Farm & Station

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12750, 4 January 1936, Page 12

Farm & Station

htp.it price for lambs CLAIM FROM AUSTRALIA Mr. A. Browning, of l Yararwonga (V.), ’received a cable message on October 23 that his first consignment of Southdown cross lambs this season bad realised Bid per lb. in London, reports the “Australasian.” The average age of the lambs was three months, and the frozen weight was 351 b. They sold readily at prices higher than those ruling for New Zealand lambs, and the bloom, duality and dressing wore perfect. It is claimed that these results have never been equalled. The lambs were treated by the Western and Murray Co-operative Bacon and Meatpacking Co., Ltd., Messrs. E. Bott. ad Sons, of Corowa (N.S.W.) also shipped a. consignment of Southdown cross lambs in the same ship, and those realised equally good prices. Remarkable results wore also recorded for 2,621 lambs from Gornallu Station, between Tocumwal and Beil [quin (N.S.W.), the property of Messrs. Whittaker and Co. The lambs vvero agedi from 12 to I I weeks, and the first draft of 1323 lambs made an average frozen weight of '13.5511). and DO per cent wore of first quality. The average frozen weight of the remaining draft was 38.121 b. and 07 per cent, wore of first quality. The lambs, which were sired by Southdown rams, were purchased by Thomas Borthwick and Sums, Ltd., through tho agency of the Australian Mercantile, Laud and Finance Co., Ltd. (incorporating J. M. Peck, and Sons). (For 50 per cent, of over 2600 lambs from 12 to 14 weeks old to kill out 43ilbs. and L'O per cent, of them first grade quality, sounds like a fundamental inexactitude or a. fairy tale. In any case tho above clearly shows that Australians are on the warpath to beat New Zealand.)

BUGS FOR SHEEP ANCIENT PRACTICE MAY BE REVIVED OPINIONS IN AUSTRALIA The Phoenicians were skilled woolgrowers. These 'ancient people introduced fine-woolled sheep to Europe. Before tho Trojan war the flocks of Phoenceians were the best in the world, and the records of history suggest that the utmost care was bestowed upon their sheep, which produced the raw material for weaving into the raiment of kings- It is believed that much of the knowledge, of sheep and wool possessed by ' the Greeks and the Romans, 'and subsequently bv the Spaniards, was handed down by the Phoenecian flock-masters, who paid special attention to the protection of the growing fleeee from dust- and dirt. Wo may be sure, therefore, that the rugging of finewool sheep, a practice known to have ben 'adopted by tho Greeks and the Romans, is as old as history itself. There, arc no records, however, of large flocks having been rugged. By large flocks one lias in mind the extensive areas used for wool production in Spain, where flocks of more than 20,000 head were common, but throughout the centuries coverings have been used to protect the fleeces of small flocks, particularly the more valuable stud sheep, states a. writer in an Australian exchange. At- Bambouillet, in France, the Royal flock was rugged. So were the finewool stud flocks of Saxony, and they still are. But, in Australia the covering of sheep, except on a very limited scale, would scarcely he entertained unless it could ho shown that higher wool returns would be assured. YVt it might pay well to rug. Indeed there is evidence that rugging does pay.

At the Melbourne Royal Show Goldsbrough, Mort and Co., Ltd., exhibited rugged and nnrugged fleeces. The evidence was most impressive. If upon n large scale results similar lo the results shown, by the fleeces exhibited can be gained, we may find that before long growers will he using rugs extensively, for no other reason than because they find that ■it pays to rug. The exhibit comprised two fleeces from Mr. A. P- Anderson’s farm at' Hal bury, in tlie northern farming dlsi(riots South Australia. One was from a sheep which had been nigged from shearing to shearing. Tho other was from an nnrugged sheep. Roth animals, mcrinoes, were as nearly as possible alike. Tho rugged fleece was valued by the company’s wool valuer at £1 Os RJd, based on tho current rates, and the nnrugged fleece at 13s lid. The more valuable fleece weighed 1451 b. in the grease, and the other only lOJlb. The two sheep were grazed under similar conditions during the growing period. Of the rugged exhibit, the fleece portion weighed 101 b. valued at 19d. per lb; there were 31b. of skirtings, which were valued at ltd per lb.; and 1-llb. of belly wool valued at Old per lb. The unrugged exhibit was divided into BVlb- of fleece wool valued at LUd per lb., 21b. of skirtings at 12Id and lib. of holly wool valued at Old per lb. The advantage of 7s 7}d in favour of the rugged fleece affords food for thought.

CAPACITY OF LUCERNE With a view to ascertaining the carrying capacity of a 55-acre lucerne paddock at the Cowra (N.S.W.I Experimental Farm, particulars of its stocking have been recorded annually by the experimentalist (Mr. Pearson).

The paddock which was sowed to lucerne in August, 1930. with 41b. of seed and 561 b. of superphosphate, was situated on a hillside and comprised from good to .inferior wheat land Since 1932 it has been spring-toothed and top-dressed each year. It was found that during tho 12 months ending September 30, 1935. slightly under two sheep to ‘the acre had been fed on. the area.

(By "RUSTICUS.”)

During the year 1931-32 the average carrying capacity was 3J sheep to the acre, while in addition 40 tons of ha.v were cut. Since then the carrying capacity had been approximately two sheep to the acre. Experimentalists pointed out. that although these figures were not. particularly high, the value was higher when resolved info monthly records. These showed that the lucerne provided the first green feed after a. dry spell, and furnished a hulk of grazing over the difficult period in tho early summer, and also supplied succulent fodder in April, May and .Tune, when the ewes were lambing'.

BRANDS ON WOOL BALES NEED FOR SIMPLIFICATION A minor trouble of tho wool-buyer wilieh has often been the subject of discussion is tho necessity for tho simplification of .the brands on bales states an Australian paper. Nothing official has been done in the matter for many years, but it has now been ■suggested by buyers, operating in the Sydney market that tho use of unnecessarily complicated brands should ho discontinued. Brands which purchasers find difficult to transcribe when typing documents in connection with shipments could, it is contended, be made quite simple without loss of identity or usefulness. When a grower adopts an unnecessarily complicated brand he is, in addition to giving himself a lot of unnecessary work, causing untold trouble right through the trod 3. Railways, storemen, brokers, buyers and shippers are all put to inconvenience in. transcribing unreasonably long or complicated brands. In either case the full brand has to he either typed or written an ah documents concerning the wool and the use of letters “reversed.’’ “on side,” “upside down,” and "conjoined” is particularly obnoxious, especial!? as, in. some cases, they make no meaning whatever, apart, of course, from the fact that tho grower may wish to use them in distinctive purpose.

FARMING AT HOME HAND-MILKING GIVES HIGHER YIELDS. Tho experience of the Shinfield Dairy Research Institute is that the use of milking machines slightly depresses the milk yield as compared with hand-milking. A proportion of the cows in the institute’s herd have been milked by machine since 1925, and the remainder hand-milked by efficient milkers. Three types of machines have been used, the AlfaLaval, the Gascoigne and the Wallace, and in each ease the results wore similar.

Taking tho yields over the nineyear period, the hand-millted cows showed a slightly higher milk yield from the fifth week 'after calving onwards, the- difference increasing during the lactation and reaching an average of about two gallons per week by the thirteenth week. This applied to cows of all ages with some minor differences. It shows that the use of a machine does influence the milk secretion of the. cow; on tho other hand, the quality of the milk was in no way affected. A slight depression, of milk yield may be of relatively small account when weighed against the other greatadvantages accruing from the use of milking machines, hut. nevertheless is a factor which needs faking into consideration.

SOTL HEATTXGMAKTNG HEADWAY IN CANADA TORONTO, Dee. 3. Electric soil heating for the propagation of seeds and promoting tho growth of young plants has demonstrated its value in Canada, and rapidly is passing the experimental stage.

The Dominion Department of Agriculture reports electrical installations in Ontario greenhouses having proved satisfactory. Also in hotbeds and cold frames for propagating seeds of tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, melons, sweet potatoes and certain flowers the use of electric soil heating has proved its usefulness. In the fruitgrowing distreit west of Toronto under-soil heating has expedited tho development of seedlings to the plnniing-ont stage hv about three weeks, it is stated.

There ore now nearly 200 installations of such heating systems in Ontario.

SHEARING RECORDS FATHER AND TWO SONS Probably in no other class of work is thereto much rivalry and that displayed on the shearing hoard. Records seem to bo made only to be broken. The following account, taken from an Australian paper, makes most interesting reading:— Can any reader produce a performance to beat tilts one? asks the ‘Sydney Mail-” At the Lake Cowal ■shed, in tho Wyalong district, just recently, W. Ellis and his two sons, .Tack and Rill, shore 651 islieep in a day. Dad, as a real father should, showed the boys bow to do it by “barbering” 223; but the lads, were not far behind, for Jack put through 216, and it seems ridiculous to admit that Rill “drummed it’’—to use the common term—with 212! Tho feat should make a tasty morsel for shearers and ex-shearers to argue over; but I personally have never heard of a better day’s shearing by afather and two sons. While the above is a wonderful record and one that will take a lot of heating, yet we have, in New Zealand, and in Smith Canterbury, ■some champion shearers. A representative of file “Timaru Herald - ’ some time ago put his watch on a local machine

shearer who was giving an exhibition of fast shearing. The man in question was working on crossbred ewes in good condition, and in exactly 60 seconds lie was able to take the wool of the sheep. Although it was merely a hurst of speed, the shearer was only able to maintain that rate while doing two or three sheep, but it might be mentioned that he could have improved on this record only the power available would not allow him to get the maximum speed from his machine. It wan a pretty sight seeing the wool coining off when he was properly extended. Tho speed with which he swept through from the tail to the neck was amazing. Air. Percy de Mahnonoho. who holds the world’s record for shearing 400 big sheep in nine hours, was in Timam recently. In performing (his record he caught all his own sheep from tho pen, and during the season shore 16,000 sheep. Another very fine -shearing performance must he credited to Air. W. U’ggins, who has made tallies of 273. 3.93 and 406 sheep shorn in nine hoars and under. At Gisborne in 1934 Bonny White made n tally of 433 'sheep shorn in nine hours —a wonderful performance.

IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS AUSTRALIA'S FORTUNATE POSITION Whilst every nation must feol the effect of the imposition of sanctions on Italy, Australia is more fortunate than most of thrtse that will lose trade. A few years ago when Italy was spending millions of pounds a year on woo), the sudden cutting off of her competition might have hit Australia' badly: hut, in pursuance of a decision not to operate where she is not receiving reciprocal trade, she has been limiting her Australian wool purchases more and more until now tbov are almost negligible. From the point of view of cash the value of the Italian purchases last season would not exceed £800)000. which is a mere drop in the ocean of Australia’s wool clip, although a. few vonrs hack- her purchases were more like £4.000,000. At the present time, therefore, if Australia’s trade with Ttaly censes the wool market will not he affected in any way.

Tn tho good clearances and the stoadilv reducing supply growers have their best advantage, and this is an ■advantage that not- only stands to them in the present season, hut with, bettor pastoral cond : tions, next season’s clip may possibly show some increase. state the “"Sydney MaiT.’’ Tf tho current clip Is disposed of speedily, there will, hv the time the 14)35-36 clip is available, he a. very keen demand indeed. Thus, in the present good and widening demand for wool there is the possibility of a. very satisfactory period for growers during possibly the next IS months at least—that is, provided there is no ivnhasod “boom” in values. The grower, of course, cannot- provide against a. boom; hut present conditions throughout the world are hardly iu favour ofi this happening. Generally, the position at the present time favours good; prices to the grower lor some time, without any extravagant advances, and' he could hardly hope for more, and mostwould: not wish for more.

THE WOOL MARKET MANY FAVOURABLE FACTORS Surveying the outlook for tho wool market at tho time of tho opening of tho London sales on November 10. H- Dawson, Sons and Co., Ltd., the well-known London wool brokers, remarked ;—The present London sales wilt find the trade eager and confident. It is apparent that in most European centres, tho consumption has fully overtaken tho supplies, and stocks of wool in the combing mills are at a minimum level.

Tho progress of values •since the January series of this year gives tho rottst significant testimony of the soundness of the raw material. The •Yorkshire quotations for 64’.s tops were generally about 23-kl to 244 at that time, 'a's compared with* Slid to 32d to-dav; this showing an advance during tho past ten months of 33 per cent. It has to he admitted that the urgent need for prompt deliveries has Established some premium on spot arrivals ofi the new season’s wool. It •is certain, however, that tho quanti.tfos 'available at 'current auctions will be readily absorbed at this higher level.

In Yorkshire the position at the combing mills is almost astounding; while there is also considerable overtime and night work in the woollen trade section. /Employment is better than for several years past. Stocks have been reduced to a. low level, 'and both consumer* and dealers are anxious to replenish. Despite this, however, there is considerable nervousness due to the experiences of 1933-34, and the substantial advance already established gives ground for some caution.

PRESENT LEVEL JUSTIFIED There are, nevertheless, some outstanding facts that justify the present level. The supplies from Australia are likely to be about 150,000 hales less than last year. Moreover, the season’s offerings are being rapidly disposed of; nearly a quarter of a million hales have been sold in excess of tho quantities of tho previous season, and. consequently, it is quite, probable that the Australian auctions may finish this year about Eastertide. The serious loss of sheep by the drought in Queensland, is a fact that cannot be lost sight of. seeing that in some districts stations have been almost decimated. There will, of course be some dead wool coming forward, but the real loss will ho fplt in the lambing, and the resultant loss of sheep during the next two years.,

As regards demand, Japanese buyers in Australia, are unusually active, and some of the more optimistic reports have estimated their requirements for -the coming season to he largely in excess of previous years, and believed by many experts to be in the region of 5.900.000 bales, although this figure may be a little ex-.