OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

(Fbom Our Own Coukespondent.) CHRISTCHURCH June 18. The weather continues very open, there having been only about two The frosts of any severity so far, Season. and the season is a very good one for all classes of farmers. The snow which fell at the beginning of the month disappeared very quickly. Grass is green everywhere (except in some spots of inland South Canterbury), which has helped out some not very good crops of turnips; spring feed crops have made eatisfactory growth, and wheat has been sown in the best condition ; stock are in the best of order, and farm work is well forward. The potato crop has turned out light, and growers are confident that the price will be better in a month or two than at present. Some were sold off 'the forks as low as 15s a ton, but these were some distance away, and very few near Christchurch wore sold below 20s. Many growers will not dig their potatoes for such a price, while those who have pitted them will not look at it.

Though figures have been published showing a large surplus of wheat Grain. and an enormous produc-

tion of oats, good samples of either are undeniably scarce in this district — in facfe, no prime wheat is offering, and holders of good milling and dun oats are so firm in their demands that users have turned to heavy Gartons and Sparrowbills as substitutes at about Is 4d on trucks as againet Is 7d for Canadians and duns. Oatsheaf chaff is very scarce, and an advance on 50s would have to be paid for good bright parcels: The wheat market is disorganised by the split amongst the millers, and more disposition than hitherto is being evinced to meet the import market. Holdars, however, will not quite meet London values, and business is at a standstill. It is reported from Ashburton and Timaru, however, that a fair quantity has recently changed hands, both to millers and for export.

The organisation is still maintained here, and some of the millers proThe Millers' fess to believe that it will Association. yet reconcile its at present discordant elements. I think that the feeling which prevails is too bitter and vindictive to permit of any restoration of working relations; and further, the constitution and regulations are in some respects unworkable. A baker who has been accustomed to use flour of a particular make does not like to be told by the association (from whom, alone he could buy) that he cannot have that flour, but must take another brand. There is no doubt that milling has been a rotten business, and some organisation is necessary to prevent the ruinous "cutting" which hae been going on from time to time ; .but the association made prices of flour 'too high, and the public like cheap bread, no matter how they get it. Plenty oT bakers are now selling at 4-d over the counter.

The butchers had a. meeting the other night, and passed the magnaniMeat and moiis resolution that if fat Milk cattle continued to sell at

the present low prices they would consider the question of reducing tho prico of bce-f. Good beef — tho bulk of the retail article — is being bought at 21s or 22s per 1001b, and it is nothing short of iniquitous that consumers should have to pay 9d for rump steak 8d for best cuts, and nothing less than 6d. Some consumers who are by no means radicals are talking seriously about municipal butcheries. There is not so much profit on mutton just now — the butchers made their profit on -that five or six y-ears ago. — but fat cattle are abundant everywhere, and prices will have either to rise in London or fall here. Milk has risen to 4d per quart, and is poor stuff. Notwithstanding the recent fines, it is pretty safe to say that half the Chrislchurch sixpply is "tampered witß- in one way or another. There ie no doubt either that many of the sore throats which are so prevalent are caused by disease conveyed from the cows in the milk. It will lie interesting to read what Mr Gilruth will have to say about cattle diseases at Palmerston North next wo&k. Meantime the butchers and milkmen seem to be better able than the millers and bakers to exploit tho public.

Another attempt is to be made to prevail

upon the Canterbury A. and Wirt*-.- SV-.r c »d P. A-.c^Hon to bold Proposals. a produce and fat sLock

show but in tho autumn instead of the winter, Me E. G. Staveley, one of the few "progressives," having given notice of motion for next meeting of the committee that such a show be held next yeai\ It may be remembered that last year Mr Slavclev and Dr Levinge obtained from ChrhU'hurch business men" and others a

guarantee against less on a winter show, some of the country associations also undertaking to co-operate ; but the Ashburton Association insisted upon tho show being held at the show grounds in August, and the project fell through. It ■is now proposed to hold the show at tho show grounds in April or May. This ia a lamentable state of affairs. Magnificent buildings in the city, projected primarily for the purpose of affording accommodation for a winter show, but utterly unsuited for the purpose, and standing practically idle, and the only resort being to hold the show on the open park in the late autumn ! Almost every member of the committee, too, has his own hobby to run in connection with the show, and under such circumstances -there will never be such success as attends the harmonious efforts of tho Otago Society.

Business at the freezing works has kept up

longer than was anticipated, the fine weather harving brought on sheep and lambs

The Frozen Meat Trade.

very fapidly. June shipments will be large, but after that there will ?iot be so much doing. The competition for freezing stock is extremely keen, and people wonder where it will end, with lambs up to close on £1 for lines up to nearly 500, and wethers over 25s for big lines. Besides, paying high prices for fat etock. one of the London firms is buying stores, and buying turnips to fatten them on.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Farmers' Union have both had Grain the Produce Exports Act beGrading. fore them this week. Mr A.

H. Turnbull at the former and Mr John O'Halloran at the latter strongly opposed the measure. At the Chamber Mr Laurenson, M.H.R., stated that he po-ssessed evidence that Government grading was needed,, and this assertion took Mr O'Halloran down .to th& Lyttelton" member's house at 8.30 a.m. for the evidence. Mr Laurenson had not got the evidence, ami had telegraphed to Wellington for it, but he cam© in for hard knocks from Mr O'Halloran and Mr J. Studholme (president of the Farmers' Union) ; buir Sir Joseph Ward wired that of 48 cargoes certified to by Government graders only four were complained of ; in three the complaints were found to be trivial, and in the other the damage had been caused by water gaining access to the grain in heavy weather. On the other hand, there had been many complaints regarding cargoes certified to by merchants' own graders ("samplers" would better describe these men). There is a great difference of opinion as to the need for grain graders, even among large exportere.

The Supreme Court decision in the Christchurch Meat Company's apItenis. plication for a mandamus to

compel the Christchurch City Council to accept fees for meat slaughtered at Islington and sold locally is still awaited. Judgment in the Invercargill Council and Freezing Company case is expected to be given at the same time.

I hear that Mr Colebatch, veterinary lecturer at, Lincoln College, has bepn offered the position of principal of Roxworthy Agricultural College, South Australia. Mr Hilgendorf, science master at- the Invercargill High School, and who lectured on agricultural subjects at Invercargill and Gore last winter, is about to return to Lincoln in an improved position to thai which he formerly occupied there.

The Clu-istchurch Poultiy Show this week has been a great success. The " utility " breeds — Wyantlottes, Orpingtons. Minorcas. and Leghorns — were in the majority, ai^d the whole collection was a grand one. A striking feature was the splendid exhibit of poultry and e^ccs for export by the Christchurch Meat Company.

A winter show will bo held at Ashburton at the end of the month. A good deal of enthusiasm is beins? displayed and the event promises to be a succe-s.

There is not much chance of either Timaru or Port Chalmors boine: made the port of concentration rf South Ts'and sliiplrunis of dairy produce. Evp^rfprs will insist upon Iho port of fiunl departure of the Homeward steamer being selected to make tlie Hine bptwo^n factory and market as short as possible.