CURRENT TOPICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19972, 5 July 1930, Page 12

CURRENT TOPICS.

ADDINGTON MARKET. Buyers were not offered much in. the way of quality sheep from whicli to make selection in the store pens at Addington on Wednesday, but with the season so far advanced into winter there is little buying interest in the market. The entry was only a little over 2000 head all told. Tho buying capacity ot the ring-siders was very limited, and the sale was a dragging one. The following is a comparison ot prices with those of tho corresponding ealo 1" months ago: — July 3,1929. July-, 1330. s. s. s. s. Good ewe .. -8. to 31 19 to 193 Medium cite .. —_to 27' " t0 Ord. wether .. to IS <i to Bjj Small m.s. .. —— to 11-i Ewes—. Good four to eight-tooth 2bd to 25 Ord. Bis and eight-tooth sbd elo0(1 a.m. lialfbred to 30i Ord. B.m. • • half bred -- H' to loi Inferior s.m.- . halfbred - ", <° 1° Cull ... V/ethers Es. good 6 and 8-tooth Jbd 3UJ to 32 Good 6 and 8- . ' tooth Jbd 26 'to-30 Ord. 6 and 8tooth Jbd to 25 . The export buyers were operating in the. fat lamb pens, but it will probably be their last sale for, tho season. The offering was a little over 1300 head, and the salo was a satisfactory one throughout, with very little alteration on last week's values: — Extra prims . . to 37 —to 32J Prime ..SO to 33 J 25i to 28 Alodium .. 28 to 292 22J to 2o Light .. ' 24J to 27J 18 to 22 .Stores. .. 21 to 23J 1-il to 175 Wednesday's entry of about 4200 fat sheep was tho smallest for over a month;. The'' decrease was due in part, no doubt to the.fact that after July Ist venthirs" havo to guarantee their ewes empty. Wethers consequently made up a bigger proportion. of the entry than at the last few sales, but the average quality of the entry was not as good. Comparisons:--"Wethers— ... Extra prime,...: •- .to <tli • • —• t<> Prime ..34 to U7i 2t>£ io 29 Medium • 305-to 835 "2 to 26. Light , 274 to 80 16 to 21 EtvSS- — ..' ~ Estra prime .. —• :to 8?J - to 26$ i Prime. *, .... 29 to <33. 19J.t0 23 Uedium '' ■ ■ 24 to 28 .15 .to 18 ■ Light " ' . . 203 to 231 12 to 14 Aged .. 17 to 20 9 toll

•' The fat cattle section again included steers from the North Island. There were 49: of them from- the Wairarapa district, - and they-were all in the prime" class. .Goippoti- • tion -tor line '%«•< -'very- Seen, and on £l7 lOs.a head. The market* throughout was a fair one, with prices satisfactory,- compared with the preceding week's values, but beef this year is a good deal cheaper than it has-. been at the corresponding period for somo years. On "Wednesday the best quality beef sold at slightly advanced rates, but other sorts showed no change: Comparisons:

.-Steers — Extra • • prime heavy. lo -3' i (<>■".» J. Prime heavy .. 18 to «0J 15i to tBJ Med. . weight, prima 15J to 172 :12 to 15 Mediums-quality 138*to'15S 91 to 11J Light ... .10 to. 12 J e to 9 Heifers— Extra prims . . to 162 - to 14J Prime .? 11l to lift - 9i] to 125 Medium' ... 03 to I 1& 7 to 9ft Light ■ t. 7|: to. 95 Gfd to 65 C.owiiExtra prime . . • to 10 to 153 Prime . "...' 112 to 14J si to 12 Medium -'' .. 9J to- lii 1 to 9 Light and aged 6 to 9 4J to 61 A :TAVOUBED DISTRICT. ' There is at least one corner' in 'the province * < which • has escaped fairly lightly the, effects of the bad growing season .for feed. This ia.;. the; : Barrhill-' Highbankarea.ofthe Methven district. The-, general complaint of poor turnip crops. does-; not .apply in ;,that •.quarter. -Teat .weighing . has shown one cropto average .a full 50;tona.to the acre, and others- would appear to reach 45 ■tons. 'At-Stephens "Bros.' farm (Balrazie) ■ a mob of 500 ewes : "were • scon during a -run "Straggler" took through the district this week feeding off - a 7>} bro'eki' of Green Globe. There waV a. similar .area practically untouched, • and' possibly • the whole 'area would run about 40 <-toi|B to. the' acre. ■ ' The ewes haye! not "made much impression on , the so far. The land, was ploughed out of. the lea, and the crop was'given a cwt o£ super. At'W. and A. Campion's farm.' at Barrhill, 'another fine crop.of the same variety:..was to be.;seen. ; , Here 530 Southdown and Cbrriedale ewes were feeding- off four acres, and there were still breaks sufficient to carry, on well through the winter. The crop was sown on February Ist, the first sowing having ' failed on. account of ■ the weather, but as with other crops in tho district the. mild weather following the break Jin May sent growth along tremendously.. A small area, of cabbages, . wkichv is a'valuable-though little used btock feed, provided an example of the utility 'oi this J auxiliary to tne turnip crop. - ■;

HEAVY CABRYING CAPACITY. At-Mr E.\J. Low's farmy Aberdeen ' (Highbank) about crop of turaipis'in the district ia to be seen—a 10 acre: field which, test, weighed,, averaged/out a.bulk of 50 tons, to the acre. This crop, which was sown, on-Deeeui-I ber 31sk 'jwaa something , of an eye-, opener to;the Hawke's Bay touring farmers the Week before. Fourteen ounces of seed Were sown to the' acre, in' seven inch -rows, , and .2$ cwt of carbonate of •lime and lewt or super were'applied'at time of sowing. A-month later,the: crop was ttipvdressed, with the coulters- in the«round 'with <>ne cwt .of ■lime and; one' cwt of ; super. The crop showed the wisdom of: this apparently: generous Five hundred' tons of turnips off ten acres are-: worth money this winter. However,. Mr I<ow has other, areas of both *turnips -and ridged- swedes, ion;, •which 'his'- registered ;.flocks. of'. Border 4 and English and' half breds aro" feeding. In all probability from 3000 to 3000 represeixt the weight of turnips■ on the property when feeding off -commenced, the . swedes also being an exceptionally good crop. The hoggets have been grazed on them continuously since the middle of May, it being considered that, daily, changing ia a cause of a good deal of hogget mortality. A well-grown 10 acre crop of chou mouellier, with which was included a light turnip seeding, provided another stand-by. What this intensive production meana in-stock carrying can /be

The. property comprises 880 acres, of which an average of 60 acres of wheat and 40 acres of oats'are grown annually. There are 20 head of cattle, besides the six-horse team, and the sheep at present ou the property, in the dead of winter, number 1180 head, of which 60 per cent, are purebreds. The equivalent of tli.e latter in flock sheep would be another 300 head or more, so that 1500 Sheep, including cattle, on 280 acres, shows what good farming methods can do.

■ MAXIMUM DAIRY HEED - v RETURN. Upon the-state of the blood of a dairy cow depends the milk yield and the cream tests. All dairymen realise the importance of drenching after calving, but not ail know that aume drenches, in cleansing the animal, impoverish the blood. SYKES'S DEENCH is one that, •s well as being a eleanser, is a tonic for the whole system. Drench with SYKES'S, and reap the benefit. Sold everywhere, pkt.; do*.