OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 2202, 14 May 1896, Page 14

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(From Odb Own Cokrfspondent.) Chbi&tchubch, Slay 12. We have had two or three weeka reasonable weather, but most farmera would have preferred no rain at all 'to have fallen, so that they might make more rapid and comfortable progress with threshiug, eh>ffcutfcing, potato-digging, ploughing, and the many operations which ha^ been retarded by the previous long f p^Ji , t' w<-t weather. The continued moisture did a. g>ei' d-a' of damage to most ot the grain that, We-h-U and uuthreshed, remained in the fields, and really prime ssimples of any grain will be scarcer thaa was antrcipateJ. Oats especially are very scarce, and acirod seed and milling qualities are being held here for something above the published m&ikib quotations. After my trip through Ot*go, where I saw most of the oats beiug cut half ripe for ehaffi 'g, and knowing how the Canterbury crop had suffered from the winds, I pointed, out that oats would be goad property, though 1 acarctly expected to see them at 2s 3d so early as the beginning of May — a, price which was obtained here last week, delivared in Christchurch. This was a very good milling sample,- but 2s 2d is a regular quotation. There in" still a good deal of wheat in growers' hands, much of it sightly damaged, and there are indications th*t the price will improve shortly. „Ifis. unaccountable why New Zealand vrj.eat in Sydory ahou'-l beb c v rth. so much less than the Australian wheat. Why also is it that New Zealand flour quottd £10 per ton here is quoted at £9 10s in Sydney ? The Christchurch Chamber of Commtrce has endeavoured to obt*in from the Sydney chamber authoritative quotations of the prices of grain in Sydney, and the latter brdy has replied that it is impossible to give them the information desired. Thio is a matter Ihat requires looking into, considering the importaaca

The Season.

cf tho produce trade with New South Wales. Oi,fc sheaf chaff is being shipped in large quantities, and the Ljttelton H Arbour Board has fixrd the baais of charge for wharfage at 25 bags to the ton. The merebftnts ne hopeful of gettt< g the doty o>i Hessian oliafE-bags removed ; as ib amounts to 2a to 2s 6d per ton on tho chaff it is a consideration. The tare of railway waggons in which grain is e*rmd has «lm> been brought before the Treasurer. When grain is delivered into or out of the large grain stores or mills there is no difficulty in taring the tmyhy trucks, but when gr^n is tent from a country station to the ship* sMe the tare marked on the truck ha* to be depended upon, aud it ia often far from accurate. Mr Ward suggests that the trucks should ba tared by the railway officials aud a charge of Is a track m%de to coven haulage, but (hat did not seem to have occurred to the merchants, though it appears a fitap'e wd ex-wt wAy to meet the case. Tho merchants suggest that tbe trucks should be fartd every three months, but I hive known truc!f3 vary considerably in a vety few days. Autumn sowing is being pushed on, but I don't Bee quite v much e»g«rness to nub into wheat as was . perceptible a few weeks ?go. The frost noh having been sharp, grass h*s made an unusually good growth, and turnips being mostly a good crop, while the Ktubbles are giving an Abundance of feed, sheep attractiug more attention. Prices and prospect* in London are bad, but we are promised another fr«t zing company ht-re— Mes»rs Nelson Brothers, who have got their slaughteting license ag&inst strong opposition — and farmers appea> to tlrnk thab mut'on will be dearer presently However, at; present prices there ii no room for an advance in tbe price of good fre*z ts, which are fet shy g quit" 2d per lb, besides skin aud f&t, *ud th-y ounnoti yet be frozen, seat to London^ and sold j for l^rd per lb Bayers who have made contracts for forward delivery m*y bo able to pay present prices ; nobody el"« can without loss. Ex^oiters of lambs also wilt bum th'ir finders if there is nob a change for the bd'.ter in the London market.