NOTES BY THE WAY

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22796, 23 August 1939, Page 13

NOTES BY THE WAY

* 7 r—v— . ? SCARCITY OF YOUNG EWES , Periodical shortages of young ewes occur in Canterbury,- but market reactions generally bring matters back tot normal, when the movement haV reached a definite point. .When yourig ewes are difficult to secure, and the price rises to above export parity, more ewe lambs are saved. Another factor operating against a pronounced scarcity developing is the annual supply of two-tooth ewes from the hill country offered at the autumn fairs. Though the main demand at the fairs is for the one or two-year ewe, there are many farmers who buy a proportion of young ewes each year and hold them to replace the old ewe which has got to be culled out annually. The position in the supply of young ewes in parts of the North Island is entirely different. Most of the .hill ewes offered are five and even six year olds, for mating with Down rams, and the bulk of these purchases have to be culled out every first or second year. The breeding makes the ewe lamb unfit for absorbing into the flock. In Hawke’s Bay the result of this system is becoming increasingly apparent, and has occasioned a good deal of comment. Many farmers on the smaller holdings, states. one writer, have concentrated for the last 15 years on the production of fat lambs. The Romney flocks until recently have been almost. solely mated ' with the Southdown ram, and the resultant lambs, naturally, have been sold regardless of sex. Each autumn the fat lamb farmer with, say, 1000 ewes, must cull about 200 of his flock, and to replace these arid others which have died, he -buys perhaps 250 in the saleyards. This slaughtering of ewe lambs has continued for so long that the price of breeding ewes-has shown_ a steady increase’ in, comparison with the price received, for fat lambs. The high price of ewes has made the farmer cull too lightly, and at the present time there are many very old sheep in Hawke’s Bay breeding nocks. As the fat lamb producers are not, as a. rule, the most wealthy type of sheepfarmer (if there is a wealthy type), they usually boy five or six-year ewes, which will, in their first; season on a new - property, give a . high percentage of lainbs. Thus, the price of five-year-old ewes has for years been very high in comparison withy the-price of Iwotooths; In Hawke’s ,Bay saleyards the 'five-year-old is': worth' two-thirds of the value of a two-tpoth ewe, - A realisation that their breeding flocks were deteriorating has caused some Hawke’s Bay fat Jamb tenners -to use Romney ranis with a limited number of their- ewes. The, Romney ewe ' lambs are then kept as future , breeding stock. It seems certain that this practice must increase until the supply of sound breeding ewes will once- more meet, the demand, obseryes the writer. * . .. , ■ -This position is not without its lesson for the Canterbiny fattener. Last sfeasoh • everything that: cpuld be senv to the works was sent, regardless of sex*or breeding, and to an extent of condition. This must have an effect on the proportion of young sheep in next season’s breeding flocks. If the Tosses caused by:' the - snowstorms approach the extent £ feared in some aiarts of the South Island, there will Se a progressive-reduction in Ylm number of youngv ewes offered at the autumn fairs, ris replacements In hill flock* will naturally be made from .♦big class. The old ewes haverio go off - the high country mas a roarer of course. As stated, such a position has generally righted itself, but this year there are more obstacles to overcome. If mutton; export .is, to • bear _the brunt Of the restrictions,; the tendency will be for farmers. to market all their lambs and keep their old ewes still further aggravating the potential short-age-of young ewes.

MARQUIS WHEAT The 'announcement: bjr, the 1 Minister concerned of. an' aflvance : ot 2d ..a bushel on the existing price of Marquis i llor next year’s , crop of.this variety should encourage the sowing of ah increased area. . Last season, it may; he remembered, there was a heavy spring, sowing on amount of. the interrupted- autumn sowing.. and the tpropdruon'" of- Marquis .was’ exceptionally good. In addition to being a proved Spring variety,, in that’it ripens more than a fortnight earlier than the ordinary varieties* it is valued highly by the fiburmilling trade because of its superior qualities for blending with other varieties' in flour making... The demand last-spring for seed absorbed all that was available, but the,experience' of its success both in the field and in flour quality prompted the Wheat Board and the Flourmillers’ Association to arrange to import and distribute specially selected seed.from; Canada. The resultant <crop of .this seed will not be available until next harvest, but seed from the lart 'local crop will be: much more plentifulthan last season. The increase of 2d a bushel means that the *pn6e of Marquis next season will be 6a a bushel •moire than' Tuscan, or 6s 3d, f.o.b.j-at the’ commencement of the season,. This tangible encouragement should be reflected in a substantial spring acreage being sown.

WOOL STOCKS . It is computed by. trie Gbvenunent Statistician that stocks of wool held in the Dominion on June 30, 188.9, approximated 36,000,0001b basis,' compared ■ with, 43,300,0001b- at the corresponding period' last year. In the 1937 season the quantity was comparatively small,' following, the ex* cellent prices ruling that .year, the total on the corresponding date on a greasy basis being 29,400»0001b—-the lowest for many years? When the depression was at .its peak in 1933 the amount was 112,6900,0001b. Of thestocks on hand- in' .1939,, slightly .more than 10,000,0001b comprise merino,. Cpmedale, and halfbred. Just on 6,000,0001b, of wool is. in the.hands; of the woollen mills, and as. the mills largely. confine their operations '.to fine -wools the'unsold carry-over of this- class isr not as heavy as the total /figures suggest," Slightly less than -2,000,0001b, as- a matter, of fact is represented by crossbred; WOOL . \ - „ - ■,

The total production"" of wheat last season is estimated by -the Government Statistician at 5,564,136 - bushels, compared with 6,042,881 - in' - the preceding year. The: average yield ah acre is estimated at 29.40 bushels,. as against 32.50 bushels in the preceding'year.

: Border Leicester studs In New South Wales are increasing rapidly. Since the Australian Society of Breeders of British Sheep 'published volume 31' of its "Flock Book” in February 'this year, the secretary of the New South, Wales Branch: Mr Somerville, states that no fewpr than. 31 applications for the registration of hew Border Leicester docks have-, been received froth breeders in New, South Wales. Of this number only -six flocks are awaiting acceptance, i