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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1198, 18 February 1880, Page 2

iiic numbqr/ of the Agricul-' turiat as a supplement to the I Mail) tTiere 'iian article .wluch,- , stated tbat.Adelaide to Be' permitted : sa~£titer her present season's gftypjin cbiiipctition with ours of last year. We \ ; deavored forth the unfairness of such 1 a proceeding, whicfe vas f to our mind, by

no means a difficult task. The rumor, it appears, was correct, as the following extract from an announcement which appeared in the Adelaide Observer of January the 3rd last will show :—" Sydney International, hibition, 1879. —Intending' competitors/at Sydney in wheat, barley, oats, and,'other grain, the produce of this make their entries and deliver, thdirj exhibits to the undersigned 15th of January, 1880." Adelaide" wife therefore afforded an opportunity of putting the produce of one of her most favorable, seasons against, pne of. our ordinary seasons. et Adelaide ! didr not jarry off the palm. That was reserved for New~Zealand, and would doubtless" have fallen into the hands of a grower in this part of the Colony had we been allowed the same privilege as that extended to Adelaide—that of substituting this year's for last year's produce. But we are satisfied because Mr. M'Gill, of Tokomairiro, has demonstrated that Adelaide cannot compete wilKTJew . Zealand in quality, aud it _ .is just as patent tlidt she cannot do so' •New Zealand wheat, as it' leaves J the thresker> cannot he equalled in cjuality by that of any country in the world. We have often been asked " How is it, then, that Adelaide wheat'fetches the highest price in the Lon.don market ?" The question admits of an easy explanation. The climate ,of Adelaide is such that., it would be almost impossible for wheat grown there to suffer through ,a sea voyage; our climate is favorablo to large yields, and unapproachable - quality; but pur wheat requires ordinary care in preparing it for transport, and' in ; transporting it. .Now' that, these facts are recognised, all concerned should Itake - advantage of what they teach. But New Zealand wheat that has been grown: and shipped under ordinarily favor-; able conditions has occasionally taken i precedence of all other wheat in the" i.on-i don market, and now it has, .done so' inj Sydney- against, all comers, and notwith-; standing that an exceptional privilege was .bestowed upon our most formidable ; oppo-; nent. What would the world say if theyj couldsee sheaves of wheat, oats, and barley! takenfromeven some of our medium crops? Adelaide exhibited the produce of'her best season. Let us be equal with her by sending a trophy to Sydney of one of our best seasons. New Zealand has gained the highest honors against'the'world, but there is a still wider difference between her cereals and those of other parts of the world. That difference is in our favor, and let "us prove it. The advantages that would accrue would for ever establish our reputation, and at once give us the first place, at all events, as a wheat-producing country. The expense of adopting our suggestion would. be inconsiderable, and w<f would suggest that it is a matter that the Chamber of Commerce flight take in hand, not because it could; supply the funds necessary, but because it'is' the only organised body that we can look to to •perform such a.service for this district and Colony... • - j