STOCK NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVIII, Issue 11334, 30 July 1897, Page 2

STOCK NOTES.

[By Tussock' in' “ Cantebbubt_ Times.”] A. geporal reduction in the buying prices of rhutton has been cabled during the last few days. The lamb market at Home has utterly collapsed. The . increased weight of much of the Canterbury mutton which recently arrived is noted by most of the agents r, the large number of sheep over 70lbs being particularly mentioned. I was under the impression, that no sheep over 70lbs were now shipped from Canterbury ; probably these heavy weights were found in farmers linos. Eeferring'to the shipment of “ Prime Canterbury” mutton from Dunedin the London correspondent of the Pastoralists ■Review says :—“ The first comments upon this new departure made in maiket were decidedly pointed. As the time went on, however, the parties interested in the venture stated that though the medt was frozen at Oamaru, the sheep were Canterbury, and Messrs Leedham, Crowe and Company, who negotiated a parcel of the mutton, wrote to a London paper to the effect that ‘these sheep and lambs were prime Canterbury meat, bred and grazed in Canterbury/. If then this is so, we have simply to consider the point whether the origin of tho sheep and lambs is the only thing to be considered & rendering, the description ‘ Px’ime Canterry * allowable in'this case. T have distuned the matter fully with many experienced men here, and if seems to be the ES jrally-held idea that ‘ Prime Canterf’ is applied* to mutton manipulated naivety At the Canterbury meat works;

the prestige attaching to the treatment at the four works there is, they _ say, included in the description. Mr Cunningham Smith, who, I understand, was the manager of the Dunedin works at one time, says that the term ‘ Canterbury mutton 5 is applicable only to mutton slaughtered, graded, and frozen in the Belfast. Hornby, Islington,,and Timaru works. Mutton fed in Canterbury and ir- zon elsewhere could not, he says, be classed as ‘ Prime Canterbury. 5 English butchers in asking for Canterbury mutton expect to get the Canterbury grading. It is important to note that the meat was excellent, as indeed is ranch of the mutton coming from Otago, and no doubt the prices realised were only slightly under the prices of the best Canterbury mutton; I am informed that moat marked as above from Otago has arrived in- the Aotea and the Pifesnire, too. I support the opinion expressed here that it would be well in case of the Otago people shipping (Canterbury bred) sheep for it to be expressed on the wrappers and tag that the meat had been frozen at the Oamaru or Dunedin works, and for the name of the • works to bo given. 55 The London correspondent of the PasioraUsts’ Review mentions that “ Bone-taint has been found in some parcels of sheep from the \ North and South, and some North Island sheep are described as having been very slovenly dressed —in fact, the bladders were left in the carcases. North Island sheep continue their improvement. The Lon gburn brand is a sample of this. I saw some very pretty sheep in the market last week, which were now quite ideal. The 64-721bs grading class is worth now 2s per stone. Some 10,000 of the Longburn sheep.;haye been received this season, and the prices have been relatively ' high '-all along. 55 Mr W. Upton Slack is righteously indignant that English Leicester's have so' far been omitted from participation in the valuable prizes to be given at the Palmerston (Manawatu) Show next November. He holds that this breed is at least as valuable as the Lincoln, and instances what the English Leicester has done for Canterbury mutton as follows: " I think that we are all aware that Prime Canterbury mutton fetches Id per lb more than North Island mutton in the English markets,_and why ? Because it is a cross with English Leiceaters. I believe that at the present time nineteen out of twenty farmers in Canterbury use the English Leicester ram. That sheep has been the foundation of the celebrated prime Canterbury mutton. * * * In the English Leicester we have almost everything we can wish for —early maturity, quality of mutton, weight and quality of wool, and if required, size and weight of carcase, • vide Mr H. N. Tanner’s Lincoln-Leicester wether exhibited at the Christchurch Winter Show —live weight, 3291 b. 55 - • • . ' , . The Pastoralists’ Review , raises the interesting question how the lorigwools;and cross-breds stood the past drought as compared with Merino. One Western Eiverina squatter who had tried Border Leicester's informs the Revieiu that he found these rams maintained their condition when Merinos had to be kept alive with hay, and the only fat sheep for ration purposes were cross-breds; also, that the cross-bred lambs survived when the Merino lambs succumbed. Another pastoralist in the north of New South Wales went in heavily for Lincoln rams, and his experience was that when he fully anticipated a total loss of the rams and their progeny they .pulled through the drought in far better conditiomthan the Merinos. This is interesting and useful information, and the Review would be glad to hear what the experience of others has been.

According to the Australian papers the losses of sheep by the drought are turning out to be not nearly so heavy as has been stated, and there lias even been on many of the large stations a lambing of 50 to 60 per cent. The shearing musters alone can tell the true tale. Mutton has been fetching over 3d per lb in the Melbourne market.

Eighty-two flocks have been tendered for entrance in the “Flock Book of British Breeds of Sheep” established by the Eoyal Agricultural Society of Victoria. Thirtyfive of these have, so far, been accepted. The Stock and Station dirndl reviewing the recent Sydney sheep show and sales, says that as regards Merinos there was not a reduction of more than 10 per cent on last year's sales. As regards longwools.

prices were rather uneven. On the whole, however, the 10 per cent reduction woula cover the fall, and in some instances prices were equal to last year. Taking everything all in all, both the show and the sales were an unqualified success. The ttoch and Station Journal (Sydney) is publishing the usual complete and , handy shilling record of the sales.

The following particulars are published of the “ freezers ” competition at the recent Sydney Show. One sheep selected from each pen was killed and dressed and on this sheep the verdicts were mainly based. In the class for ten fat merino wethers, the first prize was given to Mr R. H. Roberts,, of Barwong, N.S.W. His sheep were four years old, weighed alive 1171 b, and the dressed carcase weighed 671 b. The second gprize sheep weighed 1121 b alive, and the dressed carcase gave, 621 b. The heaviest sheep in the merino: section was taken from the pen of •Mr Carlo Marina, Young. The live weight was 1411 b, and the- dressed carcase weighed 821 b. There were seven competing pens in the section for cross-bred wethers. The first prize was given to Mr A. H. Wright, Tombong, New South Wales, Merino and Lincoln cross, running on turnips since the middle of May, ■ live weight (of the slaughtered sheep) 1251 b, carcase weight 6711 b. Messrs, Litchfield Bros., Hazeldean, were second with ten two and a half years old sheep by Leicester rams from Hazeldean maiden, ewes, grass fed, live weight 11611 b, carcase weight 6711 b. Mr J. Robinson, Gnndagai, highly commended, for four-tooth wethers, Lincoln-Merino cross, grass-fed till placed on lucerne a few weeks ago, live weight 1381 b, carcase 821 b. Mr W. Robinson, Gundagai, was also highly commeuded : fer four - tooth wethers by Lincoln rams from first cross ewes, fed on natural grasses till placed on lucerne a few weeks ago live weight 1401 b, carcase 80lb. Messrs Brown Brothers, Young, were, commended for wethers, English LeicesterMerino cross, grass fed, live weight 9611 b, carcase weight 5131 b. The heaviest of the slaughtered sheep in this class was taken from the pen shown by Mr G. H. Scales, ! Wellington, Ncw Zealand. The live weight; was 1611 b,. and .the .dressed carcase weighed, 1 951 b. Mr W. B. Clarkson’s .pen was.not exhl-; bite/L No p- ize was, awarded in the.claso for | Merino lambs, both lots shown being over! age. In the section for cross-breffi lambs, Mr A. K. 'Wright was placed first with, a' pen of Morino-Lincoln cross, lambed September, October’, and November, 1896. The live weight of the killed specimen v,-as Sli lb, and the dressed carcase weighed 431 b. Mr J. Robinson got second prize-with a pen of first and second Lincoln cross, seven and a half months old, fed on natural grass until put on lucerne a few weeks ago, live weight 7lMb, carcase weighed' 341 b. The heaviest of the slaughtered lambs was taken from the pen of Messrs L. and E. Forsyth, Cootamundra. The live weight was 1031 b, and the dressed carcase weighed 5311 b, age nine months,by Border Leicester ram from Merino ewes.

The average price per bale of all the wool sold in Adelaide last season was about seven shillings per bale less than in the season 1895-96.

Up to the close of the May-June series of London Vi ool Sales, it was estimated that the United States had taken 120,000 bales and the Homo trade 120,000 bales more than at the corresponding date of the previous year, while the Continental purchases were 122,000 bales less ; the quantity disposed of being thus 12/,000 hales greater than after the first three series of fast year. The nett increase of Colonial production (South Africa being taken as stationary) is estimated at 14,000 bales leaving the quantity to be dealt with in the remainder of the year 113,000 bales less than in the last half of 1896. This no doubt partly accounts for the present firmness.

The Buenos Ayres correspondent of the Pastoralists’ Review gives some interesting information respecting tl» export of fat stock alive to England. Last year, he says was a very disastrous one for exporters, and several of them came to the end of their tether and have retired to be seen ho more, though those few who managed to weather the storm are, so I am told, reaping a rich harvesfthis year. The current prices are .£6 ’for steers and from 10s to 14s for sheep. Freight is £o per steers and 9s for sheep. The supply of steers is greater than the outlet for them, and the top price in the Buenos Ayres market for local consumption is M 10s, though the exporters will pay £6 on the estancia where the cattle are bred. Almost all the cattle which are shipped to England are three-year-old steers, weighing upwards of 13501 b live weight, and two - tooth Lincoln wethers of 140 lbs and upwards. “These ages and weights, (says the correspondent), speak for themselves, and as far as quality of beef and mutton are concerned we are not behind any country in the world except, of course, the old producers from whence we have imported the sires and dams which have done us such good service. 55