MANURE MARKET

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 345, 15 January 1918, Page 2

MANURE MARKET

Short Supplies and Rising I Prices ' " Challenge" Brand Topdressing Available 7 The Auckland manure market was * in a very excited state on Saturday k and several big deals were put | through at advanced prices. With the opening of the New Year some ' firms issued price lists at consider--1 ably advanced figures consequent upon the Australian Government f placing an embargo upon the export !. of bonedust and super from the Com- . monwealth. Prompt negotiations 3 were entered into to secure the sus--9 pension of this embargo from existB ing contracts and the Government j agreed to a period of grace. Sbip--3 ping difficulties are such, however, i that this period of gra# is of no use to New Zealand merchants and consequently the New Z.ealand market is faced with an even greater short - | age than was first calculated upon • through war difficulties In view of the new situation I several organisations on Saturday were compelled to buy in to cover delivery contracts for bonedust and on the bare market were obliged to ) pay £2 per ton above their selling price. Messrs Wright, Stevenson & Co., i owners of " Challenge " brand topdressing, in the hope that the Aus- [ trilian negotiations would be suci cessful, and that nominal supplies would be available, had decided not to advance prices even though other : firms had issued increases of over £ 1 " 10s per ton. Saturday's position, r and the increased difficulties ahead, however compelled some acquiescence 1 in the market rate and the prices of some lines have been advanced a little. Even at the new figures "Challenge" top-dressing remains the cheapest on the market while its high guaranteed analysis and well- , balanced proportions of available plant food make it second to no other mixture for merit and " re- , suits." To introduce this top-dres-sing, which has been specially prepared to suit Auckland conditions Tind which is bound to be as great a success here as elsewhere, the firm is determined to work on the smallest possible margin having regard to quality. More important than the price, however, is the question of delivery. One or two firms' stocks have been exhausted already but owingjto their big Southern resources Messrs Wright, Stephenson & Co. are in a position ta be able to guarantee deliveries up to the end of April. Heavy orders have been booked already and in view of the known shortage an even heavier demand is expected. No farmer can afford to neglect manuring. To starve his land is the surest way to starve himself. In pverv 500 gallons of milk sold off a fa-m there is lost to the farm over .'3Ol bs of valuable mineral matter extracted from the grass which must be res'ored to maintain production. About one cwt of high quality rnmiure costing under 10s will restore to the soil enough mineral matter to balance that used in 500 gallons of milk. This ratio of profit is quite sufficient to show that the fanners' key to fortune lies in the use of good manures. The Pukekohe district representative of Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., is Mr A. J. fleighway [P.O. Box 27, Telephone 33] who will be pleased to give the promptest attention to inquiries for manures or grass seed.—Advt.