Great  inconvenience  has  long  been  felt  by  steam-ship  owners  for  want  of
more  extended  accommodation.  At  present  the  total  area  of  the  dock  is
under  43  acres  for  the  whole  of  the  shipping;  but  to  give  the  facilities
required  it  ought  to  be  double  that  amount.  An  extension  of  17  acres  is,
however,  at  once  to  be  added  to  the  present  space  in  the  construction  of  the
Western  Dock,  specially  for  the  steam-shipping,  in  addition  too  of  an  enlarged
entrance  tidal  basin  to  be  common  to  the  Humber  and  Western  Docksr

Let  therefore  the  Dock  Company  be  true  to  its  own  real  interests  and  those
of  the  port  at  large,  and  long  delays  and  expensive  conflicts  in  obtaining  the
necessary  accommodation  for  the  rapidly  increasing  fleet  of  steamers  will  do
longer  be  known  and  felt,  and  Hull,  which  has  long  held  the  proud  position
of  the  third  British  port,  will  still  continue  to  maintain  that  honourable  post.
With  the  young  and  vigorous  new  blood  recently  imported  into  the  directory
of  the  Company,  and  with  its  active,  talented,  and  enterprising  officers  at  the
head  of  its  executive,  the  port  asks  for  and  expects  extension  of  dock-space
and  every  modern  and  improved  appliance,  to  facilitate  all  the  varied  opera-
tions, and  to  meet  liberally  all  its  rapidly  growing  wants.
I  have  only  to  add  that  during  the  last  ten  years  upwards  of  120  steam-
ships have  been  built  and  equipped  at  the  port  of  Hull,  several  of  which  are
from  1000  to  3000  tons  burthen,  reflecting  the  highest  credit  both  on  the
builders  as  well  as  on  the  port

Austrian  Chambers,  Hull,  August  1861.
Brirf  Summary  of  a  Report  on  the  Flora  of  the  North  of  Ireland*
By  Professor  6.  Dickie^  M.D.
