At the present time there are certain forces working ana 

 certain dangers looming ahead against which we think a timely 

 warning from us will not come amiss, and in fact is highly neces- 

 sary. Farmers :cill not, or at all events do not, study their 

 markets, and seem to be quite content to trust themselves in the 

 hands of agents and speculators. This can only end in dire 

 results to the grower and landowner, as it has done the world 

 over, and as it will continue to do so long as the fruit grower is 

 content to just let things slide, and rest content to leave himself 

 in the hands of the middleman. The following specific instances 

 we will mention bearing on our warning to growers. Look for 

 a moment at the Albany Fruit Growers' Association. For some 

 years now this Association has advertised in the papers the fact 

 that they wished to sell their entire apple crops covering the 

 different varieties at an upset price per 100 Ibs. A very sound 

 and proper policy. Last year we are informed they sold their 

 entire crop at 12/6 per 100 Ibs. for Wemmers Hoek ; i/j./- for 

 Rome Beauty, and i6/- for Ohenimuri at once we will admit a 

 very satisfactory price. This season, however, the highest offer 

 they could get was 6/- per 100 Ibs. covering all varieties a truly 

 miserable offer, and meaning practically no profit to the grower. 



Xow, what is the actual position in the Union market to-day 

 in March. It is this : that all these varieties are fetching in decent 

 stuff 2o/- and 25/- per 100 Ibs., or about four times the amount 

 offered by the dealers. In fact these varieties are at this date 

 a higher price than they have been for some years, and speculators 

 were offering less than half the price they have done in years 

 past. 



\Ye do not know any details regarding this position, but the 

 main facts were given to us by an official of the Government. 

 Our view is that it is nothing more nor less than an indication 

 of the adoption in this country of a policy which has spelled dis- 

 aster to the growers in other great fruit growing centres, i.e., 

 the squeezing out of the grower. 



In Western America, in California and Oregon, this becom- 

 ing dependent on the middleman has led to its inevitable result, 

 the freezing out of the original owner and the acquiring of their 

 properties by alien middlemen, and it has been brought about 

 entirely by growers allowing themselves to gradually become de- 

 pendent nn agent speculators. If any of cur readers wish to get 

 further information as to the methods of these parasites, we 

 recommend them to read " The Valley of the Moon " by Jack 

 London. The facts as stated by him there are widely recognised 

 as a danger to the State by the officials of the Government in the 

 fruit growing districts of Western America. For this we vouch 

 on first-hand information, and we think a perusal of this book 

 might open the eyes of many growers to possible dangers ahead 

 of us here 



