FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8170, 1 August 1906, Page 4

FARM AND DAIRY.

Shipping fat lambs for the Home market does not always return entirely satisfactory profits, remarks tlie Hawera " Star," and it gives the following illustration :-In January last a settler sent away 15i lambs, well-grown 10\ pounder*, and the returns to hand show that the charges were pretty stiff. The gross receipts were £ll3 15s, and the charges in connection therewith came to £46, which works ont at about 2d per lb. The net price for the lambs was about 10s, and the vendor could have got lis per head locally for them, spot cash, on the day of consignment. During the last three weeks (says a trade paper) there has been an exceptional demand for butter for local purposes. In consequence, market prices hare steadily increased, until they have ] reached a level that has not been exceeded for some years past It is anticipated by holders that butter will ba retailed at Is 6d before the new season's supply can affect the price materially. The position is unprecedented in face of the fact that on June 30th last there were 32,000 boxes in cool stores. For the last fortnight business has been brisk for the English market, and it is apparent that factories are to have a phenomenal season in regard to price Factory outputs for the coming year 1900-7 have already been arranged at least four weeks in advance of the dates at which contracts hare been made in previous years. Several of the leading factories in the Taranaki

and Wellington districts have sold at from losd to 10|d f.o.b. It is alss rumored that m a few instances, for special quality, these figures have been exceeded. Corroboration of this is afforded by the fact that 10|d is now being asked. When it is considered that in many instances the contract cover* the period from Se| teniber Ist, 1906, to April 30th, I*JO7, the dairymen of the colony are to he congratulated on the favorable prospect ahead.