PRODUCE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 158, 1 April 1937, Page 16

PRODUCE TRADE

Potatoes and Onions

The produce trade has scarcely got , 111( ler way since the Easter break. Broken weather this past week will delay operations still further. There has been some trading, rather earlier than usual, in baled straw, farmers receiving 32/6 a ton, o.t. The great growth and mild weather prevailing have caused little demand for horse feeds and for meals for pigs. etc. Onions from Mnnawatu were harvested in the good fortnight prior to Easter and largely sold at £7/5/- a ton, Potatoes have eased from the £5/12/6 that ruled early in March, to a present quotation of £5 a ton for ordinary useful samples, and 2/6 extra for tagged lines on trucks to growers. Pukekohe diggings are nt present largely dominating the Auckland market, although they nre valued at less than Manawatu lines. Southern potatoes have been landing, as “uuripes.” at. both Auckland and Wellington in moderate supply. They were quoted at £4/7/6, f.0.b., Lyttelton. Freight, and charges to Wellington. at 25/- a ton. landed these at £5 10/-. From April 1 southern potatoes will be eligible for grade certificates and. better lines should then be coming forward. Indications are that Manawatu and Rangitikei growers may expect n continuance of present values. Neithei higher nor lower prices are expected during this month.

AILMENTS OF LAMBS

Co-operative Scientific Experiments VALUABLE RESULTS Final reports on scientific experiments on “thriftiness” of stock have been received by rhe Minister in charge of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Hon. D. G. Sullivan. The experiments were carried out in certain special areas and have yielded valuable results. The Minister stated that in Southland. for instance, the co-operative experiments of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the Cawthron Institute showed the great value of a cobalt salt lick in the control of Southland ailment of lambs. In recent, experiments, just concluded at Morton Mains, lambs which received common salt impregnated with a minute amount of cobalt chloride, at the rate of 4oz. cobalt chloride per (on of dairy salt, were maintained in excellent. health and. made very satisfactory liveweight gains. Over a period of 1° weeks, lambs receiving the cobaltised salt lick made a gain of 381 b. per head. Lambs without cobalt made a gain of only 20.31 b. per head, and at that time were losing rather than gaining weight. An examination of the experimental lambs at the end of a 14-weok period showed that in the cobalt group of 65 lambs 51 could be classed as “fats." against only 11 in the control group of 64 lambs without cobalt. “These, reports appear to bp highly important .and significant as confirming the earlier findings," stated Mr. Sullivan.