THE CITY MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 8

THE CITY MARKETS.

SATISFACTORY SUPPLIES AVAILABLE. The Blair and Allen Street markets have been well supplied during the present week. There was a heavy, shipment of fruit from Sydney, and. valines. iell accordingly. Quite a quantity of the shipment opened up in very bad order. A very small consignment of Tasmanian .ftpplqs came to hand by the Melbourne boat, which also brought a few Mildura lemons, which turned out in good, order. Various prices were:—Choice mandarins, Bs. to 9s. 6d. per case; others 4s. to 7s. Gd., according to condition; passion fruit (extra choice), 7s*to 7s. 6d.; other sorts, ts. to 6s: per case; Sydney lemons, 135.; pineapples, 9s. to lls. j Sydney oranges, 7s. to 7s. 6d.'; Mildura lemons, 12s. Gd. to 14s. A small consignment, of hothouse tomatoes realised Is. 3d. per lb., and hothouse beans in eWll quantities brought Is. 3d. to' Is. sd. per lb. Hothouse rhubarb brought Is. Id. per bundle. Local apples show a falling oft in supplies, values increasing accordingly.- Docherty's are worth 7s. 6d. to Bs. 6d.;. Stunners; > 6s. to 7s. Gd.; French Crabs, 7s. to 7s. Gd.; Washingtons, 63. Gd. to 7s. Gd.; and Epps's Seedlings, 4s. to 4s. 6d. Spring flowers are arriving in very large quantities, but still realise very fair values. '....; ..

Vegetables are not in very.good supply. Cabbages now realise'payable yalncs, and the various lines offering were in keen demand at tlie following rates:—Choico cabbages, 4s. to ss. per sack; others, 2s. Gd. to 3s. Gd.; choico cauliflowers, lls. to 135.; others, Bs. to 10s.; parsnips, 6s. to 7s. per sack; carrots, is. (o 55.; turnips, Ss. to 45.; swedes, 2s. Gd. to 3s. per cwt.; leeks, "Gel. to 7d. per dozen; lwotroot, 4g. to ss. per sack; c-olery is wanted at from 4s. to ss. per dozen. Choico lettuce is worth'ss./to 65., a»il other sorts 2s. to 4s. Pumpkins are bringing Bs. to 9s. per wok. and marrows 7s. to Bs. per sack. Potatoes are coming to hand freely, and nro quoted at M 10s. to J27 per ton. Onions havo advanced considerably, and are now sslttng at .£l4 10s. per ton. Egps arc in plentiful supnly, case being worth Is. and crates Is. Id.

A farmer owes it to himself to instill the best labour-saving machinery he can get for his farm. In no other way will farming pay well enough to compensate for nil the trouble and disappointments of the.business. The old method of milking large herds by hand kept many a hardworking farmer "under" for years. Then th« Milking Machine came along to make his work easier and moro profitable. The most 'economical, Fafest, and simplest power for driving Milking Machines, or for general farm use is the "Andarson" Oil Engine. These powerful and reliable engines develop more than their full rated hor«!-po\ver, and sustain it for. hours under the'hardest working conditions. They do this with no supervision, and enn be relied uuoii to run from start to finish without giving the least trouble. When ordering a Milking Plant specify an "Anderson Oil Engiuo. Andersons, Ltd., Christchurch and Wellington.—Advt.

The Pioneor Club holds its annual meeting on Monday evening, August 19, at 8 o'clock. The women of Wellington, have run their club so far . very successfully, although the mem,l>er=hip is large there iis still ro-oiu for a few mere, and. names should bo seut to the secretary as soon as possible

MUTTON EXPORT TRADE. REVIEWED BY A FARMER. .Commenting on the past season in his α-nnual address, Mr. J. C. Coupur, chairinaa of directors of tho Wellington runners' Meat Company, says it is very grati-fying-to be able to point out the cumpamtiro high values which our exports are ahlo to command in tho Homo market. Our mutton during the past season has been bringing quite up to oust Canterbury prices, and although our lnmb has been a littlo behind, Mr. Cooper believes that ill another season it will bo quite or nearly on a par. Our wool, if hoc fetching better prices than any other, has at least commanded equal to the best prices ruling for similar wools on the, Londou market, α-nd the same applies to all our exports. The fact that we have been able to attain a commanding position in the world's markets has enabled us to pay the high prices paid for stock last year, and there is no doubt but that this splendid position is due to tho care exercised in the grading and general get-up of our meat and other goods. While on this question of handling goods, Mr. Cdopei said ho ,• might as well explain thf efforts of his ami otlici companies to improve tho handling of meat here and in tho Home ports. Many of the freezing companies (thanks to MrFoster, managing director of the Export Company) have formed an association with this object in view, and this has resulted in considerable improvements at both. ends. Among liio many interested parties win. have taken an active interest in this matter were Mr. Gilbert Anderson, and the Producers' Association. Unfortunately, says Mr. Cooper, the producers' representative a? Home, Itx. Shclton, appears to have pinned his faith to tho South West India Dock scheme, but whatever advantages it may have, the fact that the Port of London Authority refused to consider it without guarantees which were not forthcoming, placed their proposals outside of practical consideration.

ARGENTINE AS A RIVAL. A FARMER'S VIEW. ■\Ve have not any reliable information of the. position in the Argentine, says Mr. J. C. Cooper, managing director of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Co., in his annual address, but there is one thing about the Argentine that must not be overlooked, and .that is the rapid increase of their lamb export. In 1911 tlio exports amounted to 1,092,000 lambs, being an increase, of :ovor 500,000, as against any previous year." Last year being a period of drought, their mutton exports amounted to 350,000 less than the previous year, but their lamb exports were only 50,000 less. It is very evident from this that the Argentine is out to make a bid for the lamb trade. Fortunately for us, their climatic condition make it impossible for them to compete with us in quality as they have done with their mutton. But it means that in the future, with so much second quality lamb available, we must endeavour to make as many of ours first •grades as possible. With regard to the capacity of the Homo market to cope with possible supplies, everything depends upon- the conditions of trade. Fortunately,' in spite of labour troubles, trade appears to be excellent—a fact largely due to the' rapid expansion taking place in other countries, such, for instance, as Canada, China, and some of tho South American countries. There are prosperous times ahead for Dairy Factories if prices remain as favourable as at present. There is still greater prosperity iu store for the factories where "Victor" .Vats are installed. Close on a hundred of these splendid Vats nre now on order, so immediate application is necessary if you want your Vats oarly. Albert J. Parton, Carterton.*