FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 255, 23 September 1930, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

LONDON MARKETS. HIGH COMMISSIONER’S REPORT. The Department of Agriculture has received the following cablegram, dated September 20, from the High Commissioner for New Zealand, London:— TALLOW. Fair demand at auction, 810 packages being offered and 375 sold. Present quotations for spot are : —Mutton, fine, 31s 6d; fair to good, 28s to 29s 6d; dark to dull, 25s 6d to 265. Beef, sweet and/or mixed, 29s to 355; fair to good, 26s to 28s ; dark to dull, 24s to 25s Gd; mixed, fair to good, 26s to 27s 6d; dark to dull, 23s to 25s 6d; gut, etc., to 25s 6d. HEMP. Manila market more active owing to light receipts. “K” grade, NovemberJanuary shipment, 6old at £2l. Sisal: African market steady, with little change in prices. Mexican unchanged. New Zealand: Market dull and nominal value unchanged on the basis of high fair £23 10s. No first hand sales reported. EGGS. Decreased supplies . have resulted in higher prices and market is firm at the advanced values. Present quotations are:—English, national mark, 15s to 22s 6d; English, ordinary pack, IDs 6d to 20s; Irish 12s to 21s; Danish, Swedish, Dutch, and Belgian, 14s 3d to 18s; French, 12s 6d to 16s; Polish, 8s 6d to 10s. WOOL. Sales opened September 16, with large attendance of Home and Continental buyers. Offerings met with active competition, selection being a good average one. Compared with closing rates tor last series, greasy merino is par to 5 per cent; greasy crossbred 7f per cent., and siipe 10 per cent, lower. 187,800 bales available for scries, of which New Zealand wool 88,850, Australian 74,350, and South African 17,600. FROZEN MEAT. The following cablegram, dated September 18, has been received by Dalgety and Coy., Ltd., from their London house regarding the frozen moat market: —Improved demand; mutton id liiugher; pork id higher; other descriptions unchanged. The New Zealand Meat Producers Board has received the following cable from its London office, dated 19th September, 1930, advising that the following are the approximate average prices realised for the week, based on actual transactions of wholesale quantities of the descriptions of meat mentioned and are for representative parcels of the goods offering during the week, being for business done on the basis of delivered to Smithfield market and/or ex London stores, prices for the two previous weeks being shown in parentheses: —New Zealand sheep, Canterbury and North Islsand selected cnossbred wethers and maiden ewes, 48-56, sjd (sid, sd); 57-64, sid (sd, 4|d'J; 65-72, 5d (4id, 4gd); North Island do., 48-56, Sjjd (sgd, 4fd); 57-64, 5d (43d, 4£d); 65-72, 4jd (4gd, 4id); ewes, 4864, 3£d (3 d, 3id); 65-72, 3gd (31d, 3d). New Zealand lambs, Canterbury, 36-under, 83d (83d, 83d); 37-42, B£d (3gd, 8|d); 43-50, Bgd (Bj}d, 8id); 2nd quality, average, 33, 7jjd (7id, 7id); other South Island brands, 36- Bid (Bid, 8|d); 37-42, Bgd (Bgd, Bjjd); 43-50, Bid (Bid, 8|d); selected North Island brands, including Downs, 36-under, 83d (83d, 83d); 37-42, 33d (83d, 83d); 4350, &id (B|d, Bjjd); 2nd quality, average, 31, 7id (7id, 7gd);, other North Island brands, Ist quality, 36-under, 8d (Bd, 8d); 37- Bid (Bid, Sfd); 2nd quality, average, 31, 7d (7d, 6id). Australian lambs, Victorian let quality, not quoted. Argentine lamb, Ist quality, 36-under, 37,42, (6Jd, 6|d). New Zealand beef, ox fores, not quoted (3|d, 3|d); hinds, not quotod (sid, bid); cow fores, not quoted; hinds, not quoted. Argentine chilled beef, ox fores, 4id (4d, '3£d); hinds, 7id (6|d, 6id). Australian frozen beef, ox crops, over IOOd, 4d (4d, 4d); hinds, over 160, sgd (s§d, s!d). New Zealand prime porker pigs, 60100, BJd (B£d, 8id); 100-120, Bid (Sid, 8d). New Zealand prime baconer pigs, 121-130, 7d (7d, 7d). New Zealand frozen veal, not quoted. New Zealand lambs: Market firm with consumption satisfactory. Slightly better prices for second quality lamb. New Zealand mutton: Wethers meeting better enquiry with improved prices. Ewe mutton, market is firmer at better prices. Beef: Better demand for frozen owing to higher prices Argentine chilled beef. Stocks of New Zealand beef light. New Zealand porker pigs: Market firm and continues to improve. New Zealand baconer pigs: Nominal prices owing to low prices ruling for Continental bacon. Levin and Coy., ltd., have received the following cable from their London agents, dated 19th September, 1930: Frozen meat quotations (prices on a “delivered” basis, i.e., including storage charges, cartage, irorket tolls, etc.): North Island Down lambs, none offering; best North Island crossbred lambs 28/361bs 8 3-4 d per lb. ; 36/42, 8 3-4 d; North Island second quality lambs, average, 30/31, 7id.; best North Island wether sheep, under 48 6 3-8 d; 48/56, 5 3-8 d; 56/64, 5 l-8d; 64/72, 4gd; North Island ewes under 48, 3 3-4 d; 48/ 56, 3-id; 56/64, 3 3-8 d; 64/72, 3RI; New Zealand prime ox beef, 160/220, none offering. As compared with last week’s quotations, North Island second quality lamb id per lb. higher; others unchanged. Beat North Island wether under 48lbs. id per lb. higher, 48/561bs. l-8d per lb. higher; 56/64 lbs. l-4d North Island ewes, id per lb higher. The lamb market is steady. The market for mutton is firm, with good demand.

“Neither of use to man nor beast,” was the terse comment of Mr T. P. Hunter, a member of th© Waipawa Hospital Board, recently when referring to the trouble occasioned farmers in connection with certain agricultural and pastoral returns required by tho State.

GRAIN AND PRODUCE. CANTERBURY MARKETS. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 19. Between Wednesday and yesterday the price of potatoes took a jump from £3 10s to £4 5s f.0.b., s.i., and ono sale was made at £4 10s f.0.b., s.i. Yesterday a sale was made at £4 2s f.0.b., s.i., and on Thursday night thcro wero buyers at 85s, but no sellers. Yesterday the position was reversed; there were sellers at 85s, but no buyers at that figure, though business could be dono at a littlo lower price. The Karetu left Lyttelton last night with potatoes for Auckland, and tho Waimarino, which is now loading at Timaru, will bo at Lyttelton on Monday to take further supplies for Auckland, though tho season is now far advanced and picking over has started, growers seem disinclined _to sell, generally speaking, except at higher than market price. It would appear that notwithstanding tho presence on tho Auckland market of new potatoes that market has rapidly absorbed the supplies which have been sent lately from the South Island. The price quoted to-day to farmers is £3 on trucks, which is low for this time of tho year, and farmers are disinclined to sell at this figure. There is a demand for October supplies. Millers are buying supplies of wheat freely from tho wheat pool, and Inoro is practically no wheat loft on growers hands Fowl wheat is also moving off, tho demand for this coming chiefly from tho West Coast and North Island. Chaff is now. offering more freely than it was earlier in tho season, though whero it has come from, in view of the hard winter which was experienced, is somewhat of a mystery, fior good bright quality, £5 to £5 5s a ton is being offered. THE STOCK EXCHANGES. NO BUSINESS YESTERDAY. No dealings in stocks and shares were reported yesterday, the stock exchanges being closed on account of the Dominion Day holiday. SYDNEY WOOL SALES. SYDNEY, Sept. 22. At the wool sales to-day, 11,421 bales were offered, of which 9*44 were sold at auction. , , , The average price of the wool sold last week was 8.6 d per lb. The market to-day was again on a par with the closing rates of last week, with good general competition. GreasyMerino made up to 13id. THE WOOL INDUSTRY. A BRADFORD CRITIC. Everybody is agreed that there is something wrong with the wool textile industry—that there is a great problem to bo solved—but it is no easy matter to define exactly what is the problem (says a recent editorial of the Textile Argus, Bradford). Before a remedy can be found it is an easy matter to define exactly what is wrong. The president of the Board of Trade has been pressed in the House of Commons to appoint a committee of inquiry into the wool textile industry, but he has obviously been reluctant to accede to the request. As a matter of fact, the industry has been rather afflicted with inquiries since the war. There have been at least half-a-dozen of one sort or another. The doctors have differed, and the patient is still suffering acutely. If anything, is to come of another inquiry it had better come from within rather than be imposed on the industry by a Government with preconceived ideals and fixed beliefs. For this reason we were impressed by Lord Barnby’s outspoken article in the Yorkshire Observer, in which lie urged that “no time should be lost in making arrangements to call together the different trade federations with a view to setting up some permanent body of trained minds to investigate and co-ordinate the numerous problems of the industry.” It is undoubtedly a series of problems, rather than a one outstanding problem, that has to he faced. If there is to be such an inquiry it should start with an absolutely clean slate. It is no use entering upon an investigation if ono party is out to prove, for example, that safeguarding is the only solution, and another party is determined to prove that there is no justification for departing from the cherished principles of Freetradc. That would not be an inquiry; it would be a mere political debate. If an inquiry is to be worth while it should be absolutely free from any political prejudices one way or the other and there should be fearless and wholehearted support for any clearly indicated solution. There is a vast difference between a scientific inquiry and a mero controversy. AUSTRALIAN -PORK EXPORTS. The New Zealand pork export trade is likely to have competition from Australia. Experimental shipments aro on tho way, and with, cheaper grain feed than in New Zealand, Australia may be able to produce and sell at a greater advantage than this country. The Metropolitan Meat Board of Sydney has resolved: “That it be a recommendation to the pig-raisers of New South Wales that in order to produce a standardised article for local and export markets, they should specialise on a combination of the Tamworth and Berkshire breeds for tho production of bacon, hams, and frozen carcasses for pork.”

EMPIRE FARMERS' TOUR.

IMPRESSIONS OF NEW ZEALAND,

REWARD OF UNITY.

The Agricultural Correspondent of the London Times writes under date Mav 31:

The Empire farmers, who during the last four months have been touring New Zealand and parts of Australia under the auspices of the British National Union, have returned to their homes. The party came into contact with Maori life at one or two places in the North Island. At Rotorua, besides acting as guides in the thermal areas, a party of Maori men and women gave to the party a special. performance of their native songs and dances in the local theatre. . It was all of great interest, but nothing left so deep and lasting an impression as the wonderful beauty of New Zealand’s alpine scenery, its snowcapped mountains and its valleys. From an agricultural point of view the tour was exceedingly instructive. Two things, above all, impressed the party, as it must all visitors to the country—the remarkable fertility of the soil and the wonderful character of the climate. In these respects no country in the world has been more richly endowed by . Nature. The settlers have been quick to respond to these advantages, and their industry and enterprise, and not least the spirit of unity and co-operation which permeate the whole social structure, have brought the reward which they so much deserve. LAND VALUES.

A matter which quite early in the tour aroused a gcfOd deal of interest was that of land values, of which remarkable figures were mentioned from time to time. Tliq party were informed that immediately after the war as much as £l6O per acre was paid for grazing land in the North Island, asnd that similar land to-day was probably within the region or £l2O. Prices, however, vary considerably even in the same district; it is all a question of stock-carrying capacity, and the visitors learned that, taking the stock-raising districts of the North Island generally, the price of land to-day varies from £SO to £7O per acre. This land would probably carry one eow to one and a-half acres, or four sheep to the acre. In considering these prices it must npt be overlooked that in this particular portion of the Dominion grass grows practically all the year round, and on these rich pastures no hand-feed-ing of stock is needed during any part of the year. In the South Island, where climatic conditions are not quite the same and where arable farming is more in evidence, the price of land varies from £2O to £3O. It follows from the above that farms for the most part are of reasonably limited size. The total number of occupied holdings in 1928 was 50,71 b, and of these 63,000 were of no larger extent than 320 acres, and 40,000 did not exceed 100 acres. BETTER FARMHOUSES NEEDED. If one might venture a criticism of New Zealand farm life, it would be that the average farmer thinks too little of his personal comfort and is content with a residence in keeping with early pioneering days. Even taking into consideration tlio risks from earthquakes, which, although of periodic occurrence, cause little or no anxiety to the resident population, a much higher type of farmhouse and buildings might be expected. A new era of farm architecture in New Zealand is much overdue. . , , r A number of more important freezing works and dairy factories were visited, and everyone was filled with admiration for tho strikingly efficient lines on which these institutions were run. The widely extended system of grassland top dressing as a means of stimulating production proved of especial interest. The area under tnis treatment is being increased at the rate of many hundreds of thousands of acres annually, and, according to the Director-General of Agriculture, some 35,000 tons of phosphate fertilisers are now used in lengthening both the growth period and increasing the actual production of high protein grass. Included in the touring party were several authorities on both sheep and cattle. In the opinion of the sheep experts, the soil and climate of New Zealand are well suited to sheep farming. The fact that such numbers are kept and so many, lambs are sold fat when weaned, while others are easily made fat. without artificial feeding, is considered' to be proof of the value of the natural conditions. The Romneys, Corriedales, and Merinos are the principal ewe flocks, the Leicesters and Southdowns being kept mainly to breed rams for crossing purposes. CATTLE BREEDS. In cattle the little Jersey is popular throughout the dairying districts of the North Island, but is followed at no great distance by the Friesian, the Shorthorn and the Ayrshire. The majority of the cattle of the Dominion, however, are blended with the best of various breeds. Some of tho experts were less impressed by the beef cattle. Tho majority of these cattle were four years old and from lOcwt to 13cwt live weight before they reached the freezing works. It is not assumed that the country cannot produce early matured cattle as early bunches of yearlings and two-year-old 'cattle were seen, many of them fed entirely on grass —but at the moment beef cattle apparently occupy a secondary position among wealth-produc-ing animals, and are largely used to trample down the native bush fern and other growths as a preliminary to cleaner and better pasture for sheep whicE follow. Opportunity was taken on several occasions to call attention to the existing restrictions in New Zealand on the importation of stud stock from Great Britain. It was pointed out that both Australia and South, Africa had now lifted the embargo and were receiving, after quarantine, stud stock from the Old Country such as New Zealand evidently needed at the present time. It is to be feared that the suggestion that New Zealand should similarly admit stud stock from tho Old Country met with little or no approval, although the need for fresh blood was generally admitted. It only remains to state that the Empire Party after leaving New Zealand spent an interesting time in New South Wales and Victoria, where they were welcomed by the Government and civic and agricultural authoTIN PRODUCTION. LONDON, Sept. 19. The Tin Producers’ Association announces that the total of the world’s tin production during eight months of tho current year to August 31 was 113,379 tons, as against 122,035. tons for the corresponding period of last year. The reduction in the world’s total production last month as compared with the monthly average of last year is 28 por cent. As some companies did not completely suspend operations during August, a further reduction in output is expected this month. The price of tin was £l33' 11s 9d per ton on the London market to-day a reduction of 10s on yesterday’s price. Copper was also lower at £45 14s 4d per ton. ,

MARKET REPORT. The Dominion Auctioneering Coy., Palmerston North, report the following prices:—i cases cooking apples, 3s 6d to 3s 9d; 5 cases dessert apples, 4s to 4s 6d; bushel cases cooking apples, 7s 6d; bushel cases dessert apples, 8s to 10s 6d; carrots 18s 6d per 100 lb. bag; cauliflower, 7s to 12s per sack according to quality; cabbage, 6s to 9s 6d; parsnips 9s 6d per bag. Prices for Saturday’s pig and poultry sale are as follow : Porkers, 37s 6d to 42s 6d; stores, 33s to 38s 6d; slips, 25s to 265; weaners, 18s 6d to 19s; poultry, laying hens 3s to 3s 6d; pullets 4s 6d to 5s 6d; table birds, heavy 4s to 4s 6d, whites, 3s to 3s sd; ducks 3s to 3s 3d.

OPPOSSUM SKIN SALE. Dalgety and Coy., Ltd., Wellington, report having received advioe from their Dunedin office on the opossum skin sale held in that centre on the 19th instant: “18,000 skins offered; our catalogue 14,000 skins; keen demand, prices 3d to Is higher; blacks sold up to 11s, blues up to 10s.”

BUFFALO FLY PEST.

SWISS AUTHORITY’S INVESTIGATION.

Dr. Handschin, Professor of Entomology at Basl© University, Switzerland, who will be associated with investigations into the buffalo fly pest in Australia by officers of tho Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, has arrived at Melbourne.

Dr. Handschin will go to Canberra to consult with Dr. Tillyard, director of investigations, and will then sail for Darwin to spend several months examining the habits of the pests. The visitor said that he had made a number of investigations into methods of dealing with buffalo flies in laboratories in Switzerland, and had been fired with the desire to secure practical knowledge of the conditions under which the pest, bred and flourished. For that reason ho had come to Australia, but was disappointed because he could spare not more than a few montlis for tne work. CEREAL CROPS. SEASON’S HARVEST. “The season’s cereal harvest has been below average, mainly on account of tho unseasonable weather in the spring and early summer, and yields generally per acre show a decline in comparison with the previous season, particularly in respect of wheat,” states the annual report of Mr J. W. Deem, Director of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture, presented to Parliament. ‘‘Actual figures are not yet available, but it is estimated that 234,500 acres of wheat were sown, as against an actual sowing of 257,873 acres in the previous season. “Of this latter acreage 255,312 acres were actually harvested for threshing and yielded a total of 8,832,864 bushels, or 34.60 bushels pere acre. The estimated Dominion average yield per acre for 1929-30 season is 30.66 busiieis for approximately 7,100,000 bushels total yield. Actual threshings so far show that the yield per acre is 31.10 bushels, and at this yield 4,352,068 bushels have been secured up to the present. ‘‘lt is possible that the crop still remaining in stack will yield slightly above tiie estimated yield of 30.56 bushels per acre, and if such is tho case the total estimated yield of 7,100,000 bushels will be exceeded by about 117,000 bushels. “So far as the oat crop is concerned, it was estimated that -for 1929-30 275,000 acres were sown, as compared with 267,739 acres actually harvested in 1928-29. Threshings so far average 41.76 bushels per acre. This is approximately the same yield as was obtained the previous season. The position generally in respect of oats and oaten cliaff is quite satisfactory. “In respect of barley the percentage threshed for the five seasons inded 1928-29 was 98.23 of the total area under that crop. The estimated area sown in 1929-30 was 20,500 acres, and, assuming that a similar proportion is threshed this year, there should be ample barley to meet Dominion requirements. “The area in potatoes in 1929-30 was estimated at 22,600 acres, as against an actual area in the previous season of 21,304 acres. Basing the yield on the average yield per acre for the last live years, the total yield from the estimated area sown for 1929-30 should approximate 124,000 tons, as against 123,607 tons in tho 1928-29 season. The quantity available will provide more than ample potatoes for the Dominion’s requirements.”