STOCK NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCV, Issue 10920, 31 March 1896, Page 6

STOCK NOTES.

[By Tussock in “ Canterbury Times.”] The splendid rain will put sheepfarmers in better heart, and a better tone in the store sheep market may follow. Present prices of breeding sheep are very reasonable ; indeed, the only conclusion I can come to for the absence of demand is that many farmers are going in for cropping instead of sheep. Many pastures need renewal, and the price of grain is a strong inducement to do this work at once, as well as to take another crop instead of laying land down to grass. Mr Walter A. Long, the British Minister of Agriculture, is a very careful man', and if his reply to the request for the free admission to England of live New Zealand sheep was as reported —that “ they must consider the condition of the ports of call ” —there may be some hope yet of specimens of our flocks being seen alive in England. At no port of call do our direct liners run any risk of contracting any disease of live stock, for the simple reason that at most of the ports the vessels lay some miles off and are coaled by lighters, and at' none of the ports is there any live stock to catch any disease from. If the reply was as cabled Mr Long will very quickly hear again from Mr Gilruth on the subject. . When the Nathan and Orbell schemes for the reform of the frozen meat trade were promulgated, I expressed the opinion that such a scheme could only be carried into effect by the companies taking the initiative. According to a Sydney cablegram in the daily papers, this is what the Australian freezing companies are doing, and if they can “form a combination to act on co-operative lines, regulating supplies, classing and maintaining a regular

: standard of meat, so .as to command ; improved prices,” they will have achieved j more than has been deemed possible in j Hew Zealand, and will have justified Messrs Nathan and Orbell in their proposals.

I have seen at recent sales several rams which had been injured by dipping. I would therefore repeat the caution which I have given in former years, namely:— When dipping stud sheep dilute the dip with one-third more water than when dipping ordinary sheep. In fact, for Down rams it is safer to make the dip of one-half the usual strength. It is better to dip twice than to MU’or spoil the appearance of several valuable sheep by using the dip too strong. The annual show of The , New SouthWales Sheep-breeders’Association is to he hold at the end of June at the Eoyal Agricultural Society’s grounds, which the recentimprovements have rendered excellently suited to the display of sheep. Exhibitors are to be allowed to sell their sheep on the grounds by auction after 2 p.m. on the third day of the show. Sheep dog trials and other interesting features are, proposed.. Mr-’fe.’ M’Millan;' Q need’s Place, Sydney,: isthe secretary. . . .

Only 4740 sheep were penned - at the Homebush (Sydney) Fat Stock Sales on March 9. The official report (Stock and Station Journal) says:—“ The supply was not sufficient for trade requirements, and the Sydney Meat ,Preserving Company also operating, market was considerably better for all descriptions. Extra prime cross-bred wethers sold to 335; prime cross-bred' wethers to 10s 6d; prime cross-bred ewes, to 8s 9d; prime merino wethers, to 9s 6d; prime merino ewes, to 7s 6d,medium and inferior wethers, from 5s 9d; ewes, from 4s 6d. Committees of Shows at Home take time by the forelock. Endeavours are already being made to induce H.S.H. the Prince of Wales to visit the show of the Highland and Agricultural Society at Glasgow in 1897* It is not a long step from judging or selling cattle by weight, to a similar process , with regard to horses. We have heardoccasionally of horses being bought at a live weight price, but the - circumstance when applied to animals intended for work is not a common one. It appears that a Glasgow man recently bought twenty, Canadian horses at Qi per lb live weight. As the animals averaged about lOcwt each,and were of that class suitable for driving purposes, they averaged about- J 144 per head, which may he considered an extremely good price. I remember an instance, ‘■a g-ood many years ago, when a seller did not come off so well. He had refused £l2 for a diminutive Sbcltie—the smaller they are the more they are prized in their nativeisles —and the buyer, as a last shot said, “Well, i’ll give you 6d per lb for him ‘ that’s the price of beef.” The owner jumped at the offer and received ££ 16s. The abattoir question was discussed by the Wanganui Chamber of Commerce last week, the chairman, Mr J. L. Stevenson, thinking it of the gravest importance to the public. Some of the statements made in the course of the discussion amply supported the Chairman’s opinion. Mr Sargeant, who claimed to speak with authority, said it was imperative that immediate action should he taken. It was a long time since he had eaten meat with any degree of comfort. Diseased cattle were everywhere, in alarming numbers, suffering from cancer, tuberculosis and other similar complaints, and the public health was being seriously endangered. The milk and butter from cancerous cows was, and had been for some time, sent into the market, and cows were cominginto the district with cancerous udders, and people in consequence were being attacked with cancer, and dropping off all round. He himself had killed no less than sixty cattle that were diseased, but he could not say what other people had done. He made it his business immediately a cancerous animal was discovered on his place to destroy it. He was surprised that a matter of such vital importance had been so long delayed. Mr Lifflton, said he had seen milk sold from cancerous cows in more than one case, and had given information to the police, with the result that the cows had been destroyed. Four cases had come under his notice in his part of the town, and how many similar cases existed in Wanganui and district he would leave it to the members to j ridge. He had - also actually seen new milk, for 'public consumption, put into a room whore a typhoid fever patient lay. A number of the members considered that the health of the people was of more. importance than the question of expense, and a resolution was passed urging the Borough Council to hasten the matter. It transpired that Mr Hawke, veterinary surgeon, who had- been employed to inspect the cattle, had resigned, though his services had resulted in' great improvement in the state of affairs.