Weedville Farmers' Club.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6295, 16 February 1892, Page 4

Weedville Farmers' Club.

rrnt«r"n~io-*- — '*"*'* tlPtitiCti BY MR NELSON. Woodville, Saturday. -The Farmers 5 Club quarterly dinner last night was an immense success. About seventy were present. Mr Nelson, of Messrs Nelson Bros., delivered an address. When he initiated the purchase contract scheme he knew all the sheep would not be between 55 and 651bs. This weight was the best, although it would not do to send all of that weight, or large and small joints would not be obtained. He thought tho price they were giving— 2d all round — a very good price, but they were giving 2|d in order to get what they wanted. He thought that as he gave such a liberal contract, the farmers should supply him with what he wanted. Sheep were very often withdrawn in Hawke's Bay, yet if sheep were not obtainable in our district he went to another. Sometimes the sheep were systematically fattened, the people thinking to make more out of 901bs at 2d than 55 at 2£d. Messrs Nelson Bros, considered their interests in the matter identical with the farmers, and were buying to improve the market- He hoped the sheepfarmers would assist. They preferred to amend the trade when at a slight loss to themselves. They were bringing out another guarantee, and under it they would not gain so much as they wert doing now. During the last eight months they had scarcely sold a sheep for the price it cost. Out of 250,000. about 2000 made the 400 th part of a penny over cost price ; the rest were sold at coßt or under. It did not pay to freeze beef, but they did freeze for other people. It only paid when sending large quantities. The price was too changeable, and he advised them not to freeze beef. He strongly advised them to come under the contract, and strongly advocated uniformity in sheep The best sheep for the properties round Woodville were Romneys, but he liked crossbred Shropshire Downs or Lincoln, Shropshire Downs with anything except merino. At the conclusion of the address Mr Nelson and Mr H. Nelson were elected members of the Club.— Over eight hundred rams have been entered for the Ram Fair to be held here next Wednesday.