ON THE LAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3358, 26 October 1911, Page 7

ON THE LAND.

PLACUE OF THE DAIRY FARM. THE CULL COW. A suggestion was made by Mr P. B. Fitzherbert at the last meeting of the Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce that the Government should be urged to bring in legislation in regard to the sale of dairy cows. Many cull cows were, said Mr Fitzherbert, now sold to the unsuspecting as dairy cows, and, in his opinion, it should be an offence against the law to sell a cull as a dairy cow. It was well known that some cows passed from hand to hand, at the sales simply because they were culls sold as good dairy cows. After some discussion, in which it was pointed out that the question was a difficult one to deal with, it was decided to refer the matter to the A. and P. Association. Commenting on the above suggestion, the “News” says the question is one that practical farmers would be glad to see discussed. The difficulty, however, is to define a cull cow, but, in referring the matter to the A. and' P. Association, it will be discussed by a body of practical men well qualified to express an opinion.

THE BUTTER MARKET.

“NEW ZEALAND’S GAMBLING SYSTEM.”

At the conference of represent if ves of the Australian Co-operative Butter Factories held in Sydney, Mr. jT. W. Roberts, representative of the Westem Districts Company, Victoria, speaking on the direct export policy, sail they had had experience of direct ex P < i t from the inception of the trad*. Their factories Lad proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that direct ex ort was the most payable in .«• ven years cut of ten. Local selling had proved most disastrous to New Zealand factories. He had compared the balamw-s* eets of New Zealand factories for five years, and not one of them paid the same average price as had the co-operative factories of Victoria. Last year he had compared the balance-sheets of thirty New Zealand factories with thirty Victorian, and on the average the Victorian factories paid IJd per lb more for the year. The gambling local selling system of New Zealand, which was brought about absolutely by grade stamping, had not proved profitable to the producers. The farmers in Victoria fixed the price at which their produce should he sold, and the position could be won m London,, as it had been in Australia, if producers were true to co-operative principles. The weakness was the factories _ that split consignments with speculative agents. His directors refused to accept split consignments. It rested with the factories to consolidate the position. After several delegates had spoken on the question, the following resolution was carried unanimously:—“That this representative gathering of delegates from co-operative factories within the State, having now had considerable experience of the system of direct export, pledges itself to unhold in its entirety that policy throughout the coming season.”