16

1.—12 a.

cultivation of high-class silky fibre of the tihore and other special high-grade flax-plants not known to general commerce of to-day, the fibres from which, when properly handled and understood, will reach £100 per ton. Nevertheless, the value of the flax industry for- 1906 is given in the Official Year-book of 1907 as £776,106. It was only £20,000 in 1886. Sugar-beet Values and Benefits. In advocating the sugar-beet-root industry for Waikato specially it must be understood that, although great importance should be attached to the extraordinary sugar values of Waikato-grown sugar-beets nevertheless the actual sugar value is the least of all the values to the producer of the sugar-beet-roots and to the district as a whole where the sugar-beet-root industry becomes firmly established as the sugar itself can only be reckoned upon at cost-price when refined, and therefore the refiner' (that is the capitalist) must be consulted, and his capital invested made as safe as practicable in the price demanded for the raw material and certainty of supply All interests m the district public and private, are therefore at stake in the success or non-success of their sugarfactorv for independently of the sugar value itself, though great, the Waikato farmers' gam from the establishment of the sugar-beet-root industry in Waikato will be in their improved position in the dairy competitions of the world in their winter dairies, and to Waikato generally m their meat freezing and preserving works, especially in the early-lamb portion <rf that industry in butter and cheese, ham and bacon, sawmills and sash and door factories gram-mills, flax-mills, woolleil-mills, furniture and cabinet making, coachbuilding, biscuit, brick and tile and pottery works agricultural-implement factories, chaff-cutting, sugar-boiling and confectionery, tmwareactories, woodware and turnery, lime and cement works, rope and twine works, fruit-preservmg works jam-factories, chemical works, electric-power lighting works, shirtmakmg and worsted factories' spouting and ridging- works, hosiery-factories, steam launch and boat building; sauce pickle and vinegar factories, sail, tent, and oilskin factories; hat and cap factories, brush and broom factoriesf mattress factories, paper and paper bag factories, box factories, and other numSous small industries in which a few are joined together also perfect water and transport c -vfces of a local character and communications. The sugar-beet-root and ng the foremost position in this district, and the farmer as he should do, farming the land scfentifically and economically, it will become the base for stability and extension of the Dominion of New Zealand in the Pacific. The Ideal Sugar-beet Field. There are doubtless large areas of land in New Zealand suitable for sugar-beet-root cultiva- ♦ • w fm the nioneer factory for sugar-manufacture the central Waikato basin, from Huntly rMnrrinsv lie Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Alexandra, Whatawhata, Ngaruawahia_, and Taupiri 3f£al sugar-beet field in the Dominion of New Zealand. Its fresh-water rivers, Waikato 1S fwata navTgable to Cambridge and Alexandra respectively, and their waters having been and Waipa navigable to g anufaoture> and certified to be suitable, with its disS ItSre-work ? aTe X producing lime by analysis 96 per cent, carbonate of lime; its district ai a^le for the p ur pose, connected by rail and river-steamer, and coal-mmes at Huntly P p beyond quegtion " doubt a* to their Ting suSle for producing sugar-beets of very high value in sugar up to 21 Jonfpe a re! and r— d b^ail to be the most fitting locality for the pioneer beet-sugar factory in New Zealand. The Prospects of the Industry The fruit and poultry industries will reap great advantages from the sugar-beet-root industry, aTw industries willbecome of ever-increasing value to the Dominion. But the great conand these industries w I oeco c su „ ar . b eet industry is the fact that sooner or later New sideration m favour of estobiisliing tne si g y {nUin her commero6 with the Zea !7 d will become a great manufacturing and world and her P°P viat i on at, fton c compared with Australia and the maritime centre no ™J£ Zd Canada that she can never expect to rival these great continents of °°™ d gso heap and capab le of fattening stock on natural grasses. vast countries m q™*™3 wbe eiaM exceptionally fertile and free from droughts, and is Nevertheless, New Zealand « and agricultural products; therefore quality, not £°£5 mitt 1 8 H rtn & d : wtrLol of such high'values that they will have to be quantity, will be tier ™ o ™°, tn enable them to pay interest on outlay and value. The sugarwell farmed and 15To 20 P tons per acre, containing by analysis 16 per beet-root district to purchase, at cash sugar values, the roots cent, of sugar !^Z*rZer with ready money to pay for the labour and manure to make will provide th « I \ dust ™?/ f ™ of 25 acres to pay and support his family in comfort, by proit possible for his homestead f«m oNßWorses for „ e neral, dairy, or stud purposes, available ducing a superior class of sheep cattle, and horses ), and South Africa, A for the always increasing to inspect the Shorthorn cows and visit to the Waikato District r ~ tal " h doubt these factg , and therefore every the in establishing this sugar-beet industry a intse m of foreign