PRICES OF TREES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 227, 25 September 1930, Page 11

PRICES OF TREES.

PRIVATE NURSERIES' TERMS,

FARMERS' STATEMENTS

CHALLENGED.

Recent statements made regarding the prices of trees grown 'by the State Forest Service and those grown by private nurseries are challenged by Mi. Geo. A. Green, Dominion secretary of the New Zealand Horticultural Trades Association, in an interview. He said private forest nurseries had supplied, and were supplying, forest, grade trees at the same price as the State for similar varieties and grades on similar terms. Those wishing to buy forest grade stock could be supplied on application with the list of forest nursery specialists from whom to obtain their requirements. Mr. Green said that the State would only supply trees on a eash-with-order ■basis. Private nurseries supplied only at State rates for cash with order. It was the exception for the purchaser from private nurseries to send his cash with the order. Another important matter that must always be considered when prices of trees were under discussion was grading. ' The average number of two-year-old trees grown per acre varies as follows: — Forest grade, up to 150,000 trees per acre; nursery grade, from 25,000 to 35,000 per acre. This indicated a great difference in cost of production, hence in price also. For instance, one could buy a 70/ suit of clothes or a £15 15/ suit, each good in its own way. ilany planters wanted larger trees and were prepared to pay the value for them; others wanted the smaller trees at the lower price , for cash. If the farmers wanted forest grade trees the private nurseries could and would supply them at State prices, in any quantity, but, eaid Mr. Green, he had not had one application. from or through any farmere, organisation, for trees. He had had intimation from private nurseries in both islands that there were hundreds of thousands of forest grade trees unsold and still offering at the end of August at State prices. Apart altogether from the association's undertaking to supply forest grades at State forest prices, said Mr. Green, the association was not a close corporation, and the law of supply and demand could be relied on to keep prices at a reasonable level, commensurate with the grade of tree supplied, and whether supplied for cash or on credit terms.