NOTES FOR GRAZIER AND DEALER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8482, 13 May 1893, Page 5

NOTES FOR GRAZIER AND DEALER.

By Straggler.

Weekly Press.

I have received the following letter :— Dkar Siu, —lam afraid you are utilising your ingenuity in a. bad cause when you employ it for the defence of the directors of the Addington Saleyards. You can scarcely persuade anyone that the directors have hhown much energy or ability in the interests of their patrons. How many years, may I aik, has the condition of bog existed at the uutrucking yards? Again, how many years have some of the cattle pens been a disgrace to their name? No, Sir, your clever little gane will not work. You cannot defend the present director*, but you might, employ your pen in the good work of getting some good men to help the " live " spirits at present there. Yours, truly,

Salesman,

Poor Addington Yards' director* 1 How fully they must recognise that it i* impossible to please everybody. But Ido not, in defending the directors to some extent, defend the state which the bad weather occasionally puts tho yards into. 1 quite admit that some improvement is absolutely necessary, and lam sure the directors are quite alive to this and will, as far as means will permit, carry it out. Let us be patient for a little, and see how our virtue in that respect will be rewarded. Meantime, can my correspondent tell mc where better saleyard accommodation is to be got? I am, my friends tell mc, a very bashful man. f really believe I mast be, for lam still blushing for the audacity of tbe salesman who recently stood on the rail* at Addington and delivered an impressive indictment ajrair.st the North Island sheep yarded while the owner was present. This was scarcely good ta«te, because I am told the critic is not handling these consignments just now, and I entirely agree with the writer of a letter which appeared in Saturday's daily Press that criticism under such circumstances is liable to misconstruction.

But to a great extent I must say I sympathise with the remarks (so far as North Island sheep are concerned), which appeared in a salesman's report last week, and drew forth tbe letter just alluded to., It will be remembered that I was first in the field in calling attention to the fact that attempts were being made to impose on us undesirable sheep from the North Island. It will also be remembered that one correspondent took mc to task for having done so. I certainly still adhere to my opinions, but I cannot join in the unjustifiable attempts which were made with the aid of misleading and ridiculous descriptious to " sit on " the owner of the last consignment. Such attempts may be largely attributable to ignorance, but are none the less excusable on this ground, aud I am not surprised to notice that one journalistic sheep expert had to confess gross ignorance or great bias by eating his own statements. This must have been anything but palatable, but the most nauseous draughts oftentimes work iho most powerful cures. Let us at any rate hope that in this instance this much to be desired end will be attained.

0 i one point, however, I materially ditferwith the writer of the market report which condemns the presence of Chatham Island sheep iv our markets. The cases of the North Island and Chatham islands are distinctly on different footings. Canterbury is the legitimate outlet for surplus Chatham Island sheep, whether good, bad, or indifferent. The North Island has its own vast resources to fall back upon for its surplus stock, but the Chatham Island settlers must have an outlet. The North Island sheep have principally been sent forward as a** spec" by dealers. The Chatham sheep come diroct on owners* account and are sold for what they will fetch. If buyers here are half as clever as they pretend to be they whould not be at any disadvantage in estimating the value of the sheep. Whyi indeed, should not our Island friends have the benefit of a market ? If their sheep have any grazing value, which some of them undoubtedly have, they cheerfully accept the best they can get, and if the "pot" is the proper destination of their stock they accept the position with equal cheerfulness. It may reasonably be added that up to date buyers have set the unfortunate owners a pretty stiff task to muster up a cheerful countenance. "Letus be just, let us be fair " should apply to the Chatham Island sheep as well as to those which come forward from some of the rich pastures of our own province. 1 cannot pretend to say that all this criticism we have been treated to has entirely upset the market for Cbathamsand North Islanders. Possibly over supply has a great deal to do with the apparent drug. Bat whatever cause is responsible, there can be no reply to the suggestion that the demand for the Island sheep has never been so bad before. A great many people wil] at once say that the sheep did not reward buyers last year so well as they might have done. In some instances this is quite true, but in many cases I am reliably informed they paid well. We must not lose sight of tbe fact that last year very much higher prices were given than are accepted ac the present time. In addition to this I am prepared to say from personal inspection that the quality, size, and condition of this year's consignments area distinctimprovementon those of last. So that when everything is taken into consideration I think our Island friends have dropped into a real bad time quite as unexpected as it is severe. And I think I may add that very many impartial men will agree with mc that their luck has by no means returned them what they merited.

It i* most satisfactory to learn that boiling down operations are now in progress. 1 have heard of two stations which have consigned a large number of wethers to the pot and I hope soon to hear of many mora. There is every inducement; to do so for I am told that buyers for this class of sheep are giving values which are decidedly more profitable than those obtainable in saleyards. I should, however, advise sellers to be careful they are not induced to sell for " forward delivery " unless the buyer inspects and passes the sheep. I have know of much trouble having arisen where owners sold for *' forward delivery" and the buyer accepted their description. The Tapanm Courier in an article on the live stock trade strongly advocates the establishment of boiling down factories. It says :— ** New Zealand graziers have for the last few seasons —siuce high prices came Into vogue—been overstocking their pasture; but the time has now arrived for them to discontinue such a pernicious practice, and if a boiling-down establishment could be started in this, district

flock-owners could readily quit their worn out sheep." In connection with Chatham Island sheep 1 find Ynany buyers have adopted the plan of giving the sheep a certain amount of salt. Their argument is that sheep which come off the salt flats of the coast Hue of the island quickly miss the sflline taste, and in consequence do better with than without the salt. lam informed that sheep which have been so indulged by some graziers have prospered well, and it is worthy of note that the graziers on the Island consider the treatment most essential.

The store lamb market has suffered a very full share of the recent "drop" in values, and really well-grown and wellconditioned lambs have beeu practically unsaleable at even moderate values. "( must confess I cannot see why such stock should not be a thoroughly souud investment. Feed should not be scarce, and last year's experience certainly favours the probability of there being money in large framed, healthy and well-woolied lambs at S* to 9s. Such lines have been a drug; bat why?

The Post says that at the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Pastoral Society the president, in moving the adoption of the report and bilance sheet, drew attention, amongst other things, to the importance of the trade in frozen iambs, and pointed out that wliiUt the North Island only shipped 43,000, Canterbury exported 170,000, and they realised a price equal to wether« one or two years older. He' urged the members to take steps to bring their lauibs to early maturity. He also alluded to the difference cf prices realised in London between Canterbury and the North Island mutton, which was equal to id per lb to the disadvantage of the latter on 700,000 sheep exported from the North Island last year. The president also advised step* beitiK taken to eradicate noxious weeds, which in the South Island had depreciated many farms-20 to 30 per cent. The president. Mr Buchanan, and the treasurer, Mr W. Booth, were reelected ; and Messrs James Donald, of Fealherston, and H. firaithwair.e, of Wathakeke, were elected vice-presidents. It was resolved to ask.His Excellency the Governor to become patron of the society. At a meeting of the Auckland Cattle Board the other day a resolution wa3 passed regretting .that, ..the government Surposed abolishing the quarantine at [otuihi, and requesting Mr Lawry to confer with the other Auckland members with a view of presenting to the Government the great inconvenience and injustice such a course would entail upon importers of stock in the Auckland provincial district.

The consignment of North Island sheep in Aldington on the 3rd inst. had evidently passed through a very trying time, which would in a very great measure account for their by no means impressive i appearance. Generally speaking they [ were smaller than u-«ual, but this was due to youth to a very great extent. Some of the full-mouth sheep were fairly large framed but poorly woolled. Speaking impartially I should not call them the most desirable acquisition we could ask for our ewe flocks, and I am rather inclined to think that the owner who was with them was not slow to recognise that it would be more profitable to bring down a better class.

I quite expected the Mount Hutt Estate to sell at auction without the least difficulty. The general cry tor land 6hould— if it be sincere —be most apparent when such opportunity as this offers. Experts pronounce the prop.rty capable of carrying a very great number or crossbred sheep and it is generally conceded that it is not an outrageous but rather modest figure which is required to effect a change of owner?.

We are now having some practical demonstration of the fact that Cheviot sale prices were quite equal to the value of the sheep. Some 2000 half bred wethers bought at the great clearing sale were receutly offered for public competition. Some were sold at figures which can scarcely return any profit—perchance they mean Joss—to the Cheviot buyer. At the same time the sheep should amply repay those who have the feed necessary to top them off. Each week brings some doleful intelligence from the voad to Cheviot. Death and temporary exhaustion are playing up sadly with arrangements, and these troubles have been largely increased by the unfavourable weather.

A large line of iambs which had passed through all the troubles and difficulties of a journey from Blenheim were sold for Cheviot the other day for 6*. This, lam told, was good market value for them, but at the same time, I am sure the buyer should do well. otft'Of his purchase if he gives them anything like a fair show. Oar Blenheim friends have sent us sheep and cattle, and now I hear they are testing our horse market. lam afraid they wil] find the business worse than the sheep trade, which is saying a good deal. The last Amberley stock sale was remarkable for nothing but quietness, but at Kirwee last Friday there was a little sign of returning life.

The Wairarapa Daily, commenting on the Rabbit Act, says :—The Rabbit Act has been held by many to be an unwise measure aud a harsh one. It is very unpopular and iv its administration magistrates have been very fond of following the line of minimum penalties. Mr Hutchison, R.M., has taken a new departure by inflicting a penalty of £25-on the owner of lea. Assuming that the Act is harsh and tyrannical, it is not the duty of a resident magistrate to adjust the faults of the legislature by minimising penalties. It appears to us that Mr Hutchison is carrying out the spirit and intentions of the measure by imposing substantial fines, and this course may prove to be the best one after all, as it may lead Parliament to reconsider its enactment. lb is clearly not the duty of a Resident Magistrate to practically repeal the measure by abstaining from exercising its provisions.

The Marlborough Times reports that about 450 lambs were shipped at the beginning of the week by the Torea and her boats from Picton, having been driven from Kiverlands last Saturday. These are for Messrs Temple Bros, and Mailincr, who have recently acquired the Okukure Run, Tory Channel. It is rumoured, says the Hawera Star. that a daring and extensive robbery of sheep has taken place from Mr Bwan Macrae, of the Eltham Road. If the circumstances as reported be true the perpetrators of the theft must have gone to work in a most deliberate manner. They went to his farm, lately occupied by Mr W. W. Mitchell, and would appear to have mustered the lambs, put them through the race, left the culls, and driveu away the choice ones. They also went through the ewes at the stud farm and left any halt, lame, or blind, taking a draft of good ones out. The total number taken is said to be 700.