FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 5, 5 December 1930, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

HEMP MARKET. NOVEMBER GRADING RETURNS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) FOXTON, Dec. 4. The grading returns for hemp, tow, strip- 1 per tow, and stripper slips for the month of November have been issued by the -j Department of Agriculture as follow: . Ports. G.F. H.F. L.F. C. i Auckland 28 198 102 99 | Wellington Foxton Picton 92 5 Blenheim 15 7 Dunedin 15 Bluff Nino bales at Auckland, 19 at Welling- 1 ton, 48 at Foxton and 8 at tho Bluff wore < rejected. One bale at the Bluff was con- j demned. The number of bales in each grade was as follows, tho number for tho corresponding period of last year being given in parentheses:—Fine ini (22), good fair 150 (228), high fair 462 (2697), low fair 273 (1959), common 142 (855), rejected 84 (233), condemned 1 (3), a total of 1112 bales as against 5997 bales graded tho samo period last year, a decrease of 4885 bales. 1 The following shows the detailed particulars of the tow graded Ports. Ist. 2nd. 3rd. 4th. Auckland Wellington Picton 52 Bluff , Tho following shows tho number of bales in each grade, the number for the coircsponding period of last year being given in parentheses :-First grade 52 (74), second grade 179 (1099),. third grade 46 (513 , Fourth grado 20 (nil), condemned nil (60), a total of 297 bales as against 1746 bales graded in the same period last year, a decrease of 1449 bales. _ c • Stripper Slips.—-Three bales at the Bluti were graded second grade. A total number of. three bales as against 98 bales graded the same period last year, a decrease of 95 bales. , Stripper tow.—There was no stripper tow graded for tho month. AN INVASION. MILLIONS OF LOCUSTS. A great army has raised its standard in Victoria (says a Melbourne report). Down through the State its millions of brown uniformed mercenaries have been advancing, leaving desolation in their wake. Already hundreds of acres of oats and grass have been laid waste. Many districts have felt the iron heel, and it has been difficult to say where the army, would strike Every now' and again it vanishes, and then it appears again out of the clear sky, and the damage goes on ruthlessly. These marauders go by the name of Pachytelus Australis, which, in common terms stands for the common Australian locust, and when, they gather in millions, as they sometimes do, they can do an enormous amount of damage. Millions of these flying grasshoppers took possession of the Rochhester district one day*, and they did not leave it until the following day. They did not show any respect for anything. Thousands of them landed on the iron roof of a local dance hall throughout the evening and it sounded like a heavy fall of rain. They - took possession of the bowling green and ate from 1 its surface every particle of grass. They even refused to leave when the water sprinklers were turned on to them. Private gardens suffered dreadfully. Scarcely a green thing was left. Then, as suddenly as they came they departed, the commander-in-chief evidently deciding that he would seek pastures new and-green. Great fears are being expressed that the attackers will lay waste the oat crops that have not yet been harvested. Oats are favoured by this , vast company of Vagabonds.' It is fortunate that: the ."grasshopper- army has done comparatively little damage in Australia. In South Africa they have caused thousands of pounds worth of damage at different times. Still /Victoria is taking ho risks, and the enemy will 1 not be permitted to continue' unchecked.. Two very effective ways of dealing with them have been devised, : and unless they are more canny than they are usually K iv en credit for, molasses, for which -they have an inordinate fondness, may be their downfall. Baits of bran, molasses, and- poison are laid for -them, and it is surprising how quickly the enemy can be made to vanish. _ ' This army of millions should soon be no morel HORSES IN THE SHOW RING. The old adage regarding manners applies very strongly to horses in the show ring (says an exchange). The person, be he either the owner ■ qr groom, who is going to show a horse in the ring should handle him a good deal at home, and while horses are seen to better advantage in. the hands of some showmen more than others, does it not stand to reason that the person who has, to say the least of it been giving, a horse part of his work at home is in a better position to get the most out of him in the show ring than the one who has never, or any rate, scarcely ever, had hold of him. DAMP WOOL. In a booklet to wool-growers containing much useful advice regarding the preparation of the clip for sale, attention is drawn to the very serious complaints received from consumers of wool during the last two years, as to some wools having been shown damp in New Zealand. Not- only has the staple been injured, but the loss in weight between store in New Zealand and the user’s store has been considerable, some clips losing 51b and 101 b, and even up to 201 b per bale. This is not as it should be,” states * the book, “and the buyer is not receiving a square deal in such cases. We trust all our clients will avoid shearing sheep when there is any suspicion ot dampness. IP wool by any chance is packed damp, claims for loss of weight 1 will rest upon the grower.

KAURI TIMBER COMPANY. SYDNEY, Dec. 4. The Kauri Timber Company, Limited, during the year ended August 31 made a not profit of £18,643, which is £2287 below that of the previous year.

YOUNG FARMERS’ CLUBS. MOVEMENT POPULAR IN ENGLAND. People with country instincts and tastes cannot fail to wish well to the Young Farmers’ Club movement, though one is bound to confess that its spread in this country has not been so rapid as might have been expected (says the Yorkshire Post). Yet the movement is growing, and. there is really no limit to the scope of its usefulness. In Canada and the United States, whence we derived the idea, these clubs are looked upon as the most important branch of agricultural education. We cannot say the same here yet, but it would be hazardous to deny the strong probability of it. The Post gathers, from the annual report just issued, that there are about VO clubs now at work in the country, and that last year the membership roll was doubled —from 500 to 1000. This little army would make a considerable showing in a march past. Every member of the club, it is remarked, “looks after something 1 which lives and grows, either animal, bird or plant,' and this living thing is made the basis of club activities.” Sere, indeed, we see the great merit of the movement —not only that it is confined to young people, but that their contact with life is actual and real. There are calf clubs, pig clubs, rabbit clubs, bee clubs, poultry clubs, gardening clubs. The youngsters buy some young animal, or have it bought for them j they feed it and care for itj and on a given day there is a show and sale of the members’ stock, the proceeds of which help to recoup the cost of maintenance and perhaps yield a Pl The Northumberland Calf Club made an average profit last year of £4 10s, and the Durham Club’s corresponding figure was from £2 to £3. Of course, profit is not the aimj- but it is better than a loss. This interest in, and care of, living things is, it will be agreed, a wholesome toil to the loss worthy distractions of the age, colouring the young person’s entire outlook upon life, and most likely determining its bent. i It is essentially a village movement. Though no more than ten years old on this side of the Atlantic, it has succeeded in producing a team of stock judges—as was demon striated at tne recent lloyal Show —capable of wresting the international trophy from America. More impressive even than the team’s “eye” for the points of an animal was their capacity for verbal exposition, justifying their opinions by an ordered flow of appropriate language. - ' CLOSE-GRAZING pastures. "Very interesting results have been secured through tests on the new system of close-grazing pasturage being conducted by the .Division ot Animal Husbandry of the Canadian Department of Agriculture (says an overseas P ”lhe object of the : “close-grazing” ' system is to provide a fairly continuous supply of pasture feed containing a high protein content. The general scheme is to have a field area laid out in a series of pastures of a size suitable to the number of animals being grazed, and which will permit of one week s Kding alternating with three weeks’ iwth for the herbage. At the same tune particular regard has to be paid to’’ a liberal application of suitable fertilisers to induce and maintain plant growth. . . . The system was instituted in Germany some years ago, and has been practised with varying degrees of success by dairymen on the Continent The success of the system in' operation depends more on sound judgment and close observation than on any fixed rule. Seasonal conditions also have direct bearing on the quality of feed : developed. ? The work at present is still very much in the experimental stage in Canada, but the system holds much of promise for the future from the dairyman’s standpoint. Three weeks lias been fouud the most satisfactory period for herbage growth. Animals are grazed on one section of the pasture for a week at a time, and with the use OtTfour sections a fresh section is available each week with three weeks’ growth of herbage rich in protein content.

THE HOOF OF GOLD. How many farmers there are to-day who some months back said that they coaid farm any land successfully without the aid of the golden hoof? This in the face of the great knowledge ofitjie past generation, who were amongst those who knew that “Without sheep you can’t grow corn,” especially in the poor calcareous soils- that overlie the chalk in so many parts of our country (savs an English exchange). .True we can do marvels with our artificial man-, ures and by good cultivation, but those wiio have kept sheep affirm, and with truth, that a flock of' ewes, plus good cropping, plus their treading and feeding, and plus their manure, will help to swell the profits and to make the corn bins bulge on any ordinary farm whether it be situated .on ; the flinty 60ils of the hills or the good brick loams of the hinterland. Those who- possess that knowledge, that is as a coat of manure unto the land or an extra ‘dressing of potent artificial fertiliser to the better land, know the value of the sheep, and are not slow to proclaim it far and wide. Not only do the sheep dress the land with rich, manure taken purely from the crops and herbs that grow on the land, but by their : treading they consolidate the light ' soil and prevent the working of the 1 pest of wireworms, while by topping all the weeds, the old ewes' prevent the seeding of the land by noxious pests, and so ensure a clean farm. All the time the ewes are paying by' the wool thev yield and by the crops of lambs they give the farmer.

SALE AT FITZHERBERT. Dalgety and Coy., Ltd., report holding a special - sale- of wethers in Mr C. T. Keeble’s yards at Fitzherbert .on Thursday, 4th inst. Some. 2000 odd were yarded and, while, bidding was not animated, there was a steady demand and a total clearance effected. Quotations Cull 2th ewes, 9s 9d; small 2-th wethers,. 10s 7d, 10s 9d, 11s Id; good 2-tooth wethers, 13s 8d: 2 and 4-th wethers, 13s Id, 13s 6d, 13s 9d; 4-tli Aethers, 13s. 4d, 14s 4d; cull woolly : wethers, 12s. A line of 640 4-th woolly wethers realised 16s lOd. .

. SYDNEY WOOL SALES. SYDNEY, Dec. 4. At . the wool sales, to-day, the offerings totalled 11,105 bales, of which 107199 were sold at auction, also 1355 sold privately. There was animated competition from all sections of the trade. Prices were’equal to those ruling yesterday,

with a special demand for superfine wools and a new Australian record for the season of 29jd, realised for the offering from Windsor in this State.

PRICE OF GOLD. LONDON, Dec. 3. Tlie price of gold is 85s lid per oz.

WELLINGTON STOCK EXCHANGE. YESTERDAY’S BUSINESS AND PRICES. There were no sales reported on the Wellington Stock Exchange yesterday, and there was only a moderate demand for shares with no great variation in prices. There was a slightly better demand for Government securities. For the 51 per cent stock (1933) £99 was bid, and for the bonds £99 10s. The 5i per cent stocks (1941) were wanted at £95. . There was a poor demand for bank shares and prices continue low. Bank of Australasia, at £9 Bs. were 2s higher; for Commercial Bank of Australia 15s lid was bid, the previous sale being at 16s lid. National Bank of Australasia, £5 paid, were steady at' £5 2s 6d. There was no offer for Bank of New South Wales, but sellers asked £29 10s. Bank of New Zealand were in demand at 525, but sellers asked 6d more. Sellers or English, Scottish and Australian Bank raised the price 3s to £5 4s, but there was no bidding for the shares. Tor Union Bank sellers again asked 12s 6d. Goldsbrough, Mort and Co. were offered at 21s 6d, but buyers were absent. It was stated that this concern had declared an interim dividend of 5 per cent; this is incorrect, the company having decided on passing the dividend. On Wednesday they were in demand at 225. New Zealand Guarantee Corporation were a shade lower at 6s lid, but New Zealand Investment Mortgage at 10s were unchanged. Wellington Gas preference were steady at 16s 9d. .New Zealand Refrigerating, 20s paid, were wanted at 9s 6d. Huddartr-Pnrker, preference, 19s 9d, Union Steam at 20s, and Kelburn 'l'ram at 29s lOd, were firm Taupiri Coal were unchanged at 22s da. Tooth’s Brewery were in demand at 22s ex dividend, and New Zealand Breweries were offered at 42s ex dividend. Burns, Philp and Coy. were firm at 30s. There was no bid for British Tobacco, but sellers asked 32s 6d. The quarterly dividend of tius concern is payable at the end of the year, for each of the past three quarters 3 per cent was paid, and the market is wondering whether the dividend for the final quarter will be at the same rate or lower. Electrolytic Zinc, preference, at 17s '3d,* and Howard Smith ordinary at 7s 6d, were unchanged. Taranaki Oil were wanted at 2s 2d. Wilson’s Cement were in demand at 38s 6d, with sellers at 40s. Consolidated Brick and Pipe were firm at 12s 6d. Mount Lyell were 3d up at 20s.

YESTERDAY’S QUOTATIONS,

Buying and selling quotations at the final call on the Wellington Stock Exchange yesterday were as follow: • J Buyers. Sellers.

YESTERDAY’S SALES The . folowing sales were recorded on the stock exchanges of the Dominion yesterday : {Wellington.—Nil.. Auckland. —Late sales Wednesday : Bank of. ' Australasia £lO, Eng., Scot, and Australian Bank £4 19s, N.Z. Insurance £2 Is 9d. Thursday’s sales: Inscr. Stock, 5J p.c., 1936 £99 7s 6d, Mt. Eden Borough, 5J p.c., 1964, £97 10s Bank 1 of New Zealand £2 12s 4d, N.Z. Insurance £2 Is 9d, Waipa Coal 7s Auckland Gas £1 3s 3d, British Tobacco £1 10s, Electro. Zinc, ord. 11s 9d Taranaki Oil (2) 2s 3d; Wailn G'.M. 14s.' Christchurch. —Inscr. Stock, 4$ pci, 1938 £9B 10s, Commercial Bank of Aust 16s 2d, (2) 16s Id, Bank of New Zealand, cum div. £2 12s 6d, £2 12s 4d, £2'l2s 3d, Goldsbrough, Mort £1 (3) 19s 9d, N.Z. Guarantee Corporation (3) 7s, N.Z. Breweries, ex div. (2) £2 2s, £2 Is lOd, £2 Is 9d, Tooth’s Brewery t£l 3s lOd, British Tobacco, cum. div. £1 10s 2d, Mt. Lyell. cum div. (2) £1 0s 3d, (2) £1 Os 4d, Mahakipawa Bd, (a) 7id, Gas 10s paid 12s. Sales reported: Commercial Bank of Aust. 16s 3d, Govt, bonds, 5J p.c., 1933 £99 17s 6d, Bank of N.Z., cum. div. (2) £2 12s 3d, Mount Lyell £1 0s 7d. Dunedin. —Sales reported: Mount Lyell £1 Os 4d, Okarito 5s 2d.

SYDNEY STOCK EXCHANGE. SYDNEY, Dec. 4. Goldsbrough Mort shares reacted today following the announcement .that no interim' half-yearly dividend was being paid this month owing to the low prices - of ' primary products and the uncertain political and financial outlook ; disbursement considerations accordingly being held over until March 31. The investment market generally was most irregular to-day. Commonwealth bonds, strengthened slightly and a large volume 'of business is being done in them. Bank shares also firmed, except in two instances. Bank of New Zealand were again a bit weaker at 575.. ' • "/* _ ; ■

BUTTER MARKET. AUSTRALIAN "SHIPMENTS TO CANADA. VANCOUVER, Dec. 3. The Sun newspaper says that Australian exporters are preparing to flood Canada with twenty million pounds of butter before April, landed in Canada at twenty-four cents, charges paid. It is believed in Australia that butter can be shipped on consignment, thus escaping the dumping duty, paying only one cent per pound import duty, until April. What the Australians are planning is known here through the bulletin of the Australian Dairy Products and Export Board of October 21, which says that the shipments will be made to Atlantic ports as well as Vancouver through a prominent Canadian importing firm.

WHEAT MARKET. "LONDON, Dec. 3. ' Wheat cargoes are in sympathy with America, but there is little change in the quotations. Parcels are in small request, occasionally 3d in advance. Futures: London, December 23,, February 23s 3d. Liverpool, December 4s lid, March 5s ljd, May 5s 3fd. UNITED STATES TARIFF. WASHINGTON, Dec. 3. It is learned that the Agricultural Committee of the Senate has been discussing the question of raising the wheat tariff, which is now standing at 42 cents. Such a move, while it might have a beneficial effect on political fortunes is considered by farm experts as probably unnecessary from the economic viewpoint. SHOW CHAMPIONSHIP. NEW YORK, Dec. 3. Advice from Chicago states that Herman Treallo, of Wembley, Alberta, won the Grand Wheat Championship at the International Livesock Show. Exhibiting hard Redspring wheat, Mr Trealle wrested victory from George Avery, of Kelso, Saskatchewan, who won the reserve championship with.an exhibition of Durum.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE. SYDNEY, Dec. 4. Wheat. —Ex trucks Sydney, 2s G}d per bushel; country sidings,. Is lljd. Flour, £8 per ton. Bran, £4 5s per ton. Pollard, £4 15s per ton. Potatoes, Tasmanian and West Australian, £10; local, £7 per ton. Onions, Victorian Globes, £8 10s per ton. Oats, White, 3s 6d; Algerian, 4s per bushel. Maize, 3s 9d per bushel. ADELAIDE, Dec. 4. Wheat, 2s 5Jd per bushel; flour, £7 15s per ton; bran, £4 per ton; pollard, •£4 5s per ton; oats, Is 7d to Is lid per bushel.

ADVANCES ON WHEAT. CANBERRA, Dec. 4. The Commonwealth Bank Board has agreed to make an advance of 2s a bushel on wheat of the present season’s crop. This is equivalent to Is 6d a bushel at country sidings.

N.Z. GOVT. LOANS— £ e. d. £ s. d. 4£ p.c. Insc. Stk., 1939 — 98 17 6 — 98 15 5i p.c. ditto, 1933 99 0 0 99 10 0 5i p.c. ditto, 1941 95 0 0 p.c. bonds, 1933 ... 99 10 0 BANKS— _ „ Australasia y a u 0 19 Aust. of Commerce ... — Commercial of Aust. .... (ord.) 0 10 11 English, Scottish and Australian — National of N.Z — *5 10 Nat. A’aeia. (£5) 5 2 6 +5 7 6 — +29 10 0 New Zealand 2 12 0 *2 12 6 Union of Aust — FINANCIAL — _ „ Equitable -Bldg. Co. « • 10 1"*I Goldebrough Mort .... — 6 N.Z. Guarantee Corp. (ord.) ..; 0 611 0 7 0 N.Z. Invest.-, Mtg. and Deposit. 0 10 0 - GAS- " 'V Wellington (ord.) ...... 4 "i 9 011 6 Ditto'(pref.) 0 16 9 INSURANCE— ' _ - New Zealand — 2 2 MEAT PRESERVING — _ 1 15 6 N.Z. Refrigerate (£1) 0 9 6 — Ditto (10s) . 0 3 TRANSPORT— Huddart-Parker (pref.) 0 19 9 — Union Steam (pref.) . 1 0 0 — Kelburn Tram (ord.) 1 9 10 COAL— . . , Taupiri (ord.) 1 Z 0 TIMBER— Kauri *0 13 0 BREWERIES— _ Now Zealand — fz z U Staples and Co. — 2 0 6 Tooth’s +1 2 0 — MISCELLANEOUS— _ _ British Tobacco (ord.) — 1 1U y Burns, Philp and Co. 1 10 0 1 12 6 Electro. Zinc (prof.) . 0 17 3 — Howard Smith (ord.) 0 7 6 0 12 Newton King (pref.) — 6 Taranaki Oil 0 2 2 0 3 0 Wilson’s Cement 1 18 6 +2 0 0 Con. Brick and ..Pipe [0.12 6 . 0 15 0 MINING— *10 0 - _ *Cum. dividend. +Ex dividend.