1 Man., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 231 
when there is but enough for home consumption. If the millers would say 
that they would keep the Melbourne price at from 4s. 6d. to 5s. per bushel, the 
farmers would then know that it would be useless to expect more than 5s. in 
Melbourne. ‘I think it would rule all our local markets, and do away somewhat 
with speculators, who buy from the farmers and hold to the detriment of both 
millers and consumers. ‘Thousands of our farmers have not taken off more than 
8 bushels peracre. That, at4s. per bushel in the local market, would mean 12s. 
per acre; at least a half bushel must be kept for seed, which leaves 10s. per acre 
for ploughing, sowing, stripping, cleaning, bags, twine, oil, and the too many 
etceteras, and carting to market. I for one, who have farmed for forty years, 
and can’‘still farm as cheaply as most men, say, and I am sure, that it cannot 
be done for the money. ‘Dhat is the reply.to the great question, Why do we 
hold? 
Late advices state that many of the Victorian farmers are shipping one- 
tenth of their grain to London. 
The Australasian comments thus on what farmers who are exporting 
wheat to London may expect. The matter works out thus: In selling a cargo 
of Australian wheat afloat, the custom is to quote a price per quarter of 
480 lb. = 8 bushels, cost freight and insurance, which means that freight 
and insurance have to be deducted to arrive at the net return to the shipper, 
svhilst landing charges on arrival have to be paid by the purchaser. 
Assuming for the purpose of calculation that 37s. 6d. per quarter of 480 Ib. 
ef. could be realised, and assuming that a vessel could be secured at a rate 
of freight of 25s. per ton (although, owing to circumstances, 27s. 6d. might 
have to be paid), the net return may be arrived at as follows :— 
& oh Seen 
Price realised per quarter ee Fe: on de 37 «6 
Less Freight at 25s. per ton te ts . lO eae 
Insurance, sampling, and general superin- 
tendence of loading, and commission 
at 2 per cent. ... “16 ag pe eal ye: 
93 
6 11s 
Net return ... 80 63 
The net return is equal to about 3s. 93d. per bushel at the port of ship- 
ment. But the return is subject to fluctuation, according to the price realised 
in the world’s market, and according to the rate of freight which might have 
to be paid. : 
Every 6d. per quarter rise or fall, in the London market, means {d. per 
bushel more or less in the net return; and every 2s. 6d. per ton extra.in rate 
of freight means $d. per bushel less in the net return. 
With regard to quality, it would obviously be necessary to pick the 
sample carefully. 
COMBINATION OF VICTORIAN WHEATGROW ERS. 
TE agricultural reporter of the Melbourne Leader writes from Numurkah :— 
Seldom has a movement among the farmers been taken up with equal 
spirit and determination to that now in progress throughout the Goulburn 
Valley in connection with combating the wheat “bears.” The Leader pre- 
harvest estimate, published as early as 24th November last, showed that not 
more than about 100,000 bags of wheat could possibly be exported over and 
above the yuantity required locally for food and seed. The complete harvest 
has now proven that estimate to be rather under than over the mark, with 
the additional important fact that there are no old stocks held over from the 
previous year. ‘The note of warning for the farmers to hold off the market, 
so as to prevent the usual cornering of their hard-earned produce, at the 
expense of the great bulk of growers, in order to enrich a few large operators, 
R 
