SALE OR CONSIGNMENT. ANOTHER ORCHARD SYNDICATE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 121, 14 February 1908, Page 2

SALE OR CONSIGNMENT.

ANOTHER ORCHARD SYNDICATE.

"WHICH IS BETTER? . Whether it-is wiser to. sell right'-_out. or sell on ; consignment (writes-our Wairarapa correspondent); has been a bono of contention for isomo time among our dairy-farmers. Many favour ; one ■ system,' many another. Nearly - all the butter companies, . for instance, sell right out, while the, majority of the cheese firms sell' on consignment.) At the -beginning'of the present season -tho opinion was advanced that co-operative), companies would be wise not to dispose of their outputs, but to hold on to them ■ and' take the prices fair and squard, less commission':paid on tho .British market. This course was adopted;, however, in only a - few -instances, so - far as butter was ! concerned,,with.,-the- result 'that now, with butter at Is. 3d. per pound In London, : farmers aro losing 16s. lOd. por cwt. on their consignments. This amouut is based on the fact that cost of. shipping, insuranco, and commission - charges; would bo, 1 3-10 d. per pound. It has to be considered, however, that in some years .'.the consigning companies, havo lost on< their; ventures. The whole thing, '-therefore,, is very much of a gamble, and while some advocate consigning, others hold that it is infinitely better to-sell at the prices ruling. The following is-an-instance of the great uncertainty, that attends tho.disposal of an output. In a certain district, there was., a butter, factory owned privatelyj and a semi-co-operative cheese factory. The cheese factory was; brought into existence because the farmers cbula only obtain BJd. per pound for their butter-fat. The cheese factory manager : offered his supplior3 lOd. per pound for 'the butter-fat, and this price was accepted , by many of them.' Others hun"; out, and said that they would, stand or'fall by the sales, until the managor at last made an offer of Is.'per pound; This was accepted. • The position now is that on practically tho same land there are farmers receiving throe prices for their butter-fat, namely, BJd., 10d., and Is. per'pound, and yet each farmer works no harder than tho others;' There is no disguising the fact now, however,'that the farmers of the district, especially the Bjd. men, aro very busy studying tho position: . TUBERCULOSIS, . There has been some comment in the Wairarapa owing t-o-the report from tho Masterton abattoirs that-beasts killed there suffering from tuberculosis were passed by tho inspector, and eventually became food for public consumption. It appears that it is a practice to pass the animals, Writes our Wairarapa correspondent-, when, the disease is very slight-and ; just commencing. Tuberculosis usually attacks cattle and also pigs in tho tonguo and throat. - In tlio enses under review there Wero two , cows and a bullock which wore partially condemned, owing to spccks of the disease showing in the tongno and throat. Tho heads wore therefore cut off, and -the carcasses were sold for human consumption. It is contended bv authorities that there is no. danger in this procedure. The nnmbors of animals killed and the number condemned at tho Masterton abattoirs during January are appended \ Tuberculous ; Partially Wholly Killed, condemned, condemned, Cows ... 89 2 0 Bullocks ... 55 1 0 Calves ... 21 0 0 Pigs ■ ... 77 0 ■ ]■ Sheen .i. 660 0- 0 ' Lambs ... 143 0 0 For other kinds of disease, one cow was condemned and four sheep.

LEVIN LAND BOUGHT. Mr. Simms, assistant Government, pomo. logist, has informed our Manawatu correspondent that , a syndicate has purchased 50 acres of land at Levin with tbjp - intention of planting it in fruit trees. It is intended to ; niako tlie orchard self-supporting, until the trees come into profit, by vegetable growing, the products to be sent to Wellington. ! DAIRY INSPECTORS. ' Mr. Jenkinson, chief district inspector of, stock, >s at present installing tho new dairy inspectors in their respcctivo districts. Mr. Lindsay, who has been appointed dairy; ; instructor for the Bush Districts, has-taken u Pn V s at Eketahuna, which toivn will bo his headquarters. 1 RABBIT DESTRUCTION IN WAIRARAPA. -Although the amount of rabbit poisoiilaid in tho Wairarapa and Masterton districts this season is not as great as it was ten years ago, farmers are taking advantage of -the weather to doal a . blow at.'the rodent. There is at present a big demand for phosphorised pollard from the Wairarapa stock offices, several-of tho enquirers being new customers, who see the wisdom of utilising the present opportunity to perhaps rid thorn selves of the pest for many years.-