CROP OF LEEKS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21784, 14 October 1940, Page 6

CROP OF LEEKS

Free For The Taking UNPROFITABLE TO MARKET By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, Octber 13. Unable to get a paying price in the Wellington markets for his leek crop, Mr C. Wheatley, a Lower Hutt commercial grower, decided to give them away to whoever liked to come and get them. Tlie result to-day was that from 9 a.m. till the late afternoon people came in scores by bus, car and foot from near and far to collect free leeks. Some came out of curiosity at such unu.-ual generosity in times when nothing for nothing is a general business rule, others because they wanted for their families vegetables which they could ill afford. Mr Wheatley explained to-night that he had sound reasons for his actions. He had been getting only 1/- to 1/6 a crate for his leeks, some of them “as long as your arm.” There were 70 to 100 in a crate., He never dug in a crop he could not dispose of and believed in the principle of not wasting anything useful. At the same time he wanted the half-acre occupied by the leeks clear in a fortnight. The response was good, even from more distant Wellington suburbs. He estimated that he gave away 2000 leeks to-day, and there was still a large quantity to be quit free to allcomers. The best price he had got in the markets for his leeks this season was 3/6 a few weeks back. Then the price dropp'd to an impossible one. With one consignment he engaged a man for half a day to dig it. This cost him 9/-. He got 6/6 for this lot less cartage, crates and commission. Some of those who got leeks from his garden to-day were curious as to why the wholesale price was so poor as to make it cheaper to give leeks away when they had been paying a penny each for them in the shops. Mr Wheatley said he was glad to give vegetables away, specially to those who needed them. A few years ago, when he had a crop of cabbdge which he could not quit at an economic price, he did the same as he had with the leeks. The result was similar.