FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 29, 5 January 1931, Page 5

FARMING AND COMMERCIAL.

MANURES' AND WEEDS.

EFFECTS OF LIME.

'Dr Winifred E. Brencliley, _ dealing with the influences of fertilisers on meadow hay, showed that fertilisers exercise an indirect, as well as direct, action on yield on grass and arable land by influencing the growth of plants other than the desired crop, so varying the degree of competition to which the crop is subjected. The composition of weeds or undesirable plants is a much more important factor in determining yield than is generally recognised. On arable land the type of manuring that is favourable to good crop production also favours the growth of weeds. If seasonal conditions encourage the germination and growth of weed seeds before the crop makes headway, the competition causes serious reduction of crop yield, which is frequently more marked with heavy than with light manuring. The potential weed flora may bo very abundant, quantitative experiments at Rothamsted showing that the number of viable weed seeds buried in the soil may run into hundreds of millions per acre ■with certain types of fertilisers. _ On grassland the effect of artificial fertilisers is variously influenced by liming. On heavy land long-continued treatment with sulphate of ammonia and minerals tends to produce acid soil conditions, and the production of a herbage composed of the less desirable grasses and giving relatively low yield. Liming under these conditions increases yield greatly, and changes the balance of composition in favour of more desirable species. On the other hand, on the same soil liming has much less or no beneficial effect with one-sided manures, such as superphosphate alone, or where the soil is tending toward an alkaline reaction due to the use of nitrate of soda and minerals.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING WOOL

The Pastoral Review states that a machine has been patented by two Adelaide experts to clean low-yielding, dry, earthy wools and it will also remove Bathurst burr. It is built on the principle of the old English willow or willey, but modified, improved, and adapted to suit Australian requirements. The use of this machine on large stations in districts where sandy backs form a considerable proportion of the clip, where Bathurst burr is prevalent, and where there is a fair quantity of locks, should result in a big saving in freight. Thousands of tons of earth, sand, and burr are sent annually to market at high cost of freight, receiving, and selling charges, and lieavy cost of packing. No buyer wants the' earth or burr, and a big quantity of lowyielding wool is discounted to a great extent every selling season on account of its shabby appearance and unstoppable condition. For small farmers’ lots the machine could be used either at a depot on co-operative lines, or else quickly transported throughout a district on a motor-lorry to various small shearing sheds. DEHYDRATION OF FRUIT. A discovery of great importance to the fruit and vegetable industry of the United Kingdom is reported to have been made in Manchester. So interesting are the results said to have been that the British Ministry of - Agriculture has had tests carried out under the supervision of one of its technical officials. According to the London Produce Market Review, the invention is a process of dehydration of fruit and vegetables by low temperature drying under special humidity conditions, and is the result of exhaustive research work and experiments by a firm of engineers. Its purpose is to enable foodstuffs to be marketed in dried form while retaining all their vitamins in full potency and essential oils. Under other systems flavour, colour, and vitamins are to a large extent destroyed. Ari eminent bio-chemist, after examining vegetables treated bv the process, reports: “Not only do I find the chlorophyll unchanged, but the vitamin content remains approximately the same as in the fresh product.” The experiments range with every kind of English-grown fruit and vegetable, raw and cooked, including black currants, plums, grapes, apple rings, green peas, carrots, spinach, onions, beetroot, cauliflower, leeks, cabbage, and even mushrooms, together with herbs in everyday household _ use — mint, thyme, sage, parsley, marjoram, etc. The process is unique not only for speed and low cost, but on account of the retention of flavour, colour, and aroma qualities./which do not diminish through long storage.

AUSTRALIAN PRODUCE.

SYDNEY, Jan. 3.

Wheat is not quoted. Flour, £8 per ton; pollard, £4 ss; bran, £3 15s; potatoes, Tasmanian £7 per ton, West Australian £l2, Victorian £10; onions, Globes £10; oats, white 3s 6d per bushel, Algerian 4s; maize, 4s.

WORLD’S WHEAT CROPS. WASHINGTON, Jan. 3. Tho total 1930 wheat crop for 41 countries, exclusive of Russia and. China, is estimated to-day by the United States Department of Agriculture at 3,649,65b,UUU bushels, an increase of 9 per cent, over 1929. Theso 41 countries a year ago accounted for 96 per cent, of tho estimated world crop. . . , Tho current Argentine crop is estimated at 271 404,000 bushels, as against 162,576,000 bushels last year, an increaso of 66 per cent. WHEAT PRICES. LONDON, Jan. 3. Wheat.—Cargoes to-day were quiet and occasionally sixpence higher. Parcels were in quiet request, with little change. London futures: February, 19s 9d per quarter; April, 20s. Liverpool, March, 4s 3d per cental; May, 4s 3£d; July, 4s sd.

CONFERENCE AT BRADFORD.

LONDON, Jan. 3.

Arrangements are being made at Bradford for a conference to be held in the summer between the Yorkshire wool users and the Australian, and Now Zealand growers.

TIN PRODUCTION. LONDON, Jan. 3. The Amsterdam correspondent of the Financial Times learns that the tin production for 1931 has been fixed provisionally at 145,000 tons.

DAIRY PRODUCE. LONDON MARKETS. BOARD’S REPORT. The Dairy Board’s London office quotes prices ruling as at January 2 with those for the previous week in parentheses as follow: — BUTTER. New Zealand, salted, 116e-HBs, ex 120 s (112s-114s; Jan, 3, 1930, 1565-16Qs); unsalted, 116s-120s, ex 122 s (112s-116s; Jan. 3, 1930, 178s-182s); first whey, 108 s (102 s); second whey, 106 s (100 s). Australian, salted, 112s-116s (110s-112s); unsalted, 114s-116s (108s-112s). Argentine, unsalted, 104s-H2s; ex. 114 s * Danish, 131 s, f.0.b.; 140 s, 1425, spot (1325; 140 s). Dutch, unsalted, 1545-1565. CHEESE.

New Zealand, white, 60s-62s (60s; Jan. 3, 1930, 87s-88s); coloured, 59-61 s (58s; Jan. 3, 1930, 85s-86s). Australian, white, 595-60 s (595); coloured, 58s-59s (58s). Canadian, white and colourod, 74e-7Bs, ex. 80s ( ). English finest farmers, 100s-106s (100s--106s). DELIVERIES AND STOCKS. The Empire Marketing Board’s estimate of stocks of all butters ns at December 27 was 252,141 boxes, which comuared with

The estimated stocks of all butters held in storo in London and provincial stores and in ships not discharged at January 1 were 9700 tons. Deliveries of Now Zealand butter during the fortnight ended January 2 were 2500 tons. The quantity in store, not including recent arrivals- by the Ta.inui and Hertford, was 1671 tons, as compared with 4032 tons a year ago. , , . , The Tainui started discharging lier cheese on December 29 and finished noxt day. She started discharging her butter on January 1. The Hertford started discharging her cheese on December 29 and her butter on December 31. Deliveries of Australian butter for the period were 1289 tons, as against 669 tons a year ago. The quantity in store was 1723 tons as against 1556 tons a year ago. The estimated stocks of cheese at London, Liverpool and Bristol as at January 1 were: Canadian, 252,500 boxes; New Zealand and Australian, 69,200 crates. Deliveries of New Zealand during the fortnight were 22,400 crates, as compared with 17,458 crates a year ago. Tho quantity in store, including 15,000 crates ex Hertford, was 59,361 crates, as compared with 30,612 crates a year ago. Deliveries of Canadian cheese during the fortnight were 15,985 boxes, as against 8440 boxes a year ago. The quantity m store was 217,758 boxes, as compared with 176,327 boxes a year ago.

FROZEN MEAT. LONDON, Jan. 3. The weekly quotations for the undermentioned classes of frozen meats, based oil actual sales of wholesale quantities of carcasses of mutton or lamb or quarters of beef delivered to the Smitlifiefd market and/or ex-London stores, have been compiled as follow by tho Quotations Committee, Smithfield. To arrive at equivalent ex-ship values per lb should be deducted from the prices quoted below. Quotations are average for the week, and are not for selected lines, but for parcels fairly representative of the bulk of the shipments now on offer: — New Zealand sheep.—Canterbury and North Island selected crossbred wethers and maiden ewes, 48-561 b sgd, 57-641 b 4?d; 65-721 b 4§d; crossbred wethers and maiden ewes, North Island, 48-561 b, 4£d; 57-641 b, 43d; 65-721 b, 4|d; Now Zealand ewes under 481 b 4d, 48—641 b Australian sheep.—First quality crossbreds and/or merino wethers, 40-561 b 4d, second quality 30-551 b 4d; Australian ewes, 30-551 b 3^d. Argcntino sheep.—First quality crossbred wethers, 48-641 b 721 b 4d. Patagonian sheep. Wethers and/or maiden ewes, under 501 b, none offering; Patagonian owes, 40-501 b, none offering. Now Zealand lambs.—Canterbury, 461 b and under Bid, ditto 37-421 b, B|d, 42-501 b 7gd; second quality, average 301 b 7jd; other South Island brands, 3blbs and under Bid, 37-421 b Bid. 43-501 b 7J,d; selected North Island branus, including Downs, 361 b and under, none offering; othor North Island brands, second quality, average 301 b, none offering. Australian lamb.—Victorian, first quality, 461 b and under 7gd, 37-421 b 7£d; other States, first quality, 361 b and under 7|d, 37-421 b, 7id; Victorian second quality, 361 b and under, 7d; other States, second quality, 361 b and under, 63d; all States, third quality, 361 b and untlor, 6id. Argentine lamb. —First quality, 361 b and under 7id, 37-421 b 7jd; second quality, average 301 b, 6jd. Uruguayan lamb. —First quality, 361 b and under, 7id; second quality, 37-421 b, 6d; third quality, averago 401 b, sjd. Now Zealand frozen beef. —Ox fores, 160 2201 b, 33d; ox hinds, 160 2201 b, 43d. Australian frozen beef. —Ox crops, under 1001 b, 3|d; over 1001 b. 33d; ox hinds, under 1601 b, over 1601 b, 43d. Argcntino chilled beef.-—Ox fores, 1602201 b, 33d; ox hinds, 160-2201 b, 63d. New Zealand pigs.—First quality, 601101 b, averago 901 b, 73d; 111-12011) 6d.

RAW MATERIALS,

LONDON, Jan. 3.

Friday’s closing prices for tho following raw materials were os follow, those for December 27 being given in parentheses :

Cotton. —Liverpool quotation, American middling upland, February delivery,, 5.17 d per lb. (5.19 d). Rubber. —Para, 5 7-8 d per lb. (6d); plantation smoked, 4 3-6 d per lb. (4 5-16 d). Jute. —January-February shipment, £ls 10s per ton (£l6). Hemp.—Nono offering. Copra.—January shipment, South Sea £l4 per ton (£l4 10s); plantation, Rabaul, £l4 5s (£l4 12s 6d). Linsoed oil.—£2l 10s per ton (£24). Turpentine.—34s 6d per cent. (345). Osiniridium. —Tasmania, £ls per oz; South African, £l2.

HIDES MARKET

LONDON, Jan. 3,

The hides market is weak. Meat works dry salted, Queensland, 35-451t>., 5 5-8 d; 3(Molbs., 5 5-8 d; 25-351 b., 5Jd; 20-3011)., sid; New South Wales, 35-451b5., 6 l-8d; 30-401 b., 6 l-8d; 25-351b5., 6d; 20-301 b„ 6d. Wet salted, Queensland, 50-601 L., 4jd ; 40501 b., 4 l-8d; New South Wales, 50-6011)., sd: 40-5011). 4 7-8 d; Victorian, abattoirs, 50-601 b., 6d; 45-501 b„ 4id.

previous dates a9 August 22 ... follow: — ... 1,002,345 September 6 ... 967,442 September 20 ... 887,610 October 4 ... 828,584 October 18 ... ... 743,389 November 1 ... 613,645 November 15 ... 438,361 December 1 ... 320,380 December 15 ... 276,010 December 27 ... 252.141