FARM AND STATION

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21116, 17 March 1934, Page 7

FARM AND STATION

By " Straggler."

ADDINGTON MARKET

MIXED COLLECTION OF j EWES | jjO IMPROVEMENT ON FAIRS] A more mixed yarding of store i theep than that penned on Wednesday ! jjjs not been seen for a long time.-j Every description of ewe was en- j tcre d, and all grades of condition, j The sale opened out among the least attractive lines, and buyers, who | throughout the day showed every will- ! in-mess to pay for quality were only mSdly interested in the sale. Values Sr the older ewes, which have sold 2; consistently well at Addington all Sis season, dropped considerably, the m being about two shillings a head over the early part of the sale. As the auction progressed better sheep came forward, and prices rose accordingly the sale finishing very little different from recent markets. A big draft of North Island two-tooth crossbreds was sold at good figures, and, in fact, all the young ewes changed hands at prices which must have been I satisfactory to the vendors. Odd deal- I ers' lines bought out of the modern fairs were entered, but there was very j little rise in the value, about enough i barely to cover railage and holding j charges. , , . . ' The following table gives a compan- j son of prices on Wednesday with those ruling at the corresponding sale last ; year:— ' Mar. 13, Mar. 14, 103::. 193-1. Good two-tooth Horn. to ICi 32 to 31J Medium two-tooth Bomney .. - 23 Jto 31i Extra good four-year Romnoy cross .. to 8j Good five-year Upruney cross .. 6 to Ci ICJ to 181 Good four-year Hcmney cross 4i to *J Mi to 30 Good two-tooth halfbred .- 13! to ICJ 32$ to 33 Inferior two-tooth halfbred .. 6J to 7* 26 to 08 Good four-vear halfbred ■• 6 to TJ 2H to -235 Average four-vear hiifbred 3i to 3J 13 to 21 Extra, poofl two-tooth tliree-quarterbred to 14} Medium two-tooth \ thrce-quartcrbred - 30 to bl i The store lamb yarding was small, lis appearance being saved by the inclusion of several lines of station and Down cross lambs, which looked very well in the pens. There was a fairly steady demand, but it lacked the firmness of recent markets. ■ Fat Lambs The varding of fat lambs was rather | smaller than it was last week, and was defiuitely inferior in quality. There was a good demand throughout the sale at values little different from those ruling recently, the freezing buyers' operations keeping prices steady. , lie average price for good lambs was j ■*Jd, with some of the Drimest light- . weights making Bd. ■ Extra, prime ! imbs to lc; to ,">2i , Prime henry iambs 14 to 15 23 to 25i ; Prime med. -weight i lambs ~ 1H to 13.V 2CJ to 22J j Light lambs .. 10 to 1H 17 to 20 j Fat Sheep ' The fat sheep yarding was a big one. and overflowed into the lamb pens. A great deal of inferior stuff was included in the offering, and this type was cheaper because of the plentiful supply. The market was fairly steady for other sorts, except that the best medium-weight ewes were about a shilling a head dearer. Freezers bought steadily. j

RURAL RIDES

V.VthersKxtra prime hcavv to 16£ to 23J Prime heavy .. 14j to 16 22A to 25 Prime med.-weisht 12 to 14 21 to 23 Ordinary and light 10 to 114 15 to 21 Ewes— Extra prime heavy to IPJ to 2JJ "rime li-avv .'. 9 to 10 20.} to 2U Prime mcd.-it-eight 6J to Pi 13 to 2»i Ordinarv .. <j to 15 to 17 Light .. 3i to 4J 11 to 14* Fat Cattle The cattle yarding was a big one, and was of fairly satisfactory quality, some good lines of steers being offered. Steers were not in such good demand as they have been lately, and were cheaper. The sale altogether was most erratic throughout. St'ers— £ £ £ £ . Extra prime heavy to 18J to 282 Prime heavy .' Si to S 7J to 9 Prime med'.-weight 5J to 6J 62 to 8£ Light and ordinary 2.§ to 4J 3£ to Ci Beiiera— Extra, prime .. to "1 to 8i Prime " .. 3j to 3j 4 to 6 i Ordinary .. 2| to 3| 3 to 4 Light .. to ij to 2 J Cows— Extra prime ~ to 6-j- to "J Prime .. 3J to 5 S.V to 5i Ordinarv 2J to 3J 2i to 3i Light and aged .. to 1J to 2

THE DEMAND FOR EWES IMPROVING TRANSPORT (By H.A.M.) Notwithstanding the rain of the last month or more North Canterbury—or that part of it north of the Waipara—is dry. The limestone outcrops in the Weka Pass are standing out prominently, and, a good downpour would be very welcome. There is an entire absence of threshing mills at work, and a good deal of wheat is to be seen in stack. Possibly the owners are following the very sound practice of allowing it to condition, with, also, an eye to the verv useful monthly increment of Id a bushel, which commences in June. The rains have been useful in bringing awav autumn sown green feed, which is looking quite well. Some more moisture, however, would do no harm. The Ewe Fairs The ffir at Culverden brought a halt to the gradual crescendo in the value of cast ewes. The sale two davs previously at Waiau set some solid prices, and it was in the order of things that farmers should take stock of the probabilities. Apparently they have done so, and decided that 23s or 24s is quite enough to pay for good fouryear ewes. Ordinarily the breeder should get the value of the ewe in the price of his fat lamb—that is, assuming 100 per cent, lambing—leaving the ewe and its fleece to pay costs of carrying and profit. Good ewes, with a heavy lambing, may do this comfortably enough, but it would still require more than 20s a lamb to meet this position. At the moment lamb prices suggest that this figure should be probable, but the general belief is that when most of the season's produce has been exported—a month or more hence—the exchange rate will be reduced, possibly by 10 per cent. There is, of course, no authority for this suggestion, but there are reasons. The buyer is in a better position this season to recover the cost of his ewe through the big advance in the value of wool. Eight or nine pounds of wool at 17d per lb, instead of the 7d or 8d ruling in recent years, represents a very solid appreciation, and if anything looks reasonably certain at the moment it is that fine wool prices ■will not break to any appreciable extent. But here again the exchange possibilities should not be ignored. A Long Trek There has been quite a movement in store cattle recently—not only commercially. For some years purchases have been made of Marlborough cattle for disposal to Canterbury farmers, for eventual fattening or for breeding. Visitors to the Culverden ewe fair on Thursday met a large mob of 189 head,

some of which had been on the road for a month. Sixty of them came from the other side of Blenheim, and were represented mostly by aged cows, apparently culled out from dairy herds. The bulk, however, were young stock, apparently from the Marlborough stations, and | they included a large proportion of j good Shorthorn colours. Their condition, considering the long trek, was wonderfully good, particularly of the young cattle and some of the yearlings and two-year-olds, with a little feed to brighten them up, would make much better beef than is sometimes seen at Addington. There had been no losses on the trip, but feed on the roadside down as far as Cheviot was very scarce owing to the heavy sheep traffic from Marlborough. There is no railway traffic from Parnassus south of cattle, and very little of store sheep for that matter. When a mob has travelled anything up to 200 miles on the worst part of the road there is little to be gained by railing it for 80 or 90 miles through country when there is feed. The increasing volume of stock traffic from Marlborough each autumn makes one realise the extent of the blunder committed by the Government—possibly the Public Works Department, to j which the commercial aspect of these undertakings was of little concern—when it fiddled away hundreds of thousands of

THE WOOL MARKET

WELLINGTON SALE ON MONDAY The Wellington wool sale to be held on Monday will deal with 25,000 bales. The catalogues to be submitted will contain a fair proportion of crossbreds of a top-making character from the Wellington, Wairarapa, and Manawatu dictricts. The sale opens with a catalogue of 6670 bales. There will not be many superfine lots offered, the wools to be submitted being generally suitable rather for Bradford and the Continent, and these wools cannot pe classed as equal in character to the wools offered at the previous sales held in Wellington this season. A fair proportion of halfbreds from the Marlborough district, with a small quantity of merino from the same quarter, will be submitted to buyers' attention. Since the last sale held in Wellington the market has been rather irregular, but during the last day or so the tone has been somewhat better for the seller. It is expected that prices at the Wellington sale on Monday will be up to the sale held there on *cbruary 15. , - Private cablegrams received fiom London indicate that the market there has been irregular, and. current prices not being acceptable to sellers. a tantamount of wool has been held over for later sales. The next sales in London will be on Aoril 24. The present tone of the London market does not appear to be so strong as that of New Zealand. , . , A good demand for lambs' wool and pieces and bellies and ?™ tch , lu Z*J% j expected to mark the sale to be held on Monday next.

pounds in the northern extension to nowhere, when the same amount of money would have put the railway to Oaro and attracted a tremendous amount of Marlborough and Kaikoura stock traffic. There is the additional aspect, also, that these travelled sheep lose practically half their value. In this comment it is unnecessary to enter upon the question of the merit of the railway as a whole. So much money has been spent, and it should have been spent to the best advantage. Sheep From Nelson. . Travellers to the Culverden Failalso met a mob of 2000 ewes which had been travelled inland down from Nelson, about 250 miles, with another 50 to 100 miles to reach their destination. In a dry autumn these long journeys are very hard on sheep that do not start away in good condition, as feed is very bare on the roadsides when they reach the plains. Moreover, long stretches arc gravelly and dusty, and a few days of this sort of going knock their feet about. Losses of weak sheep have to be allowed for in these transactions. When breeding ewes were making no more than 7s to 8s a head, there was little margin to encourage business involving so much travel, but still the ewes were there and had to be got rid of to the only market available, or which, up to this year, was the only one available. Quite a number of Nelson and Marlborough I ewes have gone to the North Island ! this season. I The disabilities connected with the movement of Nelson sheep to Canterbury may be considerably reduced when the Lewis Pass road is completed—if it ever is, under the present scheme of construction. Sheep could be trained to Glenhope, the present southern terminus of ths Nelson railway, and the overland trip to this side would be covered by a much shorter journey, besides which it would be a better route for feed and in disturbance from passing t. attic. The farming practice of Canterbury points to an increasing number of breeding ewes being required as the years go on, and it is desirable to land them here with as little deterioration n condition as possible. Perhaps when the authorities realise the highly technical character of the job of driving two horses in a dray, and reward it accordingly, a step further towards the completion of the road may be taken! A Great Crop The illustration on this page is of a crop of chou moellier on the farm of Mr Jas. Dunlop, Ouruhia. iThe crop was visited yesterday and careful cuttings and weighings taken by Mr J. G. McKay, of the Agricultural Department, and it yielded the impressive weight of 70 tons to the acre. An inquisitive horse and a gale knocked down a portion of the heaviest of it, but for which it may have weighed slightly more, but the crop readied a good six feet. Mr Dunlop is feeding it to his cows with most satisfactory results. The land previously had two successive crops of potatoes, in the first one of which a little bone dust and super were applied. The chou moellier received no manurial assistance. The land is of good quality, though far from the best on the farm. The

WORLD'S BUTTER FAT RECORD

GENERATION GUOI !' ACHIEVEMENT In recent issues ot dairying journals particulars appeared of a seven direct female generation group of New Zealand pedigree Friesians, which was believed to be a world's record group, with an average production of 766.98 lb fat. The cows comprising this group arc:— Lb. Fat. Age. Holland Queen 2nd .. 413.18 2-141 Rosevale Holland Queen 637.39 3-lbJ Rosevale Queen Daphne 805.54 4-1 Jd Rosevale Queen Sylvia Triumph .. 1055.25 G-18J Rosevale Queen Daphne Triumph •• 856.<2 4-226 Rosevale Queen Daphne Sylvia .. ■ • 878.4.J 4-355 Melrose Count Daphne Poseh .. • iO2.J() j-ioj

The following is a copy of a letter received from America substantiating New Zealand's claim for the record:— Your letter of December 21 in regard to the record for seven direct female generations has been referred to me, and I believe that so far as our records are concerned, you will be correct in claiming that your seven generation group headed by Holland Queen 2nd is the highest yet reported. 'The average of 766.981b fat for seven generations is very fine indeed. The best average for seven direct female generations which we have is 751.611 fat. Riverside Sadie De Kol Burke, 70,703, is the foundation dam of this group. We have another sevengeneration group, of which Princess Colantha Jewel. 71850, is the foundation dam. which has an average of 730.81b fat.

The Board of Trustees of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind stresses, in its latest chronicles, the necessity fur blind persons going about alone, making the fullest use of white walking sticks. A gift of one of these sticks is available to every bona tide blind person on application to the institute. Users are unanimous as to the invaluable help the sticks are in securing kindly consideration from motorists and passers-by.

A FINE CROP OF GHOU MOELLIER

This fine crop of chou moellier, standing 6ft high, is to be seen on the farm of Mr James Dunlop, Ouruhia.

crop was sown thickly, Mr Dunlop's idea being to transplant it to fill blanks in the mangel crop, but this season there were no blanks, and he allowed the chou moellier to remain. Considering that it was sown only five months ago it has made amazing growth. The crop is not grown to much extent in Canter- ! bury, the general theory being that it requires a heavy rainfall. Undoubtedly it benefits from liberal moisture, and for that reason it is grown much more extensively in Southland. For sheep the leaves I are a particularly useful feed, J although they do not fatten as well as rape. The stand is well worth seeing, as showing what can be done in Canterbury in the production of stock feed under normally favourable conditions. j Incidentally Mr Dunlop has a j splendid four-acre stand of mangels. The paddock was in mangels the ] preceding year, and yielded 70 tons I to the acre, and as this season's crop is heavier, possibly it will reach, if not exceed, 80 tons, as it still has to grow a good deal. Mr Dunlop used salt as a fertiliser worked into the soil before sowing last year's crop. It paid. Makiug a living out of egg shells, a London artist uses their crumpled fragments as a veneer for the backs of j brushes, mirrors, cigar boxes, and kin--1 dred objects.

PIGEON FLYING * RICCARTON CLUB The Kiccat',oll Pigeon Club conducted a raco from Studholme on Saturday, March 10. The, birds were liberated at 1'2.30 p.m. liy t)io elationmaster, in ». Ktioiiff north-east wind. Only four birds "homed" on Saturday, but all the other birds vvp.ro home on the following dav. Tho winning bird, owned by V. Fine, Hew the distance of 120 miles in 5 hours 18 minutes. J Jesuits: Yds. a nun. W. Fine's Maggie .. .. CM) ljeleher and Buckingham's Texas Kid (Til G. Twoae's Blue Ace .. .. (VIS S. Licrbfs Staver .. .. :!00

RABBIT FARMING

TROUBLESOME AILMENTS [By Bex.] The disease which undoubtedly causes the highest percentage of deaths among rabbits is coccidiosis, which is due to a minute parasite which invades the intestines, liver, or nervous tissues in large numbers. Many authorities believe that this parasite lies dormant in all rabbits, but that it is only awakened to a state of activity when the health is allowed to fall below the normal. There is much to be said in support of this theory, and, indeed, it is a proven fact that apparently healthy rabbits may be "carriers" of the disease. That is to say, the eggs of coccidia. as the parasites are called, may be present in their droppings and thus contaminate food and water. If general hygienic measures are backed up by suitable food, which implies a dry rather than a moist form of concentrated food, with plenty of clean water to drink, coccidiosis is unlikely to appear, and if, in addition, a small quantity of iodine is added daily to the drinking water, its occurrence is still more unlikely. Many experienced breeders, in fact, look upon this as a definitely preventive measure. An iodine solution recommended tor this purpose is made by dissolving two parts of potassium iodide and one part of iodine resublimate in 50 parts ol water. One tablespoonful of the solution should be added to every pint of drinking water used. Briefly, the symptoms of the principal forms of coccidiosis are as follows: — Intestinal Form (chiefly affects youngsters from six weeks to live months)— Dullness and loss of appetite; more or less profuse diarrhoea. The attack usually terminates in death within 24 hours, often preceded by convulsions or paralysis. Nervous Form (affects stock of all ages)—No definite symptoms. Death occurs suddenly, with or without convulsions. Liver Form (chiefly affects adults)— Listlessness. thirst, rapid wasting of the back and hindquarters, with enlargement of the abdomen. This form may run a chronic course, spread over several weeks, or it may end in death in about 10 days, preceded by coma and perhaps diarrhcra. Treatment—Very unsatisfactory up to the present, but good results have been obtained in some cases by the use of iodine as above, particularly in the liver or chronic form of the disease. Some few breeders claim a percentage of definite cures by the use of crude catechu in the proportion of 15 grains to every gallon of drinking water. Snuffles Snuffles, which formerly accounted for nearly as many deaths as coccidiosis, is fortunately not so common as it was some months ago. Snuffles is an inflammation of the nasal passages which, if left unchecked, spreads to the bronchial tubes and finally to the lungs, where acute and generally fatal pneumonia is set up. The disease is due to a specific bacillus, but there again it is fairly safe to assume that there must be a certain weakness in the powers of resistance to enable the bacillus to gain a hold on the system. This state may well be brought about when hutches are left unprotected from rain and cold winds and their occupants are in a perpetual state of chill and discomfort. By this means a cold in the head may be set up. At this stage, if the bad housing conditions are remedied and a drop of oil of eucalyptus is applied to the nostrils twice daily, sneezing and other symptoms will probably disappear. " If nothing is done, however, the disease will prosress. possibly ending fatally in a few days, or more probab'v running a relatively long course, during which the affected animal will be a constant source of infection to olhci- stock. The svmptoms of snuffles are : I' rcqumt sneezing, thick mucous discharge from the nostrils, and sometimes more or less discharge from the eyes, noisy and laboured breathing, and poor "appetite. Treatment: Isolate aftected rabbits •is far as possible from other stock and tempt the ;.ppetit.< with foott which is known to be specially appreciated. Protect well from damp and draughts and give plenty of bedding. Give drinking wattr warm and limit the allowance, removing the vessel assoon as the rabbit has had its daily drink. Keep the hutches scrupulously clean and dry. Mix three drops of oil ot eucalyptus with one fluid ounce of olive oil and applv to the nostrils twice daily with a small oilcan after wiping away all discharge from the nose and face with cotton-wool dipped in a mild antiseptic. Breeders are reminded that the next Co-operative Rabbit Breeders' Association Held dav will be held at. Hornbv this afternoon. Mr Limn will give a' talk on "Rabbit Farming." and also during the afternoon a shearing and grooming demonstration will be given. A meeting of the Ashburtou branch of the Co-operative Rabbit Breeders' Association will be held m the meeting room next Saturday.