HEAVY POTATO CROPS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 569, 23 January 1929, Page 10

HEAVY POTATO CROPS

POSITION IN CANTERBURY Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The wheat fields have changed colour completely in many parts of the province during the week and cutting has already commenced. There is no movement in the wheat market, as the trade is awaiting with interest the entry of the Wheat Marketing Association into active business. Oats remain a.t the week-end quotation, namely, 3s 6d a bushel for X gartons f.0.b., s.i.. or 3s on trucks. No inquiry for Algerians has set in. Peas have firmed slightly since the week-end and 6s 2d to 6s 3d a bushel f.0.b., s.i., is ruling for Partridge. The crop prospects have improved immensely over the last fortnight, but yields are not expected to be up to the average. There is no change m the small seeds market. No crop has improved in appearance during the qp.st fortnight so much as the potatoes. On the lighter land they have rarely looked better and heavily-flowered fields indicate that returns should be equal to the best obtainable on this class of country. Patches on the heavy land which previously threatened to “go out” are now revived, and in the aggregate the completely-destroyed area will be much less than appeared likely a few weeks ago. Values are unchanged, ruling at £5 f.0.b.,5.i., but growers are disinclined to. take less than £4 on trucks. TAUMARUNUI STOCK SALE (From Our Own Correspondent) TAUMARUNUI, Tuesday. Buyers from all over the King Country were present at the weekly stock sale today, when large entries of sheep and cattle were sold at recent rates. Pigs were freely offered, but the demand was not good. Prices: — 255. Sheep.—Fat and forward four-tooth wethers, 27s lOd; mixed age ewes, 29s to 30s; other m.a. ewes, 19s 3d to 26s 9d; shorn m.s. lambs, 18s Id; woolly ewe lambs, 21s 9d: woolly wether lambs, 19s 7d; rams, 10s; cull lambs, 11s 4d to 13s Id. Cattle. —Fat bullocks, £l2 9s; fat cows, £7 10s to £9 2s 6d: prime fat cows, £lO 16s: fat steers, £lO 10s; fat heifers, £6 12s to £7 4s; light fat cows, £7 3s; run cows, £5 4s; cows and calves, £4 5s to £8; steer calves, £3 9s to £3 12s; 18-months heifers, £5; empty heifers, £4 4s; two and a-half to three-year-old steers, £6 3s to £6 12s; cows, £4 17s to £6 17s: Jersey cow, £3 17s; Jersey cow in calf, £7 18s; heifers in calf to Shorthorn bull, £6 Bs.” A.M.P. SOCIETY Mr. F. F. Mcßryde, New Zealand manager for the A.M.P. Society, advises that the total new business completed for the year 1928 was £21,340,458, comprising £17.075,837 for the Ordinary Department, and £4,264,621 for the Industrial Department, exceeding the previous year’s figures by nearly two millions sterling, and creating an absolute record. The New Zealand branch has again put up a wonderful record for the year, having provided over £4,750,000 of the whole total.