A CATTLE REVIEW.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19462, 8 November 1928, Page 14

A CATTLE REVIEW.

POSITION OF DAIRY HERDS.

IMPROVED BEEF PROSPECTS.

Since January 31st, 1924, when the number of cattle returned in the Do- , minion reached the record total of 3,580,229, there was a decrease until January last. At that date there was a recovery shown of 16,067 head on the total returned the previous year, of which one half was dairy cows. The highest total number of dairy cows in any one year was in 1924-25, when there were 1,303,129 returned. In the next year there was a drop to 1,280,843, and a year later there were a few less. Now a recovery has come about, and

judging by the keen demand there has been this season in the chief dairying districts for cows and heifers/the returns on January 31st next should see a marked increase. It is not, therefore, in the dairy stock that the decrease in cattle since 1923-? i, has' mainly taken place, but in beef cattle. The falling off in the export trade in frozen beef, and with only the local market to be depended upon to

absorb the supplies, beef cattle become too low in value to rear profitably. Calves were ruthlessly knocked on the heads for their skins, and large breeders of beef cattle either reduced their herds or dispersed them altogether. Now that the frozen beef trade has revived, and that the market has better prospects—more especially if the export trade with the United States can be de should again become a profitable proveloped—the raising of beef cattle position. It has been pointed out for -some years past that the present position would arise if steps were not taken to maintain beef supplies. So far as the South Island is concerned it cannot supply its wants without some assistance from the North Island. The position would have been even worse had not the opening of the Midland railway enabled graziers on the West Coast to develop their herds and supply the Addington market with lines of prime cattle. The consignments from there during the past winter and spring have been a prominent feature of the fat cattle sales at Addington. Figures supplied recently to the Greymouth Chamber of , Commerce by the railway traffic manager, Christehurch, showed that 2070 head of cattle were railed through to Canterbury during the year ended March 31st last. These were all beef cattle in either 1 fat or store condition. Demand for Young Cattle. ■ ■ During the past twelve months there has been a marked rise in the prices of beef cattle in the North Island, and it Is specially to be noted in the case of yearlings and two-year-olds'. There has been much said, especially during the election campaign, about deteriorated lands in the North Island and men being forced to leavt* their farms. One of the contributing causes has been that such country required more cattle to keep down secondary growth on bush land and fern on more open country. Only beef cattle are suitable for this purpose and even if available, there has neen little or no profit to be made out of them. Regarding the rise m the value of young beef cattle, at this time last year three-year-old ' steers in Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa were realising in the saleyards £6 10s to £8 vs 6d, two year steers £4 2s 8d to £6 10s, yearling steers £4 to £5. This year young cattle are selling in the same districts at the following figures: Three year Bteers at £9 to £ll, two-year steers

The Wool Market. The wool clip this season should be well grown as the winter has generally been a good one for sheep. The reports from the North Island are to the effect that sheep are shearing well and the sumo may bo said of thos" early shorn locally. The indies'ions so far as the market for the Dominion clip is concerned are that there will be a good demand, but that prices wil] be on a lower basis than last season. Shearing Bates. A new agreement has 1 -—■**".» a< ; between the New Zealand Sheep' i farmers' Federation and the New Zea' land Sheafer's Union, regarding th< W rates for shearers, and has been em • Tjodied ip the existing award aa a basil 1 fot the calculation 'of wages for three i years. - A new principle is adopted u i that it does away with the payment oi t wages on the cost of living scale, anc 5 substitutes payment according to woo i prices. This provides for an automata i rise and fall each year -ccording to thi i movement of wool prices indicated bj » the Government Statistician's indej - numbers for export prices. The rati 3 for shearing for this season works ou at 30s per 100.

£6 18s to £9 2s 6d, yearling steers £5 10s to £7 7a. At these prices there has been a keen demand from buyers from various parts of the North Island, yearlings ana two-year-olds being in most request. ' Better Breeding. Another sign of the times is the strong demand there has been for bulls of the beef breeds, particularly for Polled Angus, and Herefords, at prices •higher than ever before. It is quite evident that the beef cattle industry has revived strongly in the North Island, but there is not anything like a similar movement in the South Island, although there is a better demand than usual for what young stock is available and perhaps a few more steer calves are being reared this season, but graziers have to depend largely on cull cows for their fattening stock. The dairy industry m the south is making steady progress, but for the whole of the South Island the number of dairy cows in January last was below that of the previous year. TMb is largely due to farmers who milked a few cows as a side-line going out of their herds and concentrating more on sheep or wheat-growing.

A NEW DEPARTURE.

EDUCATIONAL SHOW EXHIBIT.

The Canterbury Agricultural College has this year made a new departure in Show exhibits; its sheep and cattle are well known in the judging ring, but it now presents a purely educational exhibit of a kind that has never before been staged at an Agricultural Show in New Zealand. The college authorities have been provided with a piece of land of about one tenth of an acre in extent, towards the western end of the oval, and have fenced this attractively with concrete posts and rails in the style that Mr Alexander, Director of the College, has so successfully developed. The area enclosed is devoted to a demonstration of ten points in pasture management, and its effect upon animal production. Part of the ground has been dug and new grasses planted in it, while the rest is left in the original sward, which has, however, been treated in different ways, such as topdreßsing with different manures. The planted grasses show numerous strains of ryegrass, cocksfoot, and red clover, demonstrating the great differences that exist among our ordinary pasture grasses, and incidentally showing up rather badly such seed as Danish Cocksfoot and Commercial Perennial Bye. Those that have heard of Dr. Hilgendorf's work in this direction, but have not had an opportunity of inspecting it at the college, will find considerable interest in these plots. . Opposite to them is a series of topdressing trials on the natural turf and on some sods carried in from the light plains country, and attractive signboards put into words the lessons that the turfs have to teach. Next come some plots that have been grazed on the new system of pasture management, that of rotational grazing, and tbey demonstrate very clearly the principle of the system. There are further exhibits of cows, sheep, and pigs fed in different ways or at different times, these exhibits presenting a sample of the wellknown work of Mr M. J. Scott, chemist at the College. The animals show m a very marked manner the great necessity for the conservation of winter feed, and of suitable feeding to obtain payable production, whether it is of wool, milk, or pork.' . ~ Portion of the ground has-been left vacant for further demonstrations iwxt year, and It is clear that this exhibit will continually 'increase In inatructiveness and interest.