THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8118, 12 April 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1906.

Ohristchureh fish auctioneers are indignant at certain remarks made by the Premier at Timaru last week. Mr Seddon alleged that there was a fish combine in Uhristohuroh, and that it, stopped a poor fisherman from sending consignments of fish from the Ohathams. The Premier stated that the fishermap's first consignment v»aa received in splendid condition, ioe. and the fisherman received a return of £l4. He sent consignment, Mr Seddon added, and then the combine got to work. A conference decided that he should be shut out, and for bis second consignment he received only £4, which was a loss to him. inquiries made show that the fish was consigned to a Christ-

church dealer,, who says that the first consignment arrived iu very good condition!, and was well. The second con signmenfc arrived in a bad condition. >wing to use of iusufficient ice, aud consequently thero was a loss. The dealer states that so far from trying to keep the man out of the trade, ho went a great deal out of his way to help him, and endeavoured to prevent him suffering a severe The auctioneers repudiate the ' statement that a combine exists. The fishdealers agree that the New Zealnnd fish placed on the market when the Cbattum Island consignments were received was of superior quality, as it was nob so long ou the road to the market, and consequently it sbiti better. The prices of all fish, they say, vary greatly, according to the supply, so that there is nothing out of the common in the difference between the first consignment from the Chathams aud subsequent consignments. The prices depend upon the supply, and the supply depends upon the weather.

Of all people, a Frenchwoman is, perhaps, the least likely to risk her hardly-earned savings in any doubtful venture. To hear, therefore, of frait'farming being embarked upon by two French ladies—formerly teachers, neither of whom had been used to country life or had any practical knowledge of farming or gardening cannot but excite surprise. Yet the experiment, daring as it wE.s, has turned out to the complete satisfaction of the two friends, who entered upon it six years ago. With characteristic prudence they invested part of their small capital iu rente* as a provision against bad seasons and with the remainder bought a small plot ;of land,- .mostly- with old fruit trees, uegleoted and past bearing. Partly by studying the subject in books, partly by their own observation, they soon learnt thnl; it paid best to cultivate only the tietter binds of fruit, for which it was easy to find a good market either at Tours, which was only five miles off, or in England, in addition to the fruit, whiob was the main source of profit, vegetables and a small crop of wheat were grown, poultry, goats and rabbits were kept, and the joiLt proprietors, with no rent to pay and mo9t of their wants supplied by the prodaoe of their small holding, found that £4O a year sufficed for all other expenses, even for a stock of books and papers for the long winter evenings. And, although for the first 18 months there were many moments of anxiety, there was never one in which they regretted the step they had taken. Except for employing a man for a day now and again for the heaviest digging, they did all the work of the house and garden themselves, rising sometimes as early as o'clock in the summer, resting during the mid-day heat, and in the cool of the evening picking the fruit for market, watering," transplanting and doing other light outdoor work.