fu"e^?92o.''''""  l  Kauri  Gum  Industry.  4^7 
DEVELOPMENT  OF  KAURI  GUM  INDUSTRY  IN  NEW 
ZEALAND.* 
By  Consul  General  Alfred  A.  Winslow, 
AUCKLAND,  FEBRUARY  lO,  I92O. 
Since  the  close  of  war  more  attention  has  been  given  to  the 
development  of  the  kauri-gum  industry  in  New  Zealand  than  any 
time  during  the  past  five  years,  with  the  result  that  it  seems  probable 
that  greater  quantities  of  kauri  gum  and  its  by-products  will  be 
produced  than  heretofore. 
Oil  from  Kauri  Peat  Swamps. — There  are  very  extensive  kauri 
peat  swamps  in  New  Zealand  that  have  been  placed  at  the  disposal 
of  interested  parties  by  the  New  Zealand  Government  on  a  leased 
basis.  The  present  area  for  which  the  Governor  General  by  Order 
in  Council  may  set  apart  for  the  development  of  this  industry  is 
10,000  acres  on  a  basis  of  leases  for  42  years,  with  no  party  to  receive 
a  lease  exceeding  3,000  acres.  The  lessees  have  to  pay  a  low  rental 
and  also  a  royalty  on  kauri  oil  and  other  valuable  products  obtained. 
The  New  Zealand  Peat  Oils  (Ltd.)  have  taken  one  grant  of  3,000 
acres,  and  are  now  developing  it  with  reasonably  good  prospects  of 
success,  having  tested  four  samples  taken  from  different  depths  of 
the  swamp  which  yielded  an  average  of  29  gallons  of  crude  kauri - 
gum  oil  to  the  ton,  with  a  yield  of  4,300  cubic  feet  of  gas  per  ton. 
This  company  proposes  to  push  the  development  of  this  industr>^ 
during  the  coming  year. 
Kauri  Gum  Extraction  and  Grading. — A  new  method  of  gathering 
and  grading  kauri  gum  has  lately  been  undertaken,  whereby  kauri 
peat  swamps  that  are  thoroughly  pregnated  with  kauri  gum  in  differ- 
ent stages  of  decomposition  can  be  worked  with  reasonably  good 
success,  according  to  late  reports.  It  is  claimed  that  if  this  process 
succeeds,  as  indicated  at  present,  there  can  be  more  kauri  gum 
secured  from  the  deposits  in  the  North  Island  than  has  been  secured 
to  date,  though  of  an  inferior  grade  to  that  which  has  been  gathered. 
It  is  proposed  to  grade  this  kauri  gum  into  about  three  or  four 
grades  according  to  size,  which  means  largely  according  to  the 
degree  of  composition.  It  is  claimed  any  grade  would  be  sufficient 
in  quality  for  the  manufacture  of  the  lower  grades  of  varnishes  and 
similar  products,  and  would  be  exceptionally  good  for  the  manu- 
facture of  linoleums  and  that  line  of  goods;  and  it  is  expected  that 
*  From  Commerce  Reports,  April  8,  1920. 
