THE SYDNEY RAM SALES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1318, 3 June 1897, Page 7

THE SYDNEY RAM SALES.

A WARNING NOTE

Mr G. H. Scales has received the following letter from Messrs Hill, Clark and Co., stock and station agents and wool and produce brokers, Sydney, dated May 25th : “The season is terribly dry, and grass and water is disappearing in all directions. Stock is commencing to die in all parts of the colony, and what the losses will be by the end of winter is more than we should like to say. Even if rain does fall within the next month it will not make the grass grow to any extent, though, of course, it will tend to do a lot of good in the long run. We are calling a meeting of the other agents for to-morrow to discuss whether it will not be advisable to postpone" the ram sales. To our way of thinking it will be simply madness to try and sell under the present conditions, so no matter what may be decided to be done at to-morrow’s meeting, we can only advise you to stay at home. It would simply mean giving the sheep away, as station-

owners cannot possibly think of buying. No doubt you have a lively recollection of the 1895 sales. Well, our views are that things will be as bad if not worse should -the sales take place this year in the first week in July. We can only regret that there should be occasion to writ® to you as above, but in fairness to your constituents we consider it only right to place the matter before you as it appears to us. In the meantime we will be glad if you will get the papers to publish the warning, as it is no satisfaction for us to see breeders fall in badly. . . . Business is almost at a standstill owing to the dry state of the country.”