NOTES FOR GRAIZER AND DEALER.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9117, 30 May 1895, Page 2

NOTES FOR GRAIZER AND DEALER.

"W T eekly Press," Br Straggler. This week I have received a lengthy communication, criticising the arrangements for sheep dipping at Addington, from a gentleman who signs himself " An Angry Sufferer." It appears that our friend was kept (by sheer force of circumstances he admits, and not through any neglect), until late in the afternoon before he could get his purchase through, and was thus prevented from making any progress towards home that evening. He suggests all manner of remedies, but these when " boiled down " merely amount to a contention that men who buy infected sheep at the Addington yards should be allowed to dip where they like and whan they like. It is quite useless to argue this point, because the stock department flatly say they won't permit it, and so tbe matter must rest.

Certainly there is a good deal in tbe contention of our friend that at this :time of year it is a great mistake to put sheep through the dip up to darkness setting in and then leave them to shiver all night iv the yards. But this I find is not done and every care Is taken to stop work in time to permit of those which bave been through to dry ere tha night air is upon them.

The "flashed ewe" nuisance is becoming—indeed has become—a serious matter to many growers, and I have beeu approached with several suggestions for bringing buyers "up to the scratch." But I am perfectly convinced that buyers will not be got on " scratch" even with the aid of a traction engine, and the only course open to sellers is to divide their sexes unless there is absolutely no question of "flush." Of this lam quite convinced for recently I have seen several lots of prime wethers almost thrown away simply because the owner weakly imagined that they would be bound to make good value for the " flushed " ewe 9, which were penned with them. Buyers are as firm as sellers are anxious, and so far as I can see, sellers must ia their own interests give way. Naturally the extent of the trouble is by no means minimised by the ful, advantage which exporters take of the situation; but then they have the whip hand, they know it, and are apparently quite datermined to keep it.

However, when everything is taken into consideration, I cannot even in my stony heart find myself able to blame our buyers very much. It is painfully true that tho " flushed" ewe is a mosb unsaleable commodliy on tbe London market, and some returns I have seen fully bear oub bhe contention of those exporters who declare the afflicted ewe " dear at a gift."

I am afraid there is only ono thing for it and that is to separate where the slightest doubt exists, and this is the base suggestion I can make in reply to those gentlemen who wish to know if I " don't know something about this latest dodge."

I wa3 somewhat surprised to find the other day that from the South Island the shipments of rams to Sydney this year are to be very meagre. I say surprised because I was led to believe thab a great many sheep had been held back for tbe New South Wales sale. Perhaps it is all for the besb, and we havo had enough warnings to check any undue desire we might have possessed to make too much money out of our Australian friends. Canterbury's share to the Fair will be very small. Mr Threlkeld will send four hundred and Mr H. Overton about one hundred and fifty, and beyond these lots I cannot hear of consignments. From North Otago I understand Mr Reid, of Elderslie, is sending about three hundred.

Writing of rams reminds mc that Mr Threlkeld has sold some forty English Leicesters to St. Helen's Station, Hanmer Plains. The Inglewood flock will soon be strongly represented in the Amuri county.

Fancy a line of six or seven hundred two-tooth half-bred ewes, fairly well grown and in good order, failing to draw a single offer. This is what we are told happened last week. What a contrast to three years ago.

It is said, on good authority I think, that some Amuri pastoraliats are importing some very high class and fashionably bred Shropshire sires from the Old Country.

Probibly the Darfield Sale has seldom been held under more discouraging conditions than those which prevailed on Friday last. The entry was small compared with the past few months, another fact which no doubt was largely attributable to tbe wintry aspect of the weather. A fair sale was the result of the day. Competition for fat sheep was not over keen, bit for i*eally goodturntpers a somewhat strong demand delighted the vendors of this description.

Grazier 3 who now expos, nnbranded lambs in the saleyards may expect bat little mercy at the hands of the Stock Department. The " days of grace " have expired.

The Wairarapa boclety passed tbe following resolution:—That this Society

endorses the letter from the Hawke's Bay Society, that it is essential for the purposes of the supervision of the stock Industry, and in the interests of tho consumers of meat, tint the services be secured of some eminent bacteriologist from Europe to report on sheep and eattla diseases in the colony with a view to eradicating the same.—Wairarapa Observer. At a meeting of the committee of tha Wairarap* A. ana P. Association the other day, the President, Mr W. C. Buchanan spoke as follow* oa the meat question. He said:—They had been talking In committee on the question of ths difference in price in the London market batween Canterbury and North Island mutton. The question was not a new one, settlers often wondered at the stock here not being the same price as in Canterbury. The Belfast (Canterbury) Co.'* Chairman pointed out at their annual meeting their sheep brought more in the London market than the North Island sheep, for tbe reason the North Island farmers persisted in breeding and fattening too heavy a ehoep, whilst in Canterbury the average was 581b. Tha Belfast Companyput through sheep averaging that weight and lambs averaging 3Slb. He quite agreed with that Chairman's | opinion that the difference In price waa largely due to this cause. They at the [present time in the North Island bred I four-tooth sheep for freezing instead ol [two-tooth, and if the four-tooth were not too heavy in weight for ths London market it was because they were not iv good condition. If they persisted in sending•-. 701 by sheep -yrtiu they would not take in the" London market they must be content to go on losing. If they sent two-tooth sheep In good condition they should get. equally good prices with Canterbury. Mr Booth in committee had stated they were getting offers in Canterbury for large purchases at considerably above the cabled price*. They were now getting offers at Welliog. ton for frozen mutton, and that showed tit was not In demand. This difference in ' tbe value of the two districts meant fot the Wairarapa alone £25,000 a year. Foi the year ending 31st March 259,000 were 9ent by rail from Wairarapa, allowing fot lambs and stores there would be saj 200,000 freezers, which at *_d per lb meant tho sum he named. Times were not good, and looking at these facts would helf them to make improvements and corapaw better things. The Belfast Company'f exports were more than half lambs, wlilhi the proportion from Wellington was guit 1 insignificant and the quality inferior. Tin lambs he himself had shipped fetched 2 a head more than his wethers, and the: were both the best he could produce o their class. In tlie Wairarapa and olhe: parts of the North Island they could no hope to produce the number of lambs a they could In Canterbury, where they ha< greater agricultural facilities, but her they did not do what they cnuld. At a meeting of tbe Gora Farmers Lull the other day, a letter waa received fron the Winton A. and P. Association coves ing the following resolution passed by it "That all kindred societies interested h written to with a view of ascertaini-i their opinions as to the advisability c assisting the Southland Frozen Meat Coir pany by taking up new shares in conne< tion therewith." The letter pointed oq that the price for ail classes of sheep ha fallen within the last few years, and tiw the price locally was lower than in an; other part of the colony. The object c the Association in bringing the prcposs forward was to endeavour to get the low works out of the hands of the banks an shipping companies and put them intotb hands of the farmers. The question wa an important one, affecting all classes o the community. Even if the amount Wi subscribed, it would take a coosider-bl time to complete arrangements with fc h present shareholders. Ib was suggest* that the proposed new company shoal take the works over at a valuation Finally, a recommendation was made tha each society interested should send representative to attend a meeting to dii cuss the matter. The Chairman thoogn that it was a bad time to ask people t take up shares in a now company, thobg the idea of getting the business Into ttt hands of the farmers was good. Mr Mho moved, and it waa agreed—"That to communication be received, but the Ola as a body take no action in the meantime. Before taking up shares they should -at that the thing was economically worlwa. Ia connection with the outbreak, t swine fever at Stirling the Clutha 1 Leoft ot May 17ch says :—The outbreak of swio fever ab Mr J. Crawford Anderson's fan an Stirling has been much more serioo than was at first anticipated. It some time since the pigs were first affectec but little was thought of it and few,! any, had any idea that it waa awine fevei I which is most infectious and fatal. AvMj by Inspector Hull seb aside all doubts as t the seriousness of the matter, and ta Government veterinary surgeon was a once advised. Orders wero at once & 7 ® that the whole stock had to be destroyec together with the portions of all c« buildings with which pigs had come " contact. Mr J. W. Wilson was aPP oi valuer for the department, and Mr J-._«" Boyd acted for Mr Anderson, thefohowjii values being arrived at:—Eighteen breedini sows at 355, £41 10-; twenty shots at 1-* £12; twenty suckers at os 61, £510s; tw boars at 25*, £2 10*; total, £61 10<. UTaesduy the work of slaughtering !» animals was commenced. Mr fanruw pronounced thirteen out of the 5'* lT * diseased, so that Mr Anderson does no get valuation on these. The carcaase were burned. The roofs and upper wanwill be painted with hot lime and » paddock on which the pigs »»»*.*■*? running will be ploughed. Mr AndettW had just got in a good stccs of pigs »»• his actual loss will be very considerable.