BARLEY v. SUGAR

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 927, 15 February 1872, Page 2

BARLEY v. SUGAR

The usual monthly meeting of Stoke Farmers' Club, Nelson, wa3 held February 5, and in opening the meeting the Chairman (Mr Kout) mentioned some remarks that had been made by the brewers of Nelson, commenting on the discussion of the barley question at the last meeting. He said Mr Hooper, one of the partners in the firm of Hooper and Dodson, had stated that the farmers of the Waimeas were laboring under a delusion in saying the brewers made their beer from sugar, and that they were averse to buying barley. So far was this from being the case, that his firm were then erecting an additional malthouse, capable of converting a large quantity of barley into malt every month, and he had no hesitation in saying thev would be prepared to buy all the barley of good quality that could be grown in the Waimeas for the next two years, at the highest market price. Nearlv the same remarks were made by the proprietors of the Kent Brewery, who also showed that they had purchased a very great quantity of barley from the Nelson growers, though some was quite unfit to make marketable malt. Mr.Rout said these offers from the brewers showed them to be anxious to purchase good samples of barley, and the business of the Club should be to incite a competition in growing a first class article, which could only be secured by cultivating the ground well and sowing early ; for, as Mr Hooper remarked, the old practice used to be to sow barley at the latest by the end of September, whereas in lateyears it is driven off till November.—"Colonist."