CURRENT TOPICS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20104, 6 December 1930, Page 22

CURRENT TOPICS.

ADDING-TON MARKET. Additional interest attached to the Addington sale this iveek because it was the first auction at which an export buyer operated, and also because it included the first drafts of store lambs for the season. There were not as many store slicep entered as at the previous week's I auction, and it was just as well, as their sale was ai very dull and lifeless ona throughout. Auctioneers had a difficult task to stimulate interest even in the choicest lines. With the exception of a few pens of forward wethers, and some few good lines of ewes and lambs, the bulk of the entry was comprised of very ordinary quality sheep. With the quality of the offering making no appeal to buyers, and the fairly general lack of feed for this period in most districts, it was natural that competition was restricted, and that there were more onlookers than bidders at most of the pens. When quoting the market weaker, the fact that it was a IJOor quality exhibition must not be lost sight of. There was not any very quotable change on lato rates. A comparison of prices with this and the corresponding sale of last season is as follows: Deo. 6i:h, Dec. sth 1929. 1930. Wethers— *. s. s. s. Good 4 and. 6 th. Romney . . 254 to 27 to 35i Ord. 4 &Jid 6-th Romney .. to 23£ 32 to 13J Inf. 4 and 6-th Romney .. Good 4 and 6-th Ibd . . ■ — to 251 Ord. 4 and 6-th Ibd . . Inf. 4 and 6-th abd . . Ord. Ibd . . to 20 4 Backward Ibd to 3 5 ft to 8 Halfbred hoggets (woolly) . . to 21 Small Ibd hoggets . . to .14 Merino ... 7 to Hi Lambs— Good Ibd . . Ewes— Good Ibd hopgrets (-woolly) 27 to 29i —■ 2, 4, 6 and 8-th xbd . . Inf. Corr. hoggets (woolly) to 2 0 Ord. 4, 6 and 8-th Romney - • —■ —• to 10$ S.m. and lambs 16 to 17 ■ — Ord Ibd & lambs Good 2 and 4-th ibd . . to 25| Backward ibd The increase in the entry of fat lambs this week from 460 head to 880 head did not reduce values to any marked extent. One export buyer was operating to a slight degree, and it was due in part to his buying that the market was kept at a steady level throughout the sale. The average price per pound being paid at Addington on Wednesday was from 7Jd to Bd, and in some cases as high as Bid. It is understood that the exporter's schedule will not be so satisfactory next week. The appended comparison shows a much greater difference per head than the relative schedule prices last year and this r would indicate, but last year the entry was eager]y competed for by the t butchers, and much more than schedule . prices were paid:— j Ex. prim« —■ to Sol lo 271 I Prime ». 28 to 30 23 to 254 | Medium .. 25J to 274 20 to 22J Light .. 22 to 25 J 7 to 19 J The entry of fat sheep—33oo—was the smallest for some time, and was scarcely sufficient to meet the requirements for the week. The result was that it was a firm sale, and there was an increase in values. Handy-weight sheep were most in demand. The sale closed very firmly at rates that were better than those of last week by up to 2s a head in the case of ewes, and Is a head for wethers: "Wethorg— Ex. prime to 371 . lo 29 Prime . . 32 to 341 24 to 271 Medium .. 271 to 314 39 to 235 Light . - 22J to 27 14 to 18 Best -woolly . _ to 381 ■ —■ Ewes— Ex. prime 304 to 33i - to 23 Prime . . 25 to 294 20 to 22 Ordinary .. 22 to 241 17 to 191 Light .. 19 t-o 214 111 to 13 Best -woolly . . to 40 to 21J A feature of the fat cattle market was the entry of a line of steers from the North Island. This was the first occasion for several weeks that the North Island was represented. The vendor was Mr Alec "Williams, Palmerston North. In comparison with the majority of the sales during the day their auction must be considered a very satisfactory one. They averaged £l9 10s. Values recorded a decline for all classes of £1 and up to £1 10s a head. Steers— i" £ £■ £- Ex. heavy prime to 23 to 22-J Heavy prime .. 381 to 21 1 171 to 19 Medium weight prime .. 17 Jto 3 9 15 to 18 Ord. quality .. 14 to 17£ 12 to 14 Light . . 10 to 13 8 to 11 Heifers— Ex. prime * . to 17i to Prime . . 14} to 161 124 to 141 ' Medium , . 12 to 141 10 to 12 Light ' 71 to 111 6 to 91 Cows—--1 Y.x. prime . . to 181 to 143 Prime . .. 341 to 161 lU to 131 p Medium . . 11 to 14 9 to 11 Light and aged 9 to 101 51 to 81 Cramp in Pigs. • Cramp is the common name given -to i an ailment from which pigs—young ones especially—suffer. One form i of cramp is brought about by damp and insanitary quarters. Pigs which have to lie on wet bedding} particularly in draughty styes, are almost certain to suffer sooner or later. Cold cement floors, unless well bedded, will also induce cramp, states a Home authority.- In another form the same ailment may appear as the result of injudicious feeding, and a paralysis of the hindquarters, due possibly to a chill or to sunstroke, will produce symptoms that bear a very close resemblance to ordinary cramp. In all cases of suspected cramp the first thing to do is to administer a dose of Epsom salts, which may do a great deal of good and can never do harm. A plain and simple diet is also indicated, while exercise is to be encouraged.

The quantity of casein graded by the Dairy Division during the year ended March 31st last totalled 2040 tons, being 150 tons in excess of tho total for the previous year. The major portion of the casein graded—9o per cent.— consisted of the lactic variety, the balance of 10 per cent, being rennet casein. Quality was of a uniformly high standard, and the product is considered equal to the bost offering on overseas markets. A. charge of per hundredweight for grading casein was in operation during the whole year, and although this service is optional to the exporter the greater part of the output; *as graded prior to shipment.

rambles earlier around the countryside. A good deep green pervades many of the fields, and suggests that there has been some attention paid to nitrogenous manuring. There is, moreover, every appearance of the area in the Barr Hill district being up to normal. The General Prospects. The writer, during the last couple of months, has motored something near 1200 miles through the wheat-growing districts. NatHrally crops that appeared unpromising in the districts visited earlier may have changed completely for the betterj but the conditions have been so variable that those in other districts may have gone back. The "Rides" have covered from as far north as Hawarden and the Omihi Valley to Waiinate arid the Waitaki in the south, and from tho coast, with one or two exceptions, to the foothills, and the very definite opinion left is that the crops, as a whole, are promising indifferently. Those which to tho eye look well enough should have been just as far forward nearly a month ago. In some cases wheat is nearing tlie shot blade, and it is very short. Although a good yield is not entirely dependent on heavy straw, the two generally go together. Good rains and more sunshine will be required to bring the crop as a whole up to the bulk of last year, and maximum conditions in this direction in all districts need not be expected. It is somewhat premature to assert definitely that the crop will not be up to the average, but it is a matter of fact rather than of opinion that the season over 75 per cent, of the province is from three weeks to a month later than usual, and this must have an influence on yields. The Oats Crop. In most districts are to be seen paddocks of oats well in ear, and. very short in the straw —doubtless the result of hard grazing. The good averages of recent years may not be repeated in the earlier sown oats — principally. Algerians—but tho spring sown fields appear healthy and strong and should come up to normal. The rains have been of immense benefit to the later sown oats. A repetition of last year's heavy yield per acre, however, cannot bo expected over the Dominion as a whole, seem that there will be a short crop