CALENDAR

Otago Witness, Issue 1797, 30 April 1886, Page 7

CALENDAR

During the first two days of last week a pretty smart fall of rain occurred, accompanied by a cold atmosphere; the remainder, however, was remarkably fine and warm — so hot that cases of Mirihtioke have been reported from Oamaru among the Volunteers. Our prognostication of favourable weather during the month of April bids fair to be realised.

The next issue of the Witness will appear on the last day of our autumn, and wo would impress on thosa of our readers who havo determined on planting or shifting tree* or shrubs to lose no time iv having it done. A large number of our fruit trees have already shed their leaves, and those remaining have their colour so changed as to show that their work in supporting the parent tree is well-nigh finished and that they also will soou fall oft', leaving bare stems and branches until the spring ngain comes lound and renews activo life. Duriug this dormant period the plant receives far less check in shifting than when the removal is,, made in early spring, when nature has made every preparation for a renewed flowing of the sap ; and, besides, the soil is drier now than it oau be expected to be after tho rain and snow of winter, and the planter has more justice done to his labour when the ground is in this condition than when it i» soaking wet. We strongly, object to treading or tramping down the soil heavily round the roots o? transplanted trees, preferring lather to securely stake and leavethesoil loose and | free to work in among tho tender- rootlets by tho action of the weather. Neither is it prudent to soak or deluge with water the roots after planting : this is in many instances done, with very injurious results, as the soil gets sodden and baked, preventing a freo circulation of air to the roots, so essential to their vitality and productiveness. There is quite enough moisture in the ground for all the tree needs at this seapoii, pud not a very great amount of evaporation goes on. There may be and uro some exceptions as regards tho watering in case of heavy folia god ever&recns, which absorb moisture largely, but to all deciduous plants and young forest trees the rule is absolutely appliVruit gathering should now all be over aud attention directed to tho preservation and maturing. Carefully spread out and frequently turn over fruit on tho s-helves, removing any showing symptom? nf decay, uml admit sufficient air to prevent, damping. Among vegetables little can be. done., exeepfe keeping clean and hoeing up. Cabbage plants and broccoli may bo planted ; caulifiowor will not succeed so well. A sowing of pease may also bo made early in the month. Hardy garden plants are vow getting scarce, and the greenhouse must bo relied on to supply any now required. Clyclameo, Chinese primulas. ka. are now pretty well in bloom : but out or door.-, the chryfiapthenmni has now the prominent position, au'l'during tho next fortnight s-pt-e'aj exhibitions, or this ra\ouritv How or will beheld in several places from Chri&t church down to ' Invercar.nl]. It is only 40 venvs (in IMtf) since the ih>\, ehrysauthemum show tnolt place at '- J -iko Newington, and .since then them shows '-.> en stou<i ; .ly pre.winj,' in number and impuj > ';>co. ( 'hina'i- the aatlvo pl:i<-o of both the large ilo«\erii>g and pompom; varieties., slid jApon that of i\w Japanese \ nutty, which latter was i.'ilv introduced in 1802. The anemone ehiya; theniiv.:* have not jet eomo into Mich notice "-■ tho i-th'H' v&rit-tirs, which aio produced in ahrorit c wry \aii< ty of colour-, and ranging in .siiie from th.- fenuli button up to tho globe. The incurved variety of tho large flowering is the most popular, although tho re/lexed have also then' list of admirers. AH bulbs for early spring flowering, if ndt yet in tho ground, should ba got in vfthout one day's delay. HotmepiTOKl

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it should be remembered that buyers could only give that amount which they were justified iv giving as sellers : that was to say, their purchasing power was entirely limited and measured by their selling power. They did not eat the wheat themselves* but had to sell it again as merchants or millers, and ihey could only buy when they could sell at a profit. A few years ago, when they were paying for the bags separately, they were not paid separately for them when they sold their oats in the Melbourne and Sydney markets ; but it would not have been reasonable for them to say that they were paying the farmers for the bags and were being robbed of them when they sent them away, because the cost of the bags was taken into account in the calculation of the price obtained, and the cost of the bags was merged in the price of the article sold. It was just the same between the farmer and the merchant or miller here as between the local merchant and the foreign one. If two lots of wheat of equal quality were sent to market — the one lot to be sold without charging for the bags, and the other to be sold with the bags accounted for separately, — it would be found that iv the one case as much extra would be paid for the wheat as would represent the value of the bags in the other lot ; neither more nor less. As an illustration in point, he might say that his firm were agents for binder twine; that for years they had sold the twine, with cases charged as an extra, 2s 6d each; but without any pressure from their customers they changed the system, and did not charge for the cases. According to tha method of reasoning adopted in respect to the bag question, they had given their customers for nothing cases that cost £270 ; but as ft matter of fact they had done nothing of the sort, for they had simply charged the cost of the cases in estimating the value of the twine ; the cost of the cases had been merged in the price given for the twine. The same argument applied to the other point as to rebate. They had to compete with other places. He had that day received an offer of wheat from Christchurch which, when .landed in his store with all the costs and charges incidental to its purchase and conveyance to Dunedin (which included payment for bags), would cost to a fraction the value of wheat here at the present moment ; aud it could not be otherwise, because you could not in open competition take from a man anything which had a tangible value without paying for it — whether it was paid for separately or not. Mr Shand had expressed doubts as to whether the bags were weighed in. As to that, it was the business of the agents to see that they were weighed in. The merchants took the weights from the agents and rarely checked them, because they believed the agents to be honourable men and without any interest to be unfaithful to the seller or dishonest towards the buyer. As to the alleged loss in weight, it was a fact that wheat lost in Weight through handling, sweating, and milling ; and in transhipment to Sydney and Melbourne it lost, as a rule, from 21b to 31b per sack. He distinctly denied that there had been any combination of millers regarding the price they were to give for wheat. What had been reported in the papers was untrue. The formation of a society had become necessary not to arrange the prices to be paid for produce, which could not be done, but to secure mutual protection in trading; for it was necessary to know. how different people stood when credit had to be given to a large number of people for mouths together. He thought Mr Shand should have taken some steps to ascertain the truth before casting so great a slur upon people as to say they had combined, which had been reported. Mr Shand : I believe it is true. Mr Lee-Smith : I deny it. Mr Shand : I have it from a miller. Mr Lee-Smith : I should like to know that miller's name.

Mr Shand : I will inquire further into it, and I think I shall find I am right. Mr Lee-Smith : If you study the question of commercial economy you must come to the conclusion, that there cannot in an. open market be anything of a visible value given for nothing. Mr Charters could not understand why the change in the system should have been made, or why millers and merchants should be anxious to keep on the present system if there was nothing whatever gained by it. As farmers had to buy the bags, they should be allowed for them, and should receive for them what they cost, though he would not begrudge the loss of Id per bag. The transactions with the farmer he also agreed should be for net cash.

Mr Lee-Smith said that the new system saved a lot of account keeping, as they had not now to accountj separately for the bags, and it ended the disputes about the price to be paid for the bags. He had himself often agreed to give a certain price for wheat, and had then thrown the bargain over because they could not agree as to the price to be given for the bags. A. long general discussion ensued, but the points raised were the same as those brought forward by Messrs Shand and Charters, and Mr Lee-Smith simply repeated the answers he had previously given. Mr Charters suggested, and it was agreed, that the second resolution which had been prepared should be incorporated with the first. The resolution was as follows : — " That the secretary of the Taieri Agricultural Society forward a copy of the foregoing resolution to the several agricultural societies in the Otago provincial district, asking their support and co-operation in carrying out the same." Both resolutions were put to the meeting together and adopted, about a dozen gentlemen voting for and none against them. The agreement embodied in the resolution was left with Mr Findlay for signature, and the meeting closed.