MISCELLANEOUS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 345, 23 February 1889, Page 6

MISCELLANEO US.

Some of the fruit-giowers at Te Awamutu (writes a correspondent of the " Waikato Times ") are complaining of the low prices obtained in the Auckland market. One coneignor told me that on a consignment of plums he lost the cases, the freight and commission absorbing the price of the fruit. One settler was present at a sale ot apples last year, where one man bought up the whole lot in the auction room on behalf of the various fruiterers for a sum that left nothing for the producer. The former have combined^against the latter, with the result that they reap all the profit, a harvest they will continue to gather until in self-defence some system of co-operation is adopted. The word co-operation has an unsavoury odour in the nostrils of the farmers since the failure of the " Co operative Association " which was to be the salvation of the country districts, consequently farmers are shy of embarking in any such scheme in the future ; bufc unless some such measure ot self- protection is adopted in the matter of fruit the city retail dealer will enrich himself at the expense of, the grower. If is a striking fact that while many of our fruit-growera are indifferent to the increasing ravages of the codiin moth J pest, the orchardists of the sister colony of Tasmania are exerting themselves strenuously to rid themselves of it. We take .the' 'following account of the proceedings at the last meeting of the Hobart Fruit' Board from a recent issue of the "Mercury": — " The inspector submitted a list of persons who had failed to send in schedules, and a resolution was passed to issue summonses to all in default. It was also resolved that the inspector proceed against all persons for "neglecting to gather and destroy'infected fruit, and also for neglecting to bandage their trees. The Board then "adjourned for a fortnight. Occupiers of gardens do notrealise the importance of gathering and destroying the infected fruit. In order to insure anything" like success, the infected fruit must be gathered, arid the grub destroyed before" if lea'vss the fruit. However objectionable strict measures may be, it is certain that unless more stringent measures are adopted/ it will be some considerable time before satisfactory results can be obtained. The remedy is'.'iri'the hands of the growers themselves; and,without their hearty co-operation, the" Board feel that their best efforts will be nullified. 5

During the last fifty years the average length of life in the United 1 Kingdom has increased from 40 years to 49. ' ' :! c "'