MARLBOROUGH SHEEP

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24744, 8 December 1945, Page 3

MARLBOROUGH SHEEP

THE CANTERBURY OUTLET . RESULT OF RAILWAY COMPLETION In the past sheep and general stock traffic between the provinces of Marlborough and Canterbury has been hampered, and in seasons of low prices, made uneconomic, because of the necessity of travelling all stock over the roads. This obstacle will be removed by the completion of the railway. In the last few years the difficulties of transport were progressively reduced asSthe railheads»approached each other, but even this improvement fell far short of the convenience that through traffic will provide. The benefits as they affect the stock breeder and farmers generally are perhaps not fully appreciated by the average person. Marlborough province in seasons of good growth frequently has a surplus of stock, for which the local outlet is restricted. The railway should solve the problem. It should be possible, if occasion arose, to load fat stock in southern Marlborough, on Erom most of that province for that matter, in the afternoon and have them at the Addington market within 1 24 hours. Ross, on the West Coast, is only a few miles- nearer Addington centre than is Blenheim, and since the Coast railway was provided this supply has been a regular feature of the beef offerings at Christchurch. Breeding Ewes 1 It is in the transport of breeding ewes I and store wethers, however, that the railway should be of the greatest benefit, particularly to Canterbury. Station drafts of these two classes of sheep have been large and frequent for a number of years, and undoubtedly they would have been still larger' had the road journey been less diffi-| cult and risky through the absence of feed on the "long paddock." An estimate was made some' years ago of the loss in condition, beside casualties, by the time the sheep arrived at.Addington, and the figure was estimated at 6s a head. This at times represented up to 30 per cent, of the total value of the sheep. When'thousands of sheep were concerned, without considering the big number unfit for the road journey, the monetary loss ran into big money, a factor which engineering opinion was inclined to overlook when the merits of the projected railway as a whole were being considered. Breeding ewes have arrived at the Canterbury markets in a condition quite unfit for mating, or at the risk pf a low lamb percentage and ewe losses. I

Canterbury Ewe Scarcity Another aspect has developed in recent years. Canterbury sheep statistics and entries at the fairs show that •the province is becoming very short pf breeding ewes. Last year Canterbury farm organisations even discussed the shipping of ewes from the North Island. A further evidence has been provided by the shrinking number of two-tooth ewes" at the North Canterbury ewe fairs. A succession of bad winters and the need to replace losses on" the hill country meant a big reduction in the surplus that could be carried over for disposal to down country fatteners. This position has not been completely rectified, and there is a considerable body of opinion that the rough winter just passed through will relieve the scarcity to little extent for next autumn fairs. These Marlborough ewes in much better condition for mating should assist to arrest this scarcity. A scarcity of wethers appears to have developed also n: Canterbury this year for fattening. This has been emphasised by the record prices received at Addington for prime wether mutton. More and better conditioned store wethers should result from the railway. The benefit to Marlborough flockowners should apply also to a more limited extent to those of Nelson. Another factor is that at times there is a serious lack of stock feed in one or other of the two eastern provinces, and sheep could be transferred either way for agistment or disposal if possible. Ordinarily stock in this position in the past have had to remain where they were. The possibility of business m hay on these occasions is another consideration.

A «JERSEY OAKS»

A furtherance of the objectives of breed societies is a satisfactory postwar development. A "Canterbury Jersey Oaks," open to all registered , fer . s of that bre ed calved since June 1, 1944, has Been arranged by the Midland Canterbury Jersey Club To qualify, entrants must have been awarded a first-class or second-class certificate as a junior two-year-old. One of the conditions is that the heifers must be exhibited at the Canterbury Asriculhiral and Pastoral Show in 1947, and'judged on type by judges apPfoyed by the clubs. Prizes to the value of £SO will be awarded, the first being £2O and the second £ls. WEED SEEDS Mr A. H. Spratt, New Zealand president of the Grain and Seed Merchants' Association, was reported on Thursday as saymg, at a meeting of the North Canterbury Primary Production Council, that wheat seed sold to farmers for sowing included weed seeds. This is not- what Mr Spratt said. His comment was that weed seed was going out in certified seed. No reference was made to wheat seed. It waswell known to farmers, Mr Spratt said yesterday when drawing attention to the mistake, that it was easy to remove weed seeds from big grain like wheat.