PRICES OF WHEAT AND FLOUE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1799, 26 March 1888, Page 3

PRICES OF WHEAT AND FLOUE

" A Grower " writeß to tho '• Auckland Herald " as follows on iho above subject : —A newspaper can hardly be taken up without seeing articles urging the occupation of country land for tho purpose of farming ; but as all those so doing are avowedly losing money, it is hardly to be wondered that the recommendation falls flat. Ihe prices for yeara past have been under paying, either for cattle or grain ; but this year, ingrain, they never wero so lowj whilo tha price of fl >ur is out of all proportion, showing that iu this, as in all other farm produco, it ia the middle man who takos the whole profit ; the farmer puts up with the loss, whilo tho consumer is charged an exorbitant price. Mr Firth aud other millers ara offering 3s Id per bushel for Aucklaud-giown wheat. Millers are soiling fowl wheat at 3s, and this is the ufEil, which is not fit to make flour of, or only Id less than they give for prime scmple For tho best roller flour their prico is £11 5s per ton {vide " Auckland IJcrald ? " March 9) . Tnu /<de!ak.'o price for tho bemt roller flour is £8 15a, and their prico for wheat is"3s 3d ; in other words, paying 2d per bushel moro for wheat, tho Adeluide millers are eoiiing their flour at £2 10s less than the Auckland millers. Is it any wonder that farming does not pay in Aucklaud ? How can it pny, when the miller takes all tho profit ? With wheat at 3s Id, flour can be sold at an excellent profit at £8 ; tha Auckland public are paying £3 5s a ton above its value. There was a great deal of gush in advising tho fanners to grow wheat for Auckland consumption, and this is tho miserable result— 3a Id por bushel. Addaide wheut cannot be im- | ported for less than 3a 7d, Canterbury for less that 3s 4d, and why Auckland wheat, which is admittedly Gd per bushel bolter th-.n Canterbury, should bo 3d nominally} and 9d renlly, less enn only bo caused by a combination among tho miUors Tho farmera are naturally very eoro at this ; and some are proponing to mill their wheat, havo.it in suitable baga, and fill the storps and auction rooms ; they would thus realise conuidorably butter prices, besides opposing tho combination. With tho prospect next year of tho Hessian fly, and not a fair pneo obtainable, there is likely to be a very small breadth of land in wheat, and then there will be the usual cry of want of enterprise among farmers.

The i" Press " saya » the carting " of the material from Fairlie Creek for the rabbit fence in the Basman Valloy has oommencod. Ono of our stuff, who has juefc visited the district, states it is evident tho steps made to copo with the pest are not being taken too Boon. It is evident that rabbits have been on {tha island at the juotion of the Hooker and Tasman rivers for a considerable timo, as burrows 20ft long hay© been found, there,