FARM AND STATION NEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21828, 15 December 1932, Page 2

FARM AND STATION NEWS.

By Rusticus

1932-33 SHOW DATES ROSTER OF FIXTURES. Shows have been arranged for the 193233 season as follow: 1932. December 17. —Otauo Peninsula (I’ortobelio). 1933. January 14. —Blueskin, at Waitati. January 21. —Waikouaiti. January 27. —Palmerston-Waihcmo. March 15. —Lake County, at Lake Hayes. March 30. —Temuka and Geraldine. t 1932-33 WOOL SEASON The roster of wool sales for the 1932-33 season in New Zealand, with the allocations made to each centre, is as follows: December 16—Tirnaru, 10,000. December 20. —Dunedin, 25,000, January 6, 1933 —Wellington, 30,000. January 11 —Napier, 30,000, January 16 —Wanganui, 30,000. January 20—Auckland, 30,000. January 25 —Christchurch, 25,000. January 30 —Dunedin, 30,000. February 2 —lnvercargill, 30,000. February 6 —Timaru, 20,000. February 10—Wellington, 30,000. February 14—Napier, 25,000. February 17 —Wanganui, 30,000. February 23—Christchurch, 25,000. February 28—Dunedin, 30,000. March 3 —lnvercargill, no limit. March 9 —Wellington, 30,000. March 13—Napier, 25,000. March 17—Auckland, no limit. March 23—Christchurch, no limit. March 27—Dunedin, no limit. March 29'—Timaru, no limit. April 3—Wellington, no limit. April 6—Napier, no limit. April 10—W T anganui, no limit.

Dairy Produce Markets In a report on the dairy produce markets received from Messrs W. Weddol and Co. (London), Messrs A. H. Turnbull and Co. state: — The butter market has again proved most disappointing. Prices during November gradually declined, reaching 85s during the week ended November 25. It was then considered that the bottom had been touched, ajid two sharp rises occurred, spot quotations reaching 925. This rise carried little confidence in the minds of those concerned. Gradings and shipments in sight, together with the abnormal conditions prevailing, soon made themselves felt, and buyers declined business except for current requirements, and prices once more fell back to an even lower level, latest quotations being 82s to 84s for New Zealand. Messrs W. Weddel and Co., Ltd., cable that spot stocks in the United Kingdom are below last year, but buyers generally are pessimistic and depressed. In the last few clays of November and the first day or two of this month there was quite a fair amount ot forward activity, and buyers were found for December-January, and in some cases February shipment of butter at to 94d net, f.o.b. ocean steamer. However, with the fall in the spot market forward buyers seem to have withdrawn again, although there is still a limited inquiry at round about 9d. The Cheese Position Cheese has remained fairly, steady owing to the fact that the spot stocks in the United Kingdom are short and the arrivals to date have been on the light side. Practically no new season's cheese has yet reached the market, but shipineuts are now due to arrive. Last week the market firmed very suddenly up to 64s 6d, but our principals, in advising tiiis fact, warned us that in their opinion this firmness would be temporary, due to short stocks and that we should expect a decline with the arrival of heavier shipments. This has eventuated and both white and coloured are now quoted from 60s to 61s. There has been very little forward inquiry for cheese at all, and although some indications were made of a possibility of business as s£d, f.0.b., for December-January shipment, no business is reported. Too Much Cream

A farmer at Kiwi tain lost, under unusual circumstances, a two-year-old pedigree bull for which he recently paid 31 guineas. The bull found its way into the separator room of the milk shed and drank seven or eight gallons of cream from a can before it was detected. Various remedies were tried, but after lingering for a few days the bull died. The same farmer lost cows years ago when they drank quantities of cream. Fast Work Wool which was ° n the backs of Gwavas station sheep, at Tikokino, Hawke's Bay, on Friday morning, November 25, was baled ready for the Home market and on its way to catch the Port Dunedin, at. Auckland, the same evening. This rapid piece _of work, probably a record, was carried out in order that the remaining few bales of a clip might be joined with the main body which was loaded to the Port Dunedin when that vessel was in Napier last week. Commencing shearing at an early hour on Friday morning, the final 15 bales of the dip were placed on lorries and hurried to Port Ahuriri. There they went through the necessary processes and were again conveyed by lorry to the breakwater, where the Pnkeko was waiting. The loading was completed in quick time nml the coastal vessel left immediately for Auckland.

Australian Export Statistics issued show an appreciable increase this season of butter exports to the United Kingdom, particularly in regard to Victoria, which contributed more than half the total exports from the Commonwealth. According to figures supplied, 1,436,130 boxes were shipped from Australian ports between July 1 and November 19, compared with 1,110,924 boxes shipped for the corresponding period last season. Victoria shipped 738,997 boxes, ns compared with 491,209 boxes for the same period last season.

Heaviest Sheep The South Australian breeder Mr W. ,! Dawkins, of Newbold, Gawler River, lias a six-tooth Dorset Horn ram, Newbold 88 of 1929, which was awarded the grand championship prize at the last Sydney Show and which weighs 3291 b. Three or four years ago he showed a Dorset Horn ram at the Adelaide, Sydney, and j Melbourne shows which sealed 3771 b. AnI other he bred weighed 3541 b. ! Australian Wool Export I Shipments of wool from Australia from I July 1 to October 31 totalled 703,067 hales, compared with 670,179 bales for i ihc same months of 1931. United King- ' dom took 215,942 bales (including wool I sent to London for sale), Japan 134,738,

Items of interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, with a view to their publication in these columns, will be welcomed. They should be addressed to "Rusti cus,” Otago Daily Times, Dunedia.

France 118.627, Germany 111,693, Belgium 67,684, and Italy 41.344. So_ far the United States has taken only 791 bales, as compared with 814!) bales for the same months of 1931.

Huge Onions Mr J. George, of Ncwhaven, Turrawan, on the edge of the Pilliga Scrub (New South Wales), has produced an onion weighing 211 b 4oz. Quite a number of smaller ones range up to 51b each. The soil is sandy loam, and the plants had no water other than the usual rainfall. The onions are of the mild-tasting variety, and were sown in March. On the simple property a gramma was produced weighing CBlb, and watermelons up to 50!b in weight.

TOPICS OF INTEREST.

OFFICIAL

During the past two years much publicity has been given to the position regarding the Otago and Southland threshing mill workers’ award, but it would appear as if farmers, particularly in the Popotunoa district, have failed to grasp the facts of the case. t The following sums up the position as lucidly and simply as can be explained in a small space;—-At the present time the award entered into on June 30, 1930, is still in operation, although the same expired on June 30, 1932. Under this award the rate (Is 10$d, less 10 per cent.) can be demanded by the men, and any farmer paying less is liable to a fine il sued by the men. This applies regardless of whether the men have agreed to work for less or otherwise.

During the past two seasons farmers have paid less than the above award rate, and many of them have been served with lawyers’ letters and have been sued, and most of those receiving notices have paid the difference rather than face court proceedings. The Prime Minister stated that the Government would take no action provided mutual arrangements were made between the parties concerned, but subsequently he pointed out that the Industrial Union of Workers was one of the parties. The present position being entirely unsatisfactory, the Otago, Southland, and North Otago Executives of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union have taken joint action to cite the Otago and Southland Harvest Hands, Threshing Mill and Chaffcutter Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers, and have appointed assessors to appear for the 4COO farmers concerned. An application for a new award has been made, and the case will be heard in Dunedin to-day.

Mr W. W. Mulholland, a prominent member of the Canterbury Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union and chairman of the New Zealand Wheatgrowers’ Co-operative Association, Ltd.,

Mr K. Livingston is at present doing organising work in the Dunstan district and during the next week or two will be in the Ida Valley and Lauder districts. He is meeting with a good reception everywhere and is steadily increasing the membership throughout Otago.

With the departure of Mr L. W. M‘Caskill from Dunedin the farmers of Otago will lose a sincere friend and one who has always been willing to place his specialised knowledge at their disposal and to take his full share of work on committees having for their object the raising of the standard of farming in this province. His departure to Christchurch has been rendered necessary by the closing of the Dunedin Training College and once again serves to emphasise the loss Otago will suffer in consequence.

The provincial secretary (Mr A. C. Cameron) has received the following letter from the manager of the South Otago Freezing Company, Ltd., in reply to a letter asking the directors to consider seriously the question of reducing the freezing charges during the coming season: “ We acknowledge receipt of your letter of the Ist inst., with reference to the consolidated charge in operation in our works.

“At the last meeting of the board held on the 25th ult., this matter was given full consideration by the directors and it was decided, in view of the further reduction in wages of freezing works’ employees, to reduce the freezing rate one-tenth of a penny per lb, making the rate to f.o.b. for the ensuing year:— ,80d per lb for lamb, .70d per lb for mutton.

“ It was also decided to reduce the price of woolpacks Is per pack. The above reductions, together with the facilities and very liberal terms provided by the company for clients who wish to consign their own products, also the low price and very reasonable terms at which our fertilisers are offered to the farmers, must, we feel sure, prove to your executive that the directors and management of this company are doing their utmost to assist the farmer wherever possible," Letters asking for reductions in charges were also sent to the other two Otago freezing works, but replies have not yet been received. A letter of appreciation has been sent to the Otago Freezing Company. sp * *

When in course of conversation recently with a leading Dunedin accountant the question of exchange cropped up. Although the accountant twitted the provincial secretary (Mr A. C. Cameron) about the attitude of the farmers he readily admitted when pinned down that the future prosperity of this country was bound up in the prosperity of the primary producers. He agreed that everything depended upon the ability of the farmer to carry on through the present season and upon his ability to make efficient preparation for the next. When Mr Cameron asked him what he could suggest in place of a high exchange he said that he believed a fund would have to be administered through some such body as the Mortgagors’ Adjustment Commission, such body to have the power to help necessitous cases with the idea of keeping good men on their farms. When asked where the fund was to come from the public accountant stated that he felt the only solution was another tax of Is in the £ on wages. This would bring in approximately £3,000,000 and everyone would contribute —moreover it would never be lost sight of and would be dropped when conditions reached normal. Mr Cameron replied that it looked as if all farmers would have to be helped and that he thought the raising of the rate of exchange would be a much simpler proposition than the elaborate machinery which would be required to give effect to the other suggestion.

has issued the following warning to South Island wheatgrowers;—“With, the near approach of harvest, 1 take the liberty of once again drawing farmers’ attention to the importance of exercising every care in harvesting and threshing wheat to obtain a well-dressed sample in good condition. With plenty of wheat to choose from, millers are going to be more particular this coming season, and care will be well repaid. There is only occasionally a valid excuse for farmers forwarding lines containing too much moisture or ‘ out of condition.' If a farmer has any doubt, the Wheat Research Institute places its services at his disposal, and will test the moisture for him. Our office is always ready to advise our members in regard to their wheat if they send in carefully-drawn samples. 1 am aware that in the past many growers have known when delivering their wheat that it would have been the better for a week or two more in the paddock, but they ‘ just risked it.’ This coming season will be a bad one in which to * risk it,' as millers will apparently be able to pick and choose, ami will probably prefer to turn the line down rather than clutter up their stores with rejects sampled out. “‘Headed’ wheat should never be sent to mill or store direct from the macihne. To be -fit to do so it would have to stand far too long after it was ready to harvest, and even then would need to be threshed under specially good weather conditions. Headed wheat should be stacked so that air can circulate round every bag and kept under these conditions for several weeks —two months is frequently not too long—before being delivered. 1 use open sheds facing the sun and stand the bag on end, two high, on timber, so that air can circulate underneath as well as around them. Such sheds are very inexpensive, especially if they can be erected as a ‘ lean-to ’ against existing buildings, and soon pay their cost in saving covering and re-covering bags in the paddocks, besides the advantage of haying paddocks cleared when harvest is finished.”

MR JOHN DONALD, WESTMERE, WANGANUI, is undoubtedly the foremost Breeder of Friesian Cattle in New Zealand. He has bred or imported the following:—Netherland Princess IV, former champion of the world as a senior two-year-old, 8051 b of fat; her full sister, Westmere Princess Pietertje, junior four-year-old champion of Australasia, 9391 bof fat; Woodcrest Johanna Tehee, champion show and test cow of Australia, 8661 bof fat. Mr John Donald writes: “For several years I have used SYKES’S DRENCH for my Friesians at Westmere, and I am pleased to state that it has given me entire satisfaction. Kindly forward another six-dozen case.” The regular use of SYKES’S DRENCH at calving time ensures a PERFECTLY HEALTHY HERD,