This stands next on the list, and (here appears to be no reason why tho production of silk should not 
be profitable here. An Italian gentleman, of Daylesford, says— “ The' growth of tho mulberry tree for 
silk wi b I behove, be one of the most pioductive industries in tho colony, and in a shorter time than what 
le public think, as I consider this climate just lit for it.” And in this opinion many of this gentleman’s 
countrymen agree. All varieties of tho mulberry are grown and increased wiih tho greatest facility, and 
there are in the colony localities to bo found suitable, in regard to climate, to every variety of the silk- 
worm. Ihe only cogent objection is the cost of labor; but on the other hand it is pointed out that the 
work of tending the worms is almost entirely done by women and children, who without this occupation 
would be earning little or nothing. The partial failures in the limited experiments made as yet have 
arisen principality from want of the best varieties of worm to commence with, and even these were 
m the hands of learners. But better stocks are now obtainable, and skill in the management will 
be torthcomiug when there is really a demand for it. Besides the true silk, the coarser sorts may also 
e raised in any desirable quantity, for the ailantus and ricinus may be grown and increased with even 
greater tacihty than the mulberry, and the worms which feed upon these plants like a warm dry climate : — 
unless, indeed, there may be a difficulty in protecting from our insect-eating birds the worms which live 
on the trees. 
DRYING AND PRESERVING FRUIT. 
c c "'^’■“'br parts of the colony suggestions have been received as to the drying and proserviiw 
ot Iruits— the drying more especially, as this does not involve any expenditure for sugar. Bottlino- has 
a so been recommended as a convenient way of saving the surplus of some sorts of fruit; but that” can 
scarcely be called a novel branch of industry. Grapes ai-e, of course, tho fruit to which attention has been 
princiiially directed, and the Commission has been supplied with samples of very fair raisins, to show what 
may bo done with little skill, and without very much trouble. The preparation of raisins for market has 
scarcely been attempted here yet; but not a few of our vignerons and settlers are iioiv getting into the habit 
ot drying a few grapes each year for domestic use, e.specially north of the Dividing Kange, where the dry 
and lyarm climate renders the process an easy one. Tho fruit of the Corinth grape has also been dried, 
showing that currants” may be prepared even more easily than raisins. Prunes, apricots, peaches, 
apples, and figs are also mentioned in the category of dried fruits ; hut experiments with these have been 
limited, seeing that fruits of the sort have been superabundant in but few places as yet. 
BRANDT. 
Strong remonstrances have been received against the present illiberal distillation laws, which are said 
to cause a great waste of inferior grapes, inferior wine, and refuse material on the vineyards, capable of beiu<r 
converted into brandy. 'Ihese law's thus militate seriously against the success of an industry not so pros” 
perous or promising as it ought to be. * 
CIDER AND TERRY. 
_ The making of cider and perry is recommended, but orchards will scarcely he planted with Ibis 
object alone A commencemout has, however, been made in the desired direction, for apples were so 
abundant last season, that a large surplus had to be dispo.sed of without going to market, and much of this 
advantage. Pears promise to be more abundant in future than apples, and 
thev^-. I Ihe same way. Both cider and perry ought to meet with a ready market here, as 
weather correspondents to be better than wine for snstaining tho strength in hot 
MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
here on\°Hmifcr/r?,lf " K clruggist, doubtle.ss several plants may eventually be grown 
record as et In ’ll i, only one in relation to which any sueceL has been 
„v, 1 4 ?^^' ^ ^ cooler parts of the colony this grows with groat certainty and yields an 
aJail!lbk° " of children has been 
onn-iim c iJanch of industry has, therefore, been recommended from different quarters as one 
Stle ™. *» talk » 10 of fcS 
and frosts • hurev proved to grow freely in places sheltered from hot winds 
them hav; bln P“ited as yet. Other products, and the plants yiehlino- 
character caJ be stateT *' ^^^^^ ^^ excepting the one first mentioned, little of a positive 
