Timber.

The timber trade of New Zealand has steadily increased. The forests are so extensive, and contain such a variety of valuable woods, that they must prove of enormous value in the near future. The kauri tree has the highest commercial value. The wood is very hard and takes a high polish, and is used for furniture making and ship-building. There are valuable woods, known as kahikatea, totara, puriri, rimu, rata, maire, and many others. The exports of timber for 1891 amounted to the value of £182,481, and trade is now being opened up with Australia and also with this country. The Midland Railway Company of New Zealand, an English Company formed for the making of a line of railway in the colony, has a most valuable concession of splendid timber lands, and is taking active steps to promote a large export trade. The total value of manufactures from timber in the colony for 1890 was £832,959. It is estimated that there are in New Zealand at the present time about 10,000,000 acres of forest land.