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of these canes seem to have met with any success beyond the Midgeen, and 
unfortunately this has gone completely out of fashion, so that at the present 
time it is a complete dead letter in the market. We think, however, that 
there must he a very large number of plants which would he suitable 
either for walking-sticks or for the handles of sunshades or umbrellas, and if 
you could succeed in getting any intelligent collector to send us samples, we 
should be very glad to give our opinion as to their value, and if we saw any chance 
of using them, to give orders for a sample parcel in order to try the market. The 
present time is peculiarly suitable for the introduction of some new articles of this 
character, as the staple sticks now in use have had their day, and the trade generally 
would be glad of something new. It is, however, quite a mistake to suppose that 
any kind of stick possesses a value; it is essential there should be some peculiarity 
in the sticks themselves which will render them attractive, otherwise they are 
reckoned almost as firewood, the price realised for which would not suffice to pay 
the freight. In other words, we should not want firewood sent from Australia. 
“ We note with much interest your printed circular in regard to the collection 
of these goods, and we must say that you have indicated with remarkable exactness 
the class of goods which would be likely to prove most useful in the market here, 
and consequently of commercial value. Especially is this the case with the 
description you give under No. 2, viz., saplings such as tea trees, wattles, small 
palms, &c. We think that something new in palms or natural saplings would be 
more than anything else likely to meet with a demand here. Sticks cut from the 
solid, unless having a peculiar marking like figured ebony, palmyra, letter-wood (or 
snake-wood of British Guiana), do not seem to meet with any favour. Of course it 
is understood that our sticks are finished, and consequently are very much smaller, 
especially in the handle part, than they would be in the rough state. We like all 
sticks sent untrimmed, the root or handle part left as large as possible, so that we 
may use our own discretion as to the form of handle we may make. The round 
hook sticks, you will easily understand, are artifically bent, so that it does not follow 
that all sticks without handles are valueless, provided they possess some distinctive 
character, so as to be of use either for bending, or having artificial heads put on 
them. Seeing that they are usually sent with the bark on, which has often to be 
removed, the size of the sticks should be about 1 inch in diameter, measured about 
midway. 
“ As to the kinds of wood which can he used in our trade, it will be sufficient 
to point out that large quantities of mullein (or Verbascum), teasel (or Dipsacus), as 
well as certain kinds of Cacti, the woody structure of which presents a very 
remarkable appearance when cleared of the fleshy matter which is so abundant on 
this plant, have been employed as sunshade handles, and they make a very light and 
graceful handle. We think it would be well if you could get some person to interest 
himself sufficiently to study the matter, and to send us about a dozen of each 
specimen of wood which seems at all likely to be useful, taking care to keep 
