GLEANINGS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7017, 4 January 1910, Page 3

GLEANINGS

It is the intention of the South Canterbury Millowners' Union to hold another meeting in Timaru on next Saturday week for the purpose of fixing the prices of threshing for the coming season. It is proposed to increase the price for wheat and barley from 3d to 3jd per bushel, and that for oats from 2Jd to 2jd. The increased money paid by the farmers is to be divided between the mill-owners and the mill-hands.

Since our last report, write Wtddels under date of November 19th, trade has been exceptionally quiet at Smithfield, and a further fall in prices has taken glace. Heavy supplies of Home <>i-d ontinental sheep and lambs continue to divert buyers' attention from the frozen article, and holders of the latter have found it extremely difficult to effect sales even at the reduced rates; the only inquiry is for light weight carcases under 301bs, which command relatively high rates.

Canada has had a bumper crop this year. The wheat orop will bulk up to over 21 million quarters, and the cat crop to over 41 million quarters. On f 1 e other hand, the wheat crop in the United States is only a moderate one, end tho crop of maize has shrunk enornnasly under the influence of intense drought and hot winds. This great shrin*igo in the yield of the maize crop will inevitably reduce the number of fat cattle exported from the States, where maize is the principal winter food for 6tock. •

The South Australian export lamb season is about over now. and", as was expected shortly after operations began, there has been a considerable falling off in the number of lambs slaughtered at the Government produce depot, compared with the 1908 figures. From the beginning of the season up to December 12th a total of 159,231 lambs, sheep, and hoggets were killed and frozen, the details being-.—Lambs, 124,855; sheep, 33,987; hoggets, 397. Last year 228,402 carcases were frozen, so that this year's operations show a shortage of 69,163 carcases. Privately G 6,004 lambs and 6heep were slaughtered and frozen for export. The result of tho first season's inspection of stallions by the Government in South Australia was that twenty shows were visited by the veterinary officers, 244 stallions examined, and 62" rejected, the percentage, of r-ejecte being- 25.4. Tho percentage of heavy horses rejeoted was 37.8, and of lights 1G.2. Tho principal unsoundness in draughts was ringbone and side bone, and in lights ringbone and bone spavin. The Agricultural Department, for the first year, refrained from introducing stringent measures enforcing compulsory examination, but made it conditional for stallions competing for prizes at any show subsidised by the State to hold the Government certificate of soundness. The chief inspector of stock reports that "though the percentage of rejections for unsoundness has been high (caused no doubt by tlm of rejected horses from Victoria), no .appeal against the refusal to give certificates has been lodged, and owners of horses have given the staff every assistance. Tho large number of horses rejected shows how urgently the work was required."