German Margarine Law. 



223 



presumed value of the capers delivered. The daily receipts 

 from the sales have hitherto proved sufficient to meet the 

 demand for such loans ; but the association has secured the 

 faculty of obtaining, if necessary, a considerable credit at 

 its bankers for this purpose. This can be drawn upon the 

 signature of the president, and all the members are liable 

 for its repayment. 



In 1893 the members of the syndicate picked 1,659 cwt. 

 of capers, and their sale produced ^3,115. This allowed 

 of an average of 4d. per lb. being handed over to the 

 members in 1894, or about the same as was paid by the 

 trade, which appears to have maintained that price solely 

 in order to retain clients among the caper-producers, and to 

 be able to compete with the syndicate. Before the latter was 

 , established the trade only paid 2 Jd. and 3d. per lb. In the 

 season 1894-5, however, the syndicate could only distribute 

 3jd. per lb., owing, it is said, to ihe outside trade delivering 

 mixed capers under the name of Roquevaire capers, and thus 

 :lowering the prices in the consuming markets. 



Co-operative associations for the sale of capers have also 

 been formed in other neighbouring localities. The syndicate 

 cof Cuges undertakes the preliminary maceration of the buds, 

 which at Roquevaire is performed by the individuals ; the 

 siftiag is also done by machinery, although the results are 

 not considered quite so satisfactory as when this operation is 

 .done by hand, but it constitutes a saving in the cost. Further, 

 in distributing the money received from sales among its 

 members, the Cuges association takes account only of the 

 quantity of capers delivered, without reference to quality. 



German Margarine Law. 



The Board of Agriculture have received through the 

 Foreign Office a copy of the German Law of 15th June, 

 1897, concerning the trade in butter, cheese, lard, and their 

 substitutes. The principal provisions of this law are as 

 follows : — 



Premises wherein are sold margarine, margarine -cheese, or 



