CURRENT TOPICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19854, 15 February 1930, Page 10

CURRENT TOPICS.

ADDINGTON MAEKET. The feature of the store sheep market on Wednesday was the offering '>l lambs, which numbered between 15,000 and 1(5,000 head. They came from far and near, with quality ranging from good and bad to indifferent, and the last two were in a big majority. Many of the outside lines were late lambed, small, and low conditioned, the entry as a whole not being within a shilling or two of the class of the preceding week. For the small percentage of good and medium rape lambs there were many keen buyers, but prices were down, by a shilling a head on this class, and up to 2s for the more backward sorts. The drop was not unexpected, as in comparison with other classes of sheep, indifferent lamb? that may have to be carried over hi.ve been selling extremely well. Comparisons of this and last year's prices arc:—

Quality was not impressive in the adult section of store sheep. Neither was quantity for that matter. Except for a small line a few weeks ago, the first North Island ewes of the season were to hand. However, they were not heavy in numbers and not up to the class from the same quarter last season. They were bid for spiritedly at practically last week's values, the best of the two-tooths making up to "Sis, and one line of six-tooths 275. Last season this class of ewe was making 8s to 10s a head more, Good two-tooth half-bred ewes were in demand, one line of 76 making 25s -10 d, but the competition generally was for the older Romney cross ewe. For all classes values showed little change on last week. Last year at the corresponding sale wethers were practically absent from the yards, so no comparison is possible in this class: —

The fat lamb sale was a very keen one, and the schedule for export was exceeded. The improvement in prices on the preceding week ranged from Is up to Is 6d a head for first grades, or practically a halfpenny per lb, and the bulk of good lambs sold at a full 9d a lb. At this time laßfc year the schedule for export was 9}d, so that in one important respect produce values are keeping up. Comparisons—

The fat sheep entry was drawn from well afield, and there was quite a good sale for all sorts except heavy ewes. These came back by up to a shilling a head. Exporters were enabled to compete freely and they secured a good proportion of the entry. Comparisons—

Pat cattle have been keeping at good prices for this period of the year, and a drop on Wednesday was not unexpected. It was a rather indifferent entry in the matter of quality, cows in very moderate condition providing a heavy proportion of the yarding. For all but the best steers there was an easing of up to 20s a head, and for most of the cows of indifferent finish another 5s a head more than that. Nevertheless, the better classes of beef were making from 41s to 44s per 1001b, quite' a ' satisfactory - price for this season of the year. Comparisons:—

Steers— i; i! £ £ Kx prime heavy to 21J to 22J Prime heavy . . 162 to 19 17i to 20J Medium-weight , prime . . 153 to 181 ' 15 to 18 Med. quality . . 1 21 to 15 12 to 14& Tjiglit . . 9 to 12 10 to 115 Heifers

Ex prime .. to lfij to 15J Prime . . 12& to 14J 12J to 14$ Medium .. 10J to 121 10 to 12 I'ight •• 71 to 03 I to 9j Cowß Kx prime . . to IGJ to 15J Prime . . to 14 12 to 133, Medium . . 9} to 11 9 to 11J Light and aged 0 to 9 ti to 81

CANADIAN" AYKSHIRES FOE N.Z. In connexion with the visit t& Canada of Mr A. Weir (Southland) and Mr F. Mills (Manawatu), with object of purchasing four Ayrshire bulls on. behalf of the New Zealand Ayrshire Breeders' Association, 21 guarantors of £SO each have undertaken to finance the purchase of the animals, one of them being the New Zealand Department of Agriculture. The bulls will be auctioned in Wellington, probably some time in July.

DEPREDATIONS OF DEEE. The case against the deer is steadily growing. A Wellington resident who recently returned from a visit to Haurangi State Forest, of -about 19,000 acres, on the east side of Wairarapa Lake states that the forest floor is absolutely bare of any signs of regeneration, owing to the enormous number of deer,

which are apparently allowed to increase unchecked. It was admitted by the State Forest Service that the forest floor was dead, and that if deer could bo kept out of it for five years the bush would come away again at such a rate that one would not recognise il.

N.Z. LAME. Mv IL ri-jld. of T. A. Field, Ltd., Sydney, is at present in Auckland, having como to New Zealand for the purpose of studying the New Zealand frozen meat trade. Mr Field says that attempts are being mude to build up the export of frozen lamb from Australia, and in this direction the exporting firms are receiving the co-operation of the Government. "Our frozen meat trade cannot compare with that of New Zealand," said Mr Field. "For instance, from New South Wales we export no beef, but we realise that there are great possibilities in the export of frozen lamb. It is not likely that we would bo competing to any great extent with New Zealand, as we would export principally merino lamb, whereas New Zealand chiefly exports Southdowns. Our lamb would not cater for the same market as New Zealand lamb. •''

Mr Field's conception of Australia's '•great possibilities" in lamb export would scarcely be realised if the merino were the principal breed used. To get anywhere a first cross would be necessary —the Hampshire Down, the Southdown, the Shropshire, the English or tl>o Border Leicester, from the merino | ewe. All of the breeds mentioned are us«jd in Australia to some extent. Mr JTield suggests, perhaps a little extravagantly, ih at New Zealand exports "chiefly Southdowns." There may be something in the point that Australian merinos would cater for a different market. There possibly might be a good opening lor cheap lamb in the big industrial centres, and it would be difficult to palm off a merino carcase for a Southdown, so any substitution of the cheaper product for prime Canterbury or other New Zealand grades would be unlikely. PIG-KEEPING INDUSTRY. It would apjjear that pig-lteeping among dairy farmers in the North Island is not as popular as it was. The New Zealand Co-op. Pig Marketing Association, Ltd., of Hamilton, reports that the pigs offering this year are considerably fewer in numbers, there being a general shortage, chiefly owing to the large number ol' heifer calves being reared this season, farmers thus requiring all available milk in this connexion. A large number of farmers have ceased keeping pigs for various reasons, these factors all tending to decrease considerably the supply at the time when pigs are at a very payable level of value. There appears to be a four-year cycle of values, two low s and two high, and is (jply by a Steady, consistent supply that farmers can expect to come out on the average on the right side. The markets, j both local and overseas, are hardening | more particularly as regards baconers. Prime porkers, 60/1101b, are worth sd; prime baconers, 111/1601b, 6d; prime baconers, 161,1801b, sd; heavy baconers, 1811b and ovef, 4d; choppers, 2d. Theso 1 prices should be payable.

THE WHEAT YIELD. The Government estimate of the incoming wheat crop, published yesterday, is 7,100,000 bushels as against an actual return of 8,832,804 bushels last year. The estimate is about the liguro suggested iu this column some time ago, and represents a return of approximately a little over 30 bushels to the acre on the 234,500 acres estimated to be in crop. However, since the figures were collected by the Department improved conditions have set in, and possibly the estimate will be found to be slightly conservative. An estimate in this column during the week put the figure down at about li million bushels less than last year, or a total crop of about 7,400,000 bushels. The returns coming iu so far are extremely varied and afford no idea of the average yields. FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE.

Though no one with any sense of responsibility would open the door to the introduction of the dreaded foot-and-mouth disease, the Canterbury A. and P. Association at its meeting on Wednesday adopted the right course in declining to protest against the importation of Channel Island cattle through America without obtaining further information. The Hawke's Bay Association, which sent forward such a resolution asking for the Canterbury Association's support, is to be commended on its vigilance, but the quest for information will probably reveal the fact that the Channel Islands are quite outside the English authorities' control in this matter. It has been the claim of the Islands for centuries that no live cattle have ever been allowed in, and to this fact is the absolute purity of the Jersey breed due. There has never been a suggestion of the disease there, and as far as the ethics of the matter are concerned there can bo no objection to direct shipments from Jersey' to New Zealand. Other cattle may come from the Old Country through Canada to New Zealand and this importation is probably entitled to more suspicion and criticism than the Jerseys from the Channel Islands. However, apart from the merits of the ease, the fact that our farmers' organisations are keeping a close eye on the business is gratifying

Neb. i::. Feb. VI, 1030. mb.s— Forward ruyt Mod, rapo Good m.s. Med. m.!-. Inf. wether Cull 242, t.. 27 214 to 2;) 4 22J to 25 19 to 214 . 16 to 17!} 11 to 14 20 to 217j 174 to 1<4 18& to 212 104 to 18 14 to 16 8 to .11 Good B»e — — — to 21 i Med. ewe — to -21:

Eiwes— Ex good 2-th Jbii 1 - to 44 4 -._ — Good 2-th Jbd 36 to 39 — — Med. 2-th Jbd — — — to 25J Ord. 4 to 8th Jbd — tfl 20 22to 24J S.M. halfbred 25 to 26 18 to 21 S. and f.m. Jbd — — 13J to 16 Aged halfbred — — 9 to 11 Good 2-th Rom. — to 40 29 to 31 Ord. 2th Rom. 35 to 37 26 to 28 Inf. 2-th Rom. 31J to 33 — to 25 Good 6-th Rom. 36 to 371 — ~ Good ,4 to 8,-tOoth Romney 35 to 37 — to 27 Ord. 4 to 8-th Romney — to 29 . ' — — S.M. Romney . . — to 30 — to 20 Ord. 4-th 3bd ewes — — 22 to 24J Ord. 2-th x-bd. — to 32 — — Good 4 to 8-th crossbred 31 to 33 — — ,Ordi B,m, crossbred 25 to 27 to 19 ' F.M. crossbred — — 13 to 15?.

Extra prime — to 34J — to 31 Prime 29 to 32 27 to 30 Medium . 26J to 28J 24J to 261 Light 24 to 26 20J to 23*

Wethers — 0. and prime heavy — to 3u:J — to 34 Prime henry . . 31 to 33J 30 to 32 Medium 27 to 30 26 to 20 Light Ewes— Extra p Prime rime . . 25i to 27 — to 33 24J to 28 23 to 25 to 26J to 25 Medium 21 to 24 19 to 22 Light 188 to 20* 162 to 18J Aged 17& to 18J ]5J to 10*