FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 27, 2 January 1931, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL

EMPIRE BUTTER TRIUMPH. LONDON BROADCAST TALK. New Zealand has quadrupled its butter exports in the last nine years, according to Mr H. E. Davis, London manager of the New Zealand Dairv Produce Board, who delivered one of the Empire Marketing Board’s wireless broadcast talks from London recently. During the dairying year ended July 31, the Dominion produced 110,000 tons of butter, of which 70,000 tons were exported to Great Britain, 20,000 tons to Canada, and only 2000 tons to- other countries. The 92,000 ton 6 exported compared with 23,000 tons in 1921. “It is confidently predicted by many people thoroughly familiar with our wonderful conditions of soil and climate that we shall further double our present production of butter within the next 10 years,” said Mr Davis. New Zealand, already the world’s largest per capita buyer of . English goods, would be able largely to increase its purchases of British manufactures if its butter exports to .the Homeland were doubled, added Mr Davis. At the present time the Dominion purchases £20,000,000 of British goods, equal to £l4 11s per head of population, compared with £3 per head of Eurchases by Denmark, £2 12s per ead by the Argentine, and sixpence per head by Russia.

VETERINARY SCIENCE. GOOD PROSPECTS FOR STUDENTS. Professor J. D. Stewart, Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science, writes in the Sydney Morning Herald as follows: —On my return from visiting many of the leading scientific institutions abroad, I drew attention to the great expansion in the application of veterinary science that has taken place in all the more important countries of the world. The world-wide depression is no doubt to a large measure responsible for the advancement that is taking place, as a considerable portion of national wealth is commonly derived from the primary and secondary industries connected with live stock, and in times of stress the leakages that occur from disease and mortality can be no longer ignored. This has certainly been the case in Australia, and much research work is now being carried out by the Counicl for Scientific and Industrial Research, the universities and different Departments of Agriculture, and still more will be undertaken next year when the Me Master .Laboratory, of Animal Health becomes available. As previously pointed out, my great concern is lest we should be unable to provide the necessary staff to carry on this important work owing to the relatively small number of students studying veterinary science at the University of Sydney, which now offers the only avenue for full and proper qualification. This year is similar to that of previous years in that the number of students who have succeeded in graduating is insufficient to meet the demand, and difficulty is being experienced in filling several lucrative positions, some of which offer prospects that are decidedly good. The University of Sydney has done its part in providing, staffing, and equipping a veterinary school that compares favourably with the old-established colleges of Great Britain, and it remains for the youth of Australia to take advantage of the facilities offered. It also seems to me that the prospects of the veterinary profession in Australia and New Zealand are worthy of the consideration of parents desirous of placing their sons to the best advantage. There was a surprising increase m the stock killings for New Zealand, for the period October 1 to December 15, as compared with the same period in the previous year. The killings of wethers increased by 15,140, of ewes by 18,670, and of lambs by 283,255. The increase is confined almost exclusively to the North Island, as the season in the South Island has just started. In the North Island killings of wethers increased by 18,786, whereas in the South Island they decreased by 3646. Killings of ewes increased by 18,415 in the North Island, and by only 255 in the South; and the increase in lambs was 267,720 in the North Island and 15,535 in the South.

GOVERNMENT STOCK. LONDON, Deo. 31. The following table gives quotations for consols ana colonial inscribed stocks, comnared with those of December 24:

SYDNEY WOOL SALES. PRICE OVER PAST SIX MONTHS. Wool has sold readily during the halfyear’s Sydney sales, which closed on December 18. Over the period 90 per cent, of the quantity offered has sold at auction and the market has certainly not been overloaded with wool. On many occasions when much larger offerings have been made considerably higher prices have been realised. The figures below show the quantity of wool sold on the market from July 1 to the Christmas recess during the past five years, and the average price greasy ob-

CHEAP STOCK. Apropos the recent cabled message from Brisbane reporting a sale of 2000 five-year ewes at 6d per head, it is interesting to note the following mailed advice from the same quarter, dated December 15: — Sheep and cattle prices are at a very interesting stage throughout the State. In the west sheep are very low. Lately a lot of 2000 two and four-tooth wethers, carrying three months’ wool, sold at 4s 6d a head. Nearer in and handy to fattening areas on Darling Downs prices are better, but not encouraging. At auction a nice line of two-tooth wethers, spring shorn, went at 7s. Old wethers are. hard to sell owing to the decline for fat sheep. Big yardings at the Brisbane sales continue, and one of the exporting companies has reduced its, competition. Best wethers lately made 13d per lb, plus skin values, the lowest figure in the past 20 years. In North Queensland and the Gulf country big numbers of store cattle have been listed for delivery after the wet season. Some Southern Queensland buyers have taken good lines of bullocks and breeders at £5 for the first-mentioned and £3 to £3 10s for good cows. At the Brisbane sales good fats are making high prices, holding to 28s to 31s on a per 1001 b basis. The market is firm, and heavy supplies have been going to the southern capitals. The annual production of cider in the Dominion (reports the Horticulture Division) stands at approximately 50,000 gallons, of an estimated value of £12,500. The bulk of the cider produced is of first-class quality and finds a ready market. The report adds that this industry offers considerable room for further extension on a profitable basis, especially in the main commercial fruit-farming districts.

Price. Variation £ s. d. s. d. Consols, 24 p.c 57 10 0 Same Fund. Loan, 5, 1960-90 94 10 0 Same War Loan, 5, 1920-47 ... 103 1 3 1 3+ Conversion Ixmn 3£ p.c. 81 15 0 10 Of Victory Bonds, 4 p.o. 96 7 6 5 0* Com’wealth, 5. 1945-75 79 5 0 10 0* Com’ivealth, 6, 1931-41 91 0 0 20 0* Victoria, 3, 192949 56 5 0 35 Ot Victoria, 3A, 1929-49 ... 59 5 0 10 0* Victoria, 54, 1930-40 .. 84 10 0 Same Victoria, 6, 1932-42 .... 78 10 0 5 0* Victoria, 4jf> 1940-60 .. 71 0 0 50 0* N.S.W., 4, 1933 85 0 0 10 Ot N.S.W., 3, 1935 73 0 0 5 0* N.S.W., 34, 1930-50 ... 54 5 0 25 Ot N.S.W., 54, 1922-32 ... 90 10 0 22 6t N.S.W., 64, 1930-40 ... 90 10 0 17 6t N.S.W., 6, 1930-40 . 85 0 0 40 0* Q’land, 5, 1940-60 74 7 6 12 6* Q’land, 3. 1922-47 56 10 0 10 ot Q’land, 6, 1930-40 89 0 0 Same N.Z., 44, 1948-58 87- 0 0 2 6t N.Z., 34, 1940 88' 7 6 12 6* N.Z., 3. 1945 81 0 0 5 Ot N.Z., 6, 1936-51 106 5 0 5 0* S. Australia, 34, 1939 ... 73 0 0 20 0t S Aust. 3, 1916 or after 44 10 0 5 0* S. Aust., 64, 1930-40 ... 91 12 6 17 6* Tasm., 3£, 1920-40 ...... 71 0 0 55 0* 71 10 0 Same Tasm., 64, 1930-40 95 17 6 22 6* W. Aust., 34, 1929-35 ... 79 10 0 Same W. Aust.. 6, 1930-40 ... 87 0 0 Same W. Aust., 6, 1930-40 ... 87 0 0 Same *Lower. fHigher.

tamea: — Bales Average Price 1926 * ... 1927 . ... 648,458 564,240 16d 18*d 1928 540,759 17d 1929 433,794 lid ' 1930 472,364 8d The price for 1930 is approximate, the exact figure able. not yet being avail-