ALLUVIAL MINING. The Rcld trophy in thj New Zealand mineral caui'i represents the total uiumint of goM got as ;W5,0a0,8l!). In shape iti represents a poly hedral cud lingular crystal, which, alter uun hss walke.l o.ini|il..tßly round it, conveys a striking idea of tho qu-iutity represented by the nbove sum

fur some yeais rest the minual production hus fa'.lru 1t.10.v £1,000,000 worth. Tae inst year for whioh statistics nre to land, however, shuws au iiicrcii-o of 10,9 Hi '/., cr, in round num bers, a value equal i:o £65,(.'00, the total for Ihu year ami.uiilin^ to nearly £900,000 worth of gut.'. Thu [i'.ikl mining industry employs about lu.COl) men in tho actual procuration of tho gold, but th'-re are probably not loss than four times that number depending indirectly upou tun iudustry lor their livelihood. As it means ot thuli-iy employment and au ouilot for iuveat meafc, < f which perhaps one-half of tho papula tion of tho colouy avail themselves, mining and miniug affairs cannot bo said to occupy the posi tion either as an employment or an investment to which tha gr^at mineral wealth of the colony should 1...ig ago have raised the industry, lt would b; out of pl.ice hero to inquire into the caiuiin, l>ut it ui*y b^ briefly' pointed out that with n uumexijilly i,troug Golillields depart ment to w»t«li over the iudustry it has shown since its organisation a lamentable (lefieiouoy i:i its acquaintance with practical mining and. its mes6 urgent requirements. Ueeeutly r.Htuial mining, which lias contri t butsd by far the greater portion of the total pro duce of gold, i,ud ia btill[doing so annually, bas risen iuto favour with mining investors; and it is safe lo predict that as an investment alluvial mining is suru to become tho main outlet for capital for many years to come. To tha total us well as to the auiiual produc tion of Roltl, alluvial mining conlributt-s fully two thirds. This greater yield has the further advantage of being produced at a much lower rate of cost than thnt obtaiued from quarlz lodes, Furthermore, it i.<in alluvial mining that tho number of successful ventures are most numerous, though, individually taken, none approach in magnitude of degree thoso of which quartz iniuiug on boast. 