FARMING & COMMERCIAL AUCTION SALES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 56, 29 November 1919, Page 12

FARMING & COMMERCIAL

AUCTION SALES

fOBTHCOMING FIXTURES TO-DAY. MONDAY. Allen Street, Wellington, 10.30 a.m.-Un-claimed cargo (G. Thomas ana Co.). Beach Hoad, Levin, 1 p.m.—Stock sale (Dalgety and Co.). _ '33 Manners Street. Wellington, 2 p.ip-— Sale of pawnbroker's stocK (A. Nicol arid Co.) ' ' TUESDAY. liorln Yitrds, 1 p.m.-Stock sale ,'N.Z. Loan Co., Abraham and Williams, and Dal v gety and Co.) 33 Manners Street, .Wellington, 2 p.ra.Sale of pawnbroker's stock (A. Nicoi and Co.).

AGRICULTURAL & PASTORAL PROSPECTS MANAWATU' AND LOWER HAWIfE'S BAY. From Our Special Correspondent. Palmerston North, November 28. Tho agricultural and. pastoral prospects for the coming' season both in the Manawatu and Lower Hawke's Bay districts should be of considerable interest to both producer and consumers in tho Wellington province. With the object of forming 6ome idea as to the future a 'representative of The Dominion has inst made a tour of this portion of the country. So far as both districts are concerned they each 6uifored to a certain extent by the late severe frost which visited them at the end iof last week. A crcat deal of damage has been done to potatoes," tomatoes, and French beans, while in isolated cases young cabbages arid even peas have beon out oil'. Iho extraordinary thing about this frost is that it Appears to havo i travelled in ivaves. properties on one side of a road sulferinß eevero damage, while those situated 011 the opposite side of tho thoroughfare got off unscathed. This is a coincidence which is hard to account for. Naturally, the growth of grass.generally received a. slight check, but, this is - not sorious, and if suitable climatic conditions prevail 'for/ tho next fow weeks the pastures will soon recover. ' hSu far as the Manawatu district is concerned, plenty of rain. has fallefi, and tho grass is now looking extremely well, and there is a fair amount of 6ubstance in it.' which is causing the yields of milk to bo more satisfactory than was anticipated a month or two ago, ana' the factories are now being well supplied, but tho quantity is scarcely up to that coming: forward at the same period last, year. It is satisfactory to note that the maioritv of the dairy herds, which were in very low condition owing to the shortaue o? feed in the earlj; spring, are now showing' considerable signs of improvement. and the young stock is also comine on well. Shearing is well advanced, anil the maiority of. the sheep have come out of' the wool lookinn .very well, and tlie lato lambs are looking strong anrt healthy. The wool, too, is better than was expected, being fairly clean, and the yolk has come up well. In Bast years the dairy farmer* of Manawatu have been favoured with such eciuable seasons that they liave not made much provision for winter feed. However, as they wore caught napping last winter, they appear to bo taking no chances in the futuro, and. it .is Quito 6afe td sav that more laud is being turned over in tliis district during the present season than was ever the, case before, with the object of putting in supplementary feed, and it is also pleasing to note that that useful' crop lucerne, about the growing of which there is much controversy, is finding favour with quite a number of dairy farmers. In the Feilding . and Marton districts, where mixed farming is indulged in to a greater extent than in any other part of the Manawatu,' very largo areas have been put under the plough, and most of the crops of oats are looking well. •>' ° . The Lower Hawke's Bay district, which has been suffering from want c>f rain, yrak Visited on" Thursday, just after u heavy twenty-four hours' Tain had fallen, and this had considerably improved the appearance of the country as it was followed by a bright, warm day. The pastures, kowe\ er, have not the healthy look that they have on tho other side of the range, and it will require a good deal niort; moisture to put them on the sama plane as those in the Manawatu. The district visited included Daufcevirke and down us far as Weber, and throughout the crops of oats were decidedly poor, many .of t.hem showing the effect ot the dry season, being stunted in growth and coming into ear at from nino' inches to a foot in height. There were two or three exceptions, however; one good healthy crop being &en between the Gorge and Woodville, and- it opuplo between Da'nnevirke and Weber. The feed seen tlhoughout the trip was anything but good, and'the majority of the cattle, including many of tho dairj; herds wore in poor condition. The supply of milk to the factories is short, and the output of butter and cheese for tho season must naturally be limited. Most of the late lambs are looking well, but tho ewes are in anything but good condition. Although plenty of forward store cattle wero seen, there was a striking absenco of fat cattle, which is surprising in- a district which is generally looked to to furnish a fair supply. So far.'as agriculture is concerned, very little land is being turned over, and .apparently no provision is being 'made for extra feed in caso next winter should prove a sovero cne.