ON THE LAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIV, Issue 806, 8 September 1923, Page 7

ON THE LAND.

LAYING DOWN PASTURE. . SPRING SOWN GRASS. CONDITION OF THE SOIL. SOWING OVER CROPS. The laying down of pastures most suitable for the class of land one is farming is one of the most important items of the farm. In many parts of the Dominion this work can ba proceeded with any time from now I on, provided the land is dry enough. On the lighter class of soils ana where climatic conditions are favourable, the Booner this work is dono the better, so that the young plants will become well rooted before dry weather sots in. There is often a poor germination and a checked growth afterwards through leaving tho sowing of grass seed too late in the spring. There is usually a dry spell during spring or early Buminer, and if grass is sown late, there is a chance that the plant will bo unsatisfactory. The soed may strike well enough, owing to the moisture already in the soil at time of sowing, but if the plants are insufficiently rooted and a dry spell sets in, many of the tender, and sometimes, the most valuable pasture plants will die out t owing to the moisture starvation. GRASS WITH CEREALS. "• In grain growing districts, a large proportion of the pastures Ib'sowh in the spring, either sown with a spring sown coreal or an autumn sown crop. In the latter case the period for sowing is timed by the forwardness of the growing crop. If tho crop shows rank growth, tho grass seed should be sown as early in spring as possible, otherwise much of the grass seed will lodge on tho growing crop and fail to reach the ground; this is more noticeable when there is a slight dampness on the crop. The result of this is that much of the seed will not be covered by the harrows. Again, if tho crop is too far advanced, the chances are that the soed, though they.may germinate and come away for a while, will get smothered, by the rank growing crop. WHEN TO SOW THE GRASS. When the cereal crop is about four inches high is generally the best time to sow grass, but sometimes owing to damp weather, or if tho farmer has to wait for a lengthened period to allow the soil to get dry enough the crop may !get rather too far advanced. If there should be such a rank growth as to seriously interfere with the sowing and germination of tho grass seed, the cereal is sometimes fed down by sheep, previous to sowing the grass. In such cases it is often necessary to run tho harrows over before the broadcaster, in order to break up the crust and leave a nice mould for the small seed to fall on to and to provide sufficient covering. When sowing on heavy land, or any land inclined to bo wet, it is often advisable to defer sowing until later in tho spring, for if, sown too early under such conditions, there may be too much water in tho lower layers of the furrows, which will have a tendency to keep the temperature down below normal and may prove disastrous to tho plants. Thereforo each farmer must know his land and treat it accordingly. Tho time for sowing any crop can only be given approximately, as what will suit one locality,, would be quite unsuited for another. CULTIVATION FOR GRASS. The cultivation for grass is similar to that required for other small seeds, the principal object being a compact seed bed, with a fine surface, but not so fine as to have a 3ilty appearance. Ono should rather strive to have the surface a little cobbly, as when in tin's state it will hold the moisture better than a smooth silty surface, the latter being likely to cake on top, especially if the sowing is followed by heavy rain. When tho seod is sown on a growing crop, very little cultivation is necessary, and is simple in the extreme as the surface is already prepared. In the case of an autumn sown crop, the sown surfaco is exposed to the winter's frosts, which leaves an ideal seed bed. The seed box is run over the land, followed by light harrows niado for the purpose. These harrows are! usually attached to tho broad castor, by moans of long chains. This saves labour and ensures tho seed being covered straight away and is thus out of reach of Email birds. Moreover, if a break of wet weather sets in while sowing, whatever area is sown it is also harrowed. This is a great advantage, because small seeds soon germinate when they come in contact with tho damp soil. When grass seed is sown with a catch crop such as rape, mustard, or oats,, the Jatter should not bo sown too thickly, for fear of smothering the young grass.; When oats are sown, half a bushel per acre will be sufficient. If sown thick the cereal will not only tend to smother the grass, but will be considerably checked by the trampling of stock which catch crops necessitate while being fed, resulting in a thin pasture. Another disadvantage of a thick sowing is that tho plonts will bo weakened to such an extent that the pasture will become run out at least a season sooner, than if the catch crop was sown thinly and carefully fed. When grass is sown by itself, it may take a little longer to mature, but when once established it will flourish and grow more feed. This is more noticeable when tho crop is fed off by sheep, young cattle being best for this purpose if there are any available, as they do not feed the young grass so closely and therefore give tho more tender and slow muturing plants a better chance to mature. LONDON WOOL SALES. Dalgety and Co. Ltd., report having received the following cablegram from their London house under date of the 4th inst.: Wool sales opened; attendance of buyers is large; competition animated, active demand from Home trade and Continent; selection indifferent. As compared with last sale's dosing rates' merino wools, greasy, aro par to Id higher; scoured, prices unchanged; crossbred wools, fine quality greasy par to id higher; medium greasy id to Id higher; coarse greasy id higher; scoured, prices unchanged; slipe wools, a change if any is in sellers' favour. Halfbred 50-56 good to super 18d to 21d, low to medium 16id to I7id, halfbred 48-50 good to super 15d to 17d, low to medium 13id to 14|d, fine crossbred 46-48 good to sunor 14d to 15id, low to medium 12d to 13ld, crossbred 44-46 good to super 12id to 14d, low to medium 10id to 12d, crossbred 40-44 good to super Hid to 12d, low to medium 9id to IOJd, coarse crossbred 36-40 good to super lOd to lid, low to medium 83d to 9Jd. The Department of Agriculture lias received the following cablogram, dated sth instant, from tho High Commissioner for New Zealand, London:—Wool: Sales opened yesterday (Tuesday). The attendance was exceptionally largo with a good general demand, Continental buyers operating freely. Merino offerings wore small and firm at prices fully equal to last closing rates. Fine and coarse crossbred ruled from par to 5 per cent highor, while medium crossbred advanced 5 per cent, and scoured and slipe crossbred met a keen demand at from par to 5 per cent dearer. LONDON FROZEN MEAT MARKET. Levin and Co. Ltd.. have received the following cable from their London agents, dated • 6th September, 1923: —Quotations New Zealand Canterbury lamb 28-42, Hid; North Island lamb 28-42, lid; primo Canterbury mutton 56-64, 8d; North Islandmutton 56-64, 8d;. owes 48-64, 6id: New Zealand prime ox beef 160-220, hinds 4id; fores 2|cf. These prices are ex store. As compared with last week's quotations Can- t terbury lamb is id cheaper, ewes id dearer, and hinds of beef id dearer.

BUTTER AND CHEESE. i.. •'•, '.'.■' IN KEEN DEMAND. I DAIRY ASSOCIATION'S; CIRCULAR. The latest circular issued by the National Dairy Association, Ltd., states that the following, cable has been received from the London office, dated August 30th:—Butter: Market firm and good demand. New Zealand salted 185 s to 188 s, Argentine 170 s, Irish 172 s to 178 s, Dutcli 178 s, Danish 1925, French 146 - to 168 s. Cheese:' Market steady. New Zealand white and coloured 116 s to 120 s, Canadian 116 s to 118 s. |l Both butter and cheese are in keen demand for September and Ootobor make. For butter Is 6£d per lb f.o.b. New Zealand ports, and 10gd : per lb f.o.b. for cheese has .been offered for the two months mentioned above. For cheese made to the end of November 9Jd has been offered. We still hold to the opinion (says the circular) that consigning is the best, policy and especially for the earlier months. Indications point to cheese especially realising good prices for the early months. As far as arrivals of cheese in London are concerned, there will be a more distinct rate than, we have witnessed for some years. The first shipment of cheese for tho season of any importance will leave close to the end of September. This will only bo available for consumption about the end of November. That will mean that for some months there will be no New Zealand cheese arriving on the market and by the end of November shipments of Canadian will certainly be small. , The exports from Montreal, Canada, from May Ist to July 21st, 1923, were 1256 boxes of butter and 272,822 boxes of cheese; and from May Ist to July 21st, 1922, 117,909 boxes of butter and. 376,579 of cheese. The butter export in 1922 amounted to 96 000 tons, as compared with 92,000 in 1921 and 91,000 tons in 1913. During tho first half of the year there was an mcroase of 7 per cent as compared with the corresponding period of 1921, while during tho latter part of tho year tho increase was reduce! to 5 per cent.. The proportion of <tho total export that went to Great Britain was again increased during the but there was also an increaso in the exports to France and Belgium from 7900 tons in 1921 to 13,500 tons in 1922. The exports to Switzerland amounted to 5700 tons, to Norway and Sweden 3630 tons, and to Czechoslovakia 2800 tons. The exports to the United States of America, which during 1921 had been considerable, were- affected during 1922 by the increaso of the American customs duty on butter, with the result that until the last two months of tho year, praotioally none wa3 imported from Denmark to that country. At the end of the year, however, a demand was felt that there was one or two shipments of importance totalling about 1200 tons. In connection with the part played by Great Britain as an export market for Danish butter, it may bo noted that, although the, total export quantities from Denmark increased, the proportion of the total British import market covered by the Danish shipments decreased. Thus, it is estimated that in 1922 Danish butter constituted 33.4 percent of the total British butter import as compared with 35.5 per cent in 1921, 48 per cent in 1920, and 41.2 per cent in 1913. _ Complaints were heard from time to time during the year regarding tho alteration that has taken place in the method by which butter quotations are fixed. It is held that tho pre-war method by which the quotation was fixed in Copenhagen was less likely to cause speculation and give rise to the store of butter in anticipation of fluctuations of tho market than is at present the case. It is realised, however, that the arrival in Groat Britain from time to time of considerable quantities of colonial butter introduces a new element into the trade The Danes, who continue thenefforts to maintain a high-class standard article, are anxious to discover a means by whioh tho storage of their butter and the consequent lowering of its quality before, it reaches the consumer can bo avoided.

STOCK MARKET. KEEN MARKET FOR. FAT SHEEP. Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report on Feilding sale yesterday: A large entry of fat sheep came forward and met with a keen sale. Very few store sheep were penned and wero slightly easier than liist week. The largest ontry for some time' of fat cattle was yarded. The demand was 'fair and practically every pen changed h«uds. Some well-bred bullocks and young cattle sold freely. Dairy stock showed an improvement on tho previous week. We quote: Fat wethers 38s 6d, £2 Os 6d, £2 3s 3d to £2 10s, fat owes 275, 32s 6d £2 ,to £2 ss, fat hoggets 22s 3d, 245, 28s to £»! (extra), fat and forward ewes 21s 6d to 22s 4d, black face hoggets 15s, 18s 3d to 2'is 3d, mixed hoggets 19s, 24s 9d to 275. Fat cattle: Bullocks £8 12s 6d, £9 2s 6d£9 5s to £9 15s, heifers and cows £4 15s, £7, £8 to £9 10s, 3-year bullocks £5 10s to £5 12s 6d, P.A. yearling steera £4 3a, Hereford steers £3 12s, small £2 15s, store cows 20s to £2, weaner Jersey heifers 265, £3 to £3 2s, springing heifers £5, £7 10s, £lO 5s to £lO 12s 6d, dairy cows £3, £5. to £9 ss. Dalgety and Co. Ltd., PalmersWm North, report having a very fair entry, of sheep and cattle at their Feilding sale, yesterday. There was practically a total clearance and the following are prices realis ed: —3mall mixed hoggete 19s, 21s to 225, fair mixed hoggets 245. 6d, good hoggefts 27s b.f. hoggets 18s 6d, fat hoggets 215,, 21s 9d, 22s 3d to 25s 2d, fat ewes 31s, 3lA> 6d, 32s 3d, 32s 9d, 365, 38s Id to £2, fat and forward ewes 22a 6d, fat wethers £2 2s, £2 5s to £2 7s, crossbred dairy heifers ffl ss, £5 15s, £6 10s £6 12s 6d, £7 5s to i)l 12s 6d, cull dairy cows £2 7s 6d, best sponging heifers £lO 2s 6d, £lO 12s 6d to £ll, yearhng heifers small £2 to £3, small yearling Hereford steers £3 Is, 2r?/ear Hereford steers £4 16s, light fat and forwardbullocks £8 sa, fat bullocks £9 '2s 6d to £9 Us, store cows £2 to £2 2s. LONDON TALLOW PRICE. FuONDON, Sept. 5 At the tallow sales 1571 caskß wereoffored, and 1201 were sold at an advance of 6d per owt on late rates. Fine mutton 42s 9d per cwt, medium 38s, fine beef 41s 6d, medium 37s 9d.—A. and N.Zu. cable. DANISH EXPORTS! An extract from a report on the economio position in Donmark, written by Mr R. M. Turner, secretary at the British Legation m Copenhagen, and issued by the British Department of Overseas Trade, is as follows: NEW SHOW GROUNDS FORHAWKES BAY. (P«* Frau AaJoei'Htion.) NAPIER, Sept 7. Tho Hawlaj's Bay A. and P. Society made a forward movo to-day, when it was definitely decided to commence preparations for holding the 1925 Spring Show on the now grpunda at Tamoana, adjoining the railway, about two wiles on the Napier side pf Hastings. The society has been collecting extensive information .as to the show ground equipment and comprehensive plans have been adopted with a view to making new grounds- one of the most up-to-date in the Dominion.

FROZEN MEAT QUOTATIONS. M. 'A. Eliotfc, Ltd., have received cable advice from Gilbert Anderson and Co. Ltd., London, of the following Smithfield prices for the week ending 7th September, 1923, same being on the "delivered" basis, that is, including storage charges, cartage, etc.:—Best North Island prime crossbred lambs, under 421bs 10 8 d; ordinary North Island lambs under 421 b 10W second quality under 42 9|d. Best North Island wethers and maiden ewes 48-56 fifd, 56-64 8R 64-72 7ld; ordinary North Island wethers and maiden ewas 48-56 8R 56-64 8d,,64-72! 73d; North Island ewes under 64 6}d, 64-72 6d, over 72 sid. New Zealand prime m beef (equal fores and hinds) 160-220 3Jd. Remarks: Down lambs, no quote; best crossbred lambs, id lower, others no <*«>»; aethers, par to id higher; ewes, M to Id higher; beef, id lower. Mutton and lamb : market quiet. High prices ruling for mutton are restricting trade. AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. MELBOURNE, Sept. 7. Tho hides market is unchanged at last woek*! rates. , _ ~ Barlev, English 3s 9d to 4s; cats, 3s bd 'to' 3s 7d; potatoes, £l2 10s to £l3; onions, I £3 5s to £3 10s.—Press Association.