408 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. [March 1897. 



next day, prices realised to date having been carefully analysed, 

 and all outside agents communicated with by wire. After 

 coming to a decision, the prices are wired early on the following 

 morning to the growers, and these prices hold good for all fruit 

 received into store on that day, no matter what the produce may 

 subsequently realise. The price paid to the growers varies 

 according to the grade of the fruit, and each member of the 

 association is supplied with a printed grading card. 



All fruit is first graded by the grower, and this grading is 

 checked by the manager, with the growers' representative as 

 umpire. Immediately on receipt of the fruit at the store a number 

 of men set to work to open all the cases, which are brought to the 

 grading-table in front of the manager in such a manner that he 

 cannot possibly see to whom the fruit belongs. He then decides its 

 grade, the decision being final unless the growers' representative 

 differs from it, in which event the matter is discussed and always 

 amicably settled. The fruit is afterwards weighed by the 

 manager and the weight credited to the growers' account at 

 the price ruling for that grade. The fruit then becomes the 

 property of the company, on whose account it is sold. In 

 disposing of it the officials are guided by the demand from the 

 various outlets, always fixing local reserve prices according to 

 prices ruling elsewhere. Thus, if Wellington quotes 3<i, and 

 Christchurch 2>\d., the local sales and shipments are regulated 

 accordingly. Daily, at 3 p.m., a sale is held for the trade only, 

 when all fruit, except such as is reserved for shipment, is offered, 

 and any not reaching the reserve price is kept back for the public 

 sale which takes place daily at 5 p.m. The result of practically 

 all the fruit going to one store is at once seen. Buyers must 

 go to the seller instead of, as in the past, being run after by the 

 grower, and competition amongst the buyers has resulted in fair 

 prices. Nor is this the only good result of co-operation : cases, 

 which were in the past always given to the buyer, have, since 

 the inception of the association, been charged for — this item 

 alone amounting to a considerable sum annually. Claims 

 against growers, moreover, which were a serious item in the past, 

 are now said to be quite unknown, freights have been materially 

 reduced, and satisfactory arrangements with the outside markets 

 have been made. 



