SECTION VIII page 174 - 225 [8 MB, PDF] - Christchurch City Libraries

scraped, some of the best specimens are of a rich-brown colour. Sometimes translucent
or even transparent specimens are found, such as were exhibited in Mr. illitchelson's
collection ; occasionally these have leaves or small insects enclosed. When obtained
from swamps the resin is v- dark-coloured, or even almost black, and fetches a low
price. Transparent or semi-transparent -hens fetch hi& prices ; they are useful
substitutes for amber in the manufacture of mouth-pieces for cigar-holders, pipes, &c.
The pat bulk is used in the manufacture of oil varnishes, and in all countries where
much varnish is made it holds the chief place in the market.
The trade in kauri-,- bgan about 18-47, but its price then and for some pears
onwards was only about £5 per ton. Sow the best kinds are worth about f 100 per ton.
There are other competitors with kauri-,pn in the market ; some of these are from
Zanzibar and other parts of Africa. but are not produced in sufficient quantity to offer
effective riralq-. An important con~petitor with kauri-gum, however, has now been
found in China.
Besides the kauri-gum collection shorn by Mr. Mitchelson, Mr. Bennett sent a good
exhibit of gum-specimens. Another and very beautiful collection of choice, and plied pieces of gum-that of G. W. E. Patterson and Co., of Auckland-though not in the
Auckland Court, was to be seen a few ~ards away, in the large public mm of the Tourist
Department.
Auckland, with its vast extent of good pastoral counm dl before long be the
patest wool-growing aud dair?-ing proi.ince -in the colony. At present some-millions
of a m of excellent land--some in forest, some open fern and tutushrub
counq-are I$np untouched and idle ; when they are opened
and
up and settled, and ~uade to contribute to the wealth of the natio~
urical- Aucliland 611 prolJ,l>- do as much trade as the two big .seaports of the
South Island combined. Aread?- wool is a large item. Some excellent samples of ,mded
wool, embracing con~prehensi\*e specimens of fleeces from the 1906-i season's shearing,
were shown b~ the Auckland ITuolhrokers' Assotiition. The w a g business was not
represented by a general provincial eshibit, but the Kaikato subcourt contained a
,pphic and eye-arresting statelnellt of tllat district's wealth in butter and cheese. The
Auckland Province during the Exhibition season contained 130 creameries and dairy
factories, and had during the previous ;rear esported to Great Britain just over
W00,O n-orth of butter and cheese.
Agriculture \\-as repn?sented by a large make trophy stancling in the centre of the
court, a pyramid-like corn-crib of the golden cobs, sent by the -wcultunl Society
of Opotiki, Bay of Plenty. Optiki and the ~~eighlmuuulg clistrict of IThahtane and
the coastal vallep extending from there to the East Cape are the principal maize-pwhg
districts in the colony : rich. w-arm, sheltered river-flats and slopes 1.~11s well to the
sun, where the yellow maize-fields--one of the loost beautiful sights in Kature \\-hen the
tasselled corn-sheaths begin to unfold-nletin~es yield as much as a hundred bushels
to the acre.
The flax-milling business, one of Aucbnd's man>- sources of wealth, was illnstrated
by some samples of dressed Phium tenax fibre and a case containing san~ples of
nlanufactured rope and twine from the Grey L;mn Rope Manufacturing Company.
J. Bums and Co., of Auckland, had a comprehensive exhibit under this head.
The pat timber-mibg business, so pre-eminentl~ Auckland's om, and its earliest
industry, was not nearlywell enough represented. There were some good eshibits of
worked and dressed ornamental timbers ; A. J. Osborne showed some
APC-'s
beautifull;r inlaid table-tops and violins manufactured from Aucldand
native timbers ; G. B. Beere. a handsome inlaid secretaim: and some
IdUsm*
carved and inliid work in various woods : and J. Bartlett sent some
fine photographic edargementa of bush scenery and phases of the timber in dust^. Two