ROXBURGH.

Otago Witness, Issue 2630, 10 August 1904, Page 35

ROXBURGH.

August 6. — Up to Sunday night, we experienced phenomenal weather. As a consequence a peach and almond tree were out m full blconi, and those bushes were buu'ding. The scene was changed, however, on the day mertioned, and. winter now spreads its white mantle ever the land, and grim frost holds •niki tenacity everything in its powei. Travelling i« dangerous, owiug to the slippery nalura of the ground; agricuHural pursuits are stagnant, and mining nearly so. Pomology. — The fruifc company, which has been in existence for the past 11 3 r ears, is to be wound up. From this outsiders may think — and reasonably so — that fruit-growing has gone wiong. Such, however, is by no means the case. After due deliberation en the matter it was thought wise to give every man a free hand in the matter of disclosing of his fruit, :s so much dissatisfaction existed among growers in respect t« the disposal of fruit ; and' the articles which bound, or were supposed to b:i:d, the comipany together were found to b> so imperfect that there was no alternative open but liquidation. No doubt the directors 1-ave La-ken lihe bost course under the circumstances, because as things &tand there are quite a.s many tons of fruit grown by non-members

as by memters, and this would not pass through the cam puny' s hand«. The conseoitmpe was that letailers and even wholesale uenlus or manufacturers often atrar.ged with those outside the company, without giving the company a chance of the de:'l. Thus the members, ot the company v. eio to a la.rge extent boycotted. I aih cf opinion that a better means # of disposal cf the produce vwiil arise out of tins settling up. Two Christchurch bn.sine&s men have beeiv, sniongst vli during past week, conferring on the disposal 'of the fruit, and have laid before tlrosc interested some veiy scund piactica! methods, the merits and demerits of which I trust the grevvers will carefully consider. Haulage is a serious matter, a.r <2 there can be no question about it that <> very great percentage of the fitut wasted was through the" diiatojdness with which it was convej^d to the stations, and when i+ got^ there the rough manner in which it was handled. It was placed generally in unvcniilated tiucks or ordinary trucks vith tarpaulins over it — beautiful hot ovens, really ; gcod for ripening green bananas. A means of cheaper andi better haulage will have to be instituted. Locomotive traction is what we ■want, seeing it will be a lojg time before we are likely to get a railway. Two such conveyances woukl answer the requirements, and by their use the fruit would be ke.pt clean, and a fair return would be secured by the company. '