VICTORIAN ORCHARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19891, 9 March 1928, Page 7

VICTORIAN ORCHARDS.

RECORD FRUIT GLUT.

GROWERS' I-fEAVY LOSSES. [from our own correspondent. ] SYDNEY, Feb. 23. Victoria has been experiencing the biggest fruit glut in its history. Usually the prices are fixed by the sellers but so great has been the stocks at Melbourne markets that buyers have been able practically to buy at any figure they named. This great glut has followed immediately after Peach Week —or Peach Fortnight, as it proved. And the great complaint from the public during Peach Week was that they could not get sufficient supplies from the growers. Well, the position has certainly altered now. For whereas during Peach Week the standard price of peaches was 5s a case, they can now be easily obtained for Is 6d to 2s. Some of the growers are making the mistake of sending secondgrade fruit to the markets, but there is absolutely no chance of sale of anything other than first grade. There is so much first-grade fruit on offer that the public can discriminate. It must not be imagined, however, that the glut is benefiting the whole of the public. It is benefiting those who have motor-cars, or who can arrange for the transport of their heavy purchases. There are many who buy cheaply at the markets, only to realise the difficulty of getting the cases of fruit home. Jam factories are among the lucky purchasers. They are taking full advantage of the cheap prices to lay in huge stocks. But despite the glut, the prices in the retail shops and on fruit barrows show no decline.

CLYDE NAVIGATION TRUST. BID FOR DOMINIONS' TRADE. (Received March 8, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, March 8. The Clyde Navigation Trust has appointed a committee to consider means of obtaining an increased direct trade with Australia and New Zealand. It will probably send an emissary to the Dominions to explain the merits of the port of Glasgow. COMMONWEALTH LOAN. ISSUE UNDER-SUBSCRIBED. A. and N.Z. LONDON, March 7. The subscription lists for the Commonwealth loan of £8,000,000 have been closed. It is expected that the underwriters will have to take up a large proportion of the issue. CHICAGO WHEAT MARKET. A. and N.Z. CHICAGO, March 7. Wheat.—March, 1 dollar 39j cents per bushel; May, 1 dollar 38 3-8 cents; July, 1 dollar 37 cents. BRISK SALE FOR PIGS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MATAMATA, Thursday. There was an unusually large yarding of pigs at the Matamata stock sale this week, probably the largest yet held here, and prices were above the best late rates. Heavy baconers mado £4 2s to £4 14s; medium sorts, £3 12s to £3 16s; lighter, £3 to £3 7s; heavy porkers, £2 18s to £3 6s; lighter, 35s to £2 4s; good stores, 25s to 325; slips, 13s to 18s; wcancrs, 5s to 8s LAMB AND MUTTON. RETAIL PRICES IN LONDON. The New Zealand Meat Producors' Board has been advised by its London manager that the following retail prices were being quoted for New Zealand lamb and mutton retailed in London on March 2:— Lamb: Legs, 14d per lb; shoulders, 13d; loins, 12d; necks, 8d; breasts, 6d. Mutton (wether): Legs, lOd; shoulders, 9d; loins, 9d; necks, 7d; breasts, 3d. LONDON BUTTER MARKET. SLIGHT FALL IN PRICES. A slight decline in the London butter market is noted in advice received yesterday by the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, under date London March 7. Butter is quoted at 172s to 174s per cwt., compared with 174s to 176s at the beginning of the week. The advanco for cheese has been maintained, quotations being 97s to 98s. SOUTH AMERICAN MEAT. The New Zealand Meat Producers' Board has received a cablegram from its representative at Buenos Aires, South America, advising the following shipments to the United Kingdom for the fortnight ended March 1, from the Argentine and Uruguay:—Quarters chilled beef, 234,731; frozen beef, 6921; carcases frozen mutton, 45,766; frozen lamb, 85,878. The quantity rhipped to the Continent of Europe during the same period was as f0110w5122,400 quarters frozen beef; 8310 carcases frozen mutton. SOUTHERN EXCHANGES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.O WELLINGTON, Thursday. The following sales took place on the Stock Exchange to-day:—Bank of New Zealand, £2 J.9s 2d (two); National Insurance, 15s 8d; Bank of Australasia, £ls 2s (cum riiv.), Union Bank of Australia, £l4 14s; Gear Meat, £1 17s 6d; Wellington Woollen, £6 2s. CIIRISTCHURCH, Thursday. The following sales took place on the Stock Exchange to-day.—Bank •• of Adelaide, £9 6s (two), £9 6s 6d; Bank of Australasia (cum div.), £ls Is 6d (two), £ls 2s; British Tobacco Company (Aust.), 59s lOd (three); Commercial Bank of Australasia, 27s lOd (five); Bank of New South Wales, £47 lis; English, Scottish and Australian Bank, £8 2s; Bank of New Zealand, 59s Id; New Zealand Breweries, 42s 6d, 42s 9d: St.aples' Brewery, 37s sd; Henry Jones Co-operative, 37s sd; Chrisfchurch Gas Company, 245; Wilsons Cement Company, 37s 9d.

DUNEDIN. Thursday,

The following sale took place on the Stock Exchange to-day:—Westport Stockton Coal Company (ord.), Is sd. STOCK SALES. M ATA MAT A. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MATAMATA. Thursday. The Farmers' Auctioneering Company, Ltd., conducted their usual fortnightly sale yesterday when there was a good yarding of cattle. Fat and store cows showed a decided advance in prices oh previous sales. There was a small yarding of sheep, all being sold under fairlv keen competition. Prices were:—Cattle: Prime fat heavy cows, £8 to £9 2s 6d; heavy fat cows, £6 2s 6d to £7 4s; medium-weight cowa, £5 8s to £5 15s light fat cows, £5 to £5 ss; forward-condi-tioned cows. £4 6s to £4 16s; fresh-condi-tioned, £3 9s to £4; asted and noor-condi-tioned cows, £2 13 to £2 15s. Sheep s Fat lambs, 25s Cd; good store lambs, 14s Gd; others, 10s Id; small weedy lambs, 5b 6d; sound-mouth ewes, 12s 8d to 14s 7d.