Our Produce Market.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2801, 18 January 1888, Page 2

Our Produce Market.

(From a Wellington Correspondent). The perusal of a very interesting .\ article in last weeks iVairarapa Weekly M on ' Strawberry growing in Auckland' has called to mind a few scattered ideas I have had on the subjeot of small farming generally. The farmers of the Wellington provincial district appear to be particularly apathetic in the matter of fruit growing. I have a distinct recollection thai for, about twenty years of the Wairarapa's history we had to pay 6d per pound for apples, and civility was sometimes necessary to get them even at that price. Of course things have changed since then, but they have been very slow in. changing; only a few years ago nothing less than Is was asked for a quart of strawberries, even now a shilling is asked at the commencement of the season. And so with all other fruits, even our jam factory has had to cease operations for the stated reason that there was not sufficient fruit grown to make the concern a profitable undertaking. There are tons of fruit imported into Wellington every -.<Wi week from other parts and still our farmers complain of hard times. It is to be wondered at when thousands of pounds are sent elsewhere which might ;be retained in the place if our small farmers only choose to exert themselves to supply the demand. It is not only in fruit growing alone that the farmers of this district appear '•s# be deficient in tho method of making the most of their holdings, but in all descriptions of farm produce.. I had to pay 5s per pair for fowls at Christmas time, and 5s per pair is still asked; , by the settlers around Wellington.. This seems to me almost like eating money, and still the farmers say they cannot make both ends meet. I did manage, however, to get two pairs of fowls for laying purposes at. . an auction room; but, of course, they were imported ones: ; Wellington; • ■ fowls are too superior to be bought at that price. However, this' fact shows 'r?. that farmers elsewhere, can - afford to sell them at that price- and pay freight' and other obarges. Then agaiuwe have been paying Id per pound for potatoes ktjieWtwQWfttbs,^

had it not been for importations, and only the local supply available, no doubt 1/- per pound would have been the price. I liavo heard it said by a practical farmor that it would _ pay to grow potatoes Otaki district at 2/0 per c.wk ifflkit does not appear to be doiiM.any oxtont, even at a much higher figure. Before tho Manawatu Railway opened, we had, on more than one occasion in tho winter, to go to no less than ten shops before a pound of butter could be obtained, even at 2/-; but, of course, this is now altered by a large supply coming in from the West Coast. In some of our dairies, there are to be found, even to this day, implements which were in use 2000 years ago, and altogether farming is carried on in too primitive a stylo or with a want of thrift. In other words, without the means of making the most of everything. There are, no . doubt, exceptions, but they are like angel's visits, &c. It would seem that if a certain price is not obtainable for<?*certain product it is not forthcoming. Now, such is not the case, apparently, in England, as I am told by a gardener just come out, that ho has known sixteen bundles of rhubarb sold fori/-, when there has been a large supply over the demand. Our farmers have a great ileal to do with the of the country, and if they the whole community benefits in proportion, as the greater wealth is obtained from the soil. It is to the interest of the publio generally, that every encouragement should be given to farmers by every means possible, so that a muoh better result may be obtained than at present. Some years ago, it was found that the Continental butter was driving the Home butter out of the English market in consequence of the much more even quality of the foreign product. Iri consequence of this, a firm of grocers in England undertook to rectify the evil, by buying the milk of the farmers, and having the butter made on the premises by an expert. This plan has been such a success that it has been adopted by many other firms throughout England, and I think it might be adopted with advantage by some of the large firms in m Wairarapa. The English farmers prefer this plan of selling the milk to the grocers, instead of tho butter, as Ais more profitable. I believe a ™ ular plan adopted in America, of getting a uniform quality is for a number of farmers to co-oper-ate in getting a "separator" and "butter-maker" between them. I think if a little more trouble was paid to supplying our fanners with every information, on the part of the Government and the Press, than has been done in the past, better results would be obtained. But at the same time, I think farmers must realize the fact that prices must come down to effect a ready sale.