ON THE LAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18730, 9 June 1924, Page 10

ON THE LAND.

MEAT IN ARGENTINE.

BEST FAT CATTLE SCARCE.

DAMAGE BY INSECTS.

PREVALENCE OF DROUGHT.

[DX TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. The New, Zealand Meat Producers' Board has received its monthly letter from its South American representative in which he gives some interesting information regarding the general conditions applying to livestock in the Argentine. He writes as follows: — "There is a large offering of fat cattle, but the best duality are scarcer, and some of the works have difficulty in getting best quality chillers. The large stinging flies and other insect pests at. this season of the year cause much annoyance to livestock, and mobs of cattle can frequently be seen all crowded together in a circle with their heads down. Feeding or fat cattle los** w'itian Sutler such persecu-.tion-i wrnc'n iortunately lasts for only about a month. Small native locusis have caused much damage this year, eating the small leaves off the alfalfa, and leaving only the stalks, which have no feeding value, for cattle to eat, and for that reason large numbers of cattle arc lacking in finish. A drought has also been experienced over a considerable part of the alfalfa zone near Viiiegas and further west, where rain is badly wanted on these light sandy soils that grow alfalfa well, though the tosca or soft stone prevents the- roots from reaching permanent water —hence much rain ,is needed to Sourish the plants. '"The sheep grazing grounds, principally to the south of the province of Buenos ' Aires are very good. Prices of store and breeding cattle are cheaper to the west, though maintained in the south. Prices of sheep fluctuated somewhat during the month since I last wrote, according to entries at the local sheep market, though best quality hoggets are selling well. Considerable entries of sheep are still coming to hand. The three Argentine plants onthe south coast killed 227,169 head of sheep to the end of February. Several boats have already gone there to load." "Swifts' .prices are as follows:— lers, 3.57-jd in works; Continental, 2.823 d; chiller cows, 2.259 d; canners, ~1.882d to 2.070 d; calves, 2.823 d; bulls, 1.694 d. Sheep: Wethers, 6.588 dto 6.964 d; ewes, 4.706 dto 4.894dj. Lambs: Hoggets, 8.282 d to 8.847 d."