THE RURAL WORLD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21920, 4 April 1933, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD.

FARM AND STATION NEWS.

1933 SHOW DATES Shows for the 1932-33 season yet to be held are as follow: April 17. —Strath-Taieri, at Middlemarch, 1933 WOOL SEASON Wool sales for the 1932-33 season in New Zealand yet to be held, with the allocations made to each centre, are aa follow: April 6—Napier, no limit. April 10— Wanganui, no limit OTAGO DOG TRIALS Sheep- dog trials to be held in Otago under the auspices of the Provincial Sheep Dog Association have been arranged aa follow: April 3,4, and 5. —Omarama. April 6. 7, and 8. —Kyeburn. April 20, 21. and 22. —Strath-Taieri. May 3,4, and 5. —Waitaki. May 10, 11, and 12. —Palmerston May 16, 17, 18, and 19—Waihemo (provincial championships). v May 25 and 26.—Miller’s Flat. May 29, 30. and 31.—Warepa. June 1,2, ahd 3. —Clutha. June 8,9, and 10.—Ngapara. Dairy Produce Trade The latest market cables show no improvement in London prices, which are now at the lowest level on record in the memory of thoee in the trade. New Zealand finest grade salted butter was quoted recently at 68s to 69s a cwt, and first trade at 675. Australian prices were 67s o 68s, and- Danish at 90s to 925. The reduction in April advances announced from London is of serious import to producers. During the present season advances have been as follows: —

The increase, made on January .24 was due to the raising of the exchange rate. New Zealand on London. A representative of an exporting house explained to the Dominion recently that the practice of the London importers was to make advances at the start of the New Zealand season of 85 per cent, of the f.o.b. value of butter and cheese, this rate being lowered to 80 per cent, later on; The rates of advance per lb were adjusted monthly as a rule according to the ruling market prices.

Chilled Beef end Deteriorated Lands ; Since the opinion of the experts. that the time factor is now comparatively unimportant in shipping chilled beef to London is being confirmed by experience, the way is opening for the development of the trade in what is a new commodity. Perhaps it would be,fairer to describe it as an old commodity' delivered to Smithfield in a more acceptable form (says the Dominion). If New Zealand successfully develops the chilled beef trade, important effects will follow in farming economy, especially, in the more economic utilisation of. hilly forest country too steep for ploughing. This was the class of country into whose a' special committee inquired some eight years ago, country comprising large areas of what may be broadly described as the King Country. The. committee found that one of the most potent agents in the judicious management of these areas, especially m dealing with second - growth of fern, was cattle. Unfortunately frozen beef was at a discount against its ' chilled rival, ana so part of the remedy - for deterioration could not be applied economically, how, as reported from London to-dayexperi-ence is confirming the. experts in their opinion that the time factor (usually called " the handicap of distance ” in New Zealand) is comparatively unimportant with chilled beef. Hence it may pay to run cattle on these hilly interior lands. The committee’found that in the control of weeds, particularly fern, cattle were the settler’s strongest auxiliaries. On the ability or otherwise of the settler to stock his new burn , with cattle depended, in nine' cases out of ten, success or failure. The committee gave good reasons for its inclusion, but so long as there wag .no payable export market for beef, its advice was ruled out on the score of farm economy. The advent of chilled beef shoul 1 change that aspect and help the settlers in these farming outposts in their struggle against resurgent Nature. The Wool Trade

Average prices for wool in the Sydney market this season have hovered round about 9d per lb. The season opened.ou September 3 at 8.26 d, and the following week the average was 9.19 d. For October, November, and December the highest average was 9.02 d, the lowest 8.29 d. For the mid-March sales 9.05 dto 9.11 d was the average. Winchcombe, Carson, and Co., Sydney, remark on the “rapid disappearance of the nervousness which has appeared from time to time this year ” as offering evidence that consumers’ confidence in the future is not so readily shaken as it was during the earlier years of the world depression. The firm continues:—“We see no reason to expect a rapid rise in rates during 1 the months ahead. Recovery in world purchasing power must prove a gradual process if it is to show permanence; but it is certain that raw materials, and particularly those in general use such as wool, will show the first benefits of improved conditions." Wool bought has gradually passed into consumption, and the general feeling is held that'the long-looked-for expansion in trade is now not far distant. During the five months ahead very limited quantities of the staple will be available for sale in all markets. During that fairly lengthy period wool in mill warehouses will pass into manufacture without much-opportun-ity to replenish stocks. Denmark’s Butter Exports The same authority had some interesting remarks to make in respect of Danish hotter. His firm had received a cable message recently from London stating that Danish butter was offering at 88s a cwt, which, allowing for 15s duty and 9s for charges, plus 24 per cent, for exchange, represented about B§d a lb, f.0.b., less commission. Last week Denmark had shipped about 86 per cent, of her output to the United Kingdom. Denmark’s exports for the 11 weeks to March 18 compared as follows with; those for the corresponding period

By Rtjstictts. Items of Interest to those engaged In agricultural and pastoral pursuits; 22“ t° their Plication in these columns, will be welcomed. They should be addressed to “Ruaticus,” Otago Daily Times, Dunedin.

In other words, Denmark, with a lessened total export of 2614 tons during the 11 weeks to March 18 this year, had had_ her exports to “ other countries ” (principally Germany) cut by 4904 tons, but had shipped the difference, 2290 tons, to Britain, thus actually increasing her exports to that country by that quantity. Up to February 28 Australia’s exports of butter to Britain this season had increased by over 13,000 tons to 70,335 tons. For the seven months ended February 28 New Zealand's shipments to Britain totalled 74,431 tons, as against 61,425 tons for the same period last year, an increase of 13,000 tons. March gradings of butter in New Zealand were running about 30 per cent, higher than those for March, 1932. It was expected that unless some restriction was made more than 120,000 tons would be shipped for the 1932-33 season. London Meat Market An improvement in the London prices for New Zealand lamb is reported by the Meat Board. In a cablegram dated London, March 24, the board is advised that the tone of the market is better, and consumption is expanding. Prices have advanced by about Jd per lb on the week. The market for ewes is quiet, and that for wethers shows a slight weakness. The New Zealand beef market is quiet, with i no change, and the.trade in New Zealand porkers is reported as slow. j The board reports exports to various j destinations during the period October 1, 1932, to March 15, 1933, as follows: |

Also 72,073 bags of boneless beef. For the corresponding period of last year the exports were 43,841 quarters beef, 1,118,568 carcasses mutton, 3,302,358 carcasses lamb, and 59,149 carcasses pork, with 95,177 bags of boneless beef. Killings for the period in review amounted to 133,630 quarters of beef, an increase of over 110,000 quarters; mutton, 1,288,431 carcasses, a falling off of over 600,000 sheep: 5,584,586 carcasses lamb, an increase of about 300,000; and 171,832 carcasses pork, an increase of 87,900 carcasses. i Fruit Export Trade . Export of fruit—mainly apples—contin lies to be a valuable contribution to the Dominion’s national income, although it is likely to be somewhat reduced this year on quantity. The monetary value of the trade, however, will not be disclosed until later on in the season when full returns are received and are comparable with those of last year. The first shipment of the season has arrived in the United Kingdom and has been sold. The Government advices of this fruit, shipped in the R.M.S. Tamaroa, are to the effect that it realised from 8s to 12s per case, with 25s for Cox’s Orange Pippins. The despatch also stated that of the Worcester Pearmain variety a large quantity were “ wasty ” even so, the average was 11s per case for this fruit.

The arrival of this fruit from New Zealand found the British market still supplied with North American apples. Notwithstanding a duty of 4s 6d per case on _ United States apples entering Great Britain, they continued to arrive, the tariff obstacle being, in some measure, surmounted, by a reduction of 20 cents per case if carried in United States ships, the freight rate having been reduced from 90 to 70_ cents a case, or its equivalent. Some idea of the North American apple competition which New Zealand has to meet in the British markets may be gathered from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company’s trade report for February, stating that from the Okanagan Valley in Western Canada 723,000 boxes were sent to Great Britain during the winter months, also 651,000 boxes from United States shippers on the Pacific coast. The Eastern Canadian apples exports and United States contributions to the British market for apples are, of course, very heavy in their season when New Zealand and Australian are not available, but the trouble is that the North American shipping season may be prolonged to even beyond New Zealand first arrivals. On present prices in England there can be nothing for the American grower. The United States sends apples to Great Britain from orchards as remote as those in the Pacific States,

FARMING IN NORTH OTAGO A DRY PERIOD PRESENT ACTIVITIES Farmers, like other people,' are always in want of something. It is often said that it is the farmer’s prerogative to growl, hut i.t is doubtful if farmers are any more inclined that way than other people. At the present time they are as satisfied as any other portion of the community. They have had a good season, so far as quantities are concerned, and though prices are still too low to save them from loss they realise that other people are in the same boat, and are determined, generally speaking, to carry on and do their best, in the' hope that better times will soon come. At the present time the great want in North Otago is a good rain to freshen the pastures and keep the root crops growing. Perhaps by the time these notes appear we will have had the much-desired rain. Let us hope so. THE HARVEST, The harvest in North Otago may now be said to have been gathered in. The last three weeks of the harvesting period were almost perfect, and a lot of wheat was threshed out of stook, notwithstanding the knowledge that it would be. more likely to find favour with millers if it had been stacked, and the inducement offered by the Wheat Purchase Association to hold it and not send too much forward to the market in the early part of the season. But notwithstanding this there is a large number of stacks to be seen in the district, and most of these will probably stand until the spring, when the threshing mills will again have a busy time. It is noticeable that most of the stacks are well built, and promise to stand the winter rains well. There are a great many hay stacks about, and an abundance of straw, so that cattle should fare much better in the coming winter than it did last winter. On quite a number of farms, especially where a fair area of crop was put in, only a portion of the straw has been stacked, the balance

just having been "walloped.” Surely all straw is worth the ground it stands on. It would appear from the way that good straw is wasted that the lesson of last winter has already been forgotten. No wonder that English farmers who visit New Zealand and see the way that good straw is wasted here frequently say that farmers who are so improvident deserve all that they get in the way of hard times. Not one stem of straw is wasted I by British farmers. An English farmer, seeing a straw stack, on fire in this country, expresses the opinion that those who burn them must be mad. If it is only for the shelter that it affords, a straw stack is worth the space it occupies. This was once put to me in a very striking way. The speaker said that a stack five yards by 20 yards, standing on ground for which 20g an acre rent was paid, cost 5d per annum! Who would say that a straw stack which affords some picking, and valuable shelter for stock in the cold winter months, is not worth sd? The old slap-dash methods of farming are passing rapidly, and the sooner this is generally recognised the better. When there is so much straw on the farm that it cannot profitably be used any other way it should be spread over a field that is to be ploughed, and turned in. This gives some little trouble, but it has been proved to be well repaid in the improvement it effects in the soil. On no account should a straw stack be burnt to “get it out of the way.” A farmer who burns his straw stacks is an improvident farmer, and only in times of prosperity is he likely to do any good. There have been some very good yields of wheat, a large number of farmers having obtained between 40 and 60 bushels per acre. Oats, in a number of localities, have been very disappointing owing to rust. Some crops were so .bad with rust that cutting them would have meant further loss. Some such crops were set fire to, and in other cases stock was turned in to get what few oats could be found in the straw. Even good crops of oats have been disappointing this year

owing to the very low price offering. It is impossible to grow oats at a profit at Is 6d a bushel. With so many cheap | oats about this year horses should fare ■ well in the coming winter. One result of the low price of oats is an increase in I the number of fowls that are being kepi on many farms. THE DIAMOND-BACKED MOTH. The leaves of auriferous crops in the district have suffered considerably this season through the ravages of the Diamond-backed moth. This moth has been much in evidence during the past month. A walk through a rape paddock sends scores of moths darting in quick flight. I am told that the female moth lays her eggs on the under sides of the leaves. These hatch into caterpillars, which eat into the leaf tissue, riddling the leaves with holes. We have had few suggestions as to how we should deal with the pest. Black Leaf 40 has been used in gardens, but this Js impracticable whore large areas arc infected. THE LAMBS. Lambs on feed have been coming on very quickly and some very large drafts have been dealt with at the freezing works. In numbers of instances lambs were only on rape a fortnight when good drafts were got away. This is a very satisfactory state of affairs. The past fortnight has seen the rape disappearing very rapidly, the hot, dry winds causing it to wilt badly. Turnips,, also, are being affected, and a good, steady rain is urgently needed. The grass paddocks are very dry, and if a fire got well started in one of them it would sweep the countryside. If rain does not fall soon it will be too late to start a flush of feed for the mating season which is now near at hand. THE BREEDING FLOCK.

It is a good plan to have a few acres of rape on which to flush the breeding ewes. The crop of lambs in this way can easily be increased 10 to 20 per cent. In America they use oats for flushing the ewes. Quite a number of farmers feed the rams on oats before turning them out. The surplus oats could he profitably used this way this season. The ram fairs will soon be here. With the public demanding small joints, the Southdown ram has become very popular. There is no doubt that on the warm limestone and volcanic land in North Otago the Southdown is the ideal sheep. The Southdown comes early to maturity and it is the early lamb that pays the rent. • . THE MARKETS. - The local sales have been wonderfully good. A dealer said lately that sheep brought higher prices in North 1 .Otago than at any other place in the South Island. A week or so ago food two-tooth ewes were fetching up to 21s, and soundmouth ewes 11s to 12s. About a month ago store lambs were selling at 10s to 12s, and now, with the expense of droving, dipping, and crutching and feeding added they are worth no more or very little more. • Fat cattle are.coming on to the market in increasing numbers, and at last Waiareka sale they brought very low prices. Good, handy weight steers brought £5 12s 6d, and others £3 10s to £4 10s. Good two-tooth ewes realised 16s 6d; fair to medium, 13s to 14s; good conditioned Romney ewes, 8s to 10s; fair rape lambs, 8s 3d; old ewes, Is 6d to 4s. THE TEAMS. The teams are busy preparing the land for green feed. There may be a chance of a strike on fallowed land, b,ut there is no chance of one on stubble land unless we get a good soaking rain. THE DAIRY COWS.

The dairy cows do not like the dry weather, and the milk yield is dropping. It never pays to allow the cowa to get down in condition. Now is the time to give them some soft turnips or chou moellier. Some hay or oaten chaff should be fed with the roots. With butter-fat at 7d, one is inclined not to bother, but if the cows get poor now they will be spoiled for next season. Who knows what butter-fat may be fetching then? TOP-DRESSING. It should not be forgotten that now Is a good time to top-dress pastures. Even though a farmer may consider'that he has no money to spare for this work, it has been pointed out that a good return is obtained for every jpound spent on artificial fertiliser. It is suggested that topdressing should be done before the autumn rains, as in this way a good growth of grass is obtained until well into the winter months, and the topdressed fields come away earliest in the spring. Since writing this we have had a, good day’s rain which will freshen up the turnips and rape, but much more is needed to make much impression on the grass land where the moisture has only gone in two inches and a-half to three inches.

Butter. Cheese. Setptember .. .. lOd 5d October .. .. .. 9|d Sd November .. .. 8|d 5d December .. .. 73d Sd January 1 .. .. 7id 3Jd January 24 .. .. Sd 43d February .. .. .. 8d 4id March 73d 3id April .... .... 6d 3d

of last year:— To U.K. To other countries. Total Ions. tons. tons. 1933 23,813 ’ 5,420 29,233 1932 21,523 10,324 31,847 . Increase 2,290 *4,904 *2,614

B e*r. Mutton. Lamb. Porte. Destination. or 5. CCS. ccs. cca. London .. .. 63,821 S00,CTO 2.776.147 81,357 Southampton .. — 1(1,647 ' 64,165 Liverpool 14.982 42.451 295.052 0.242 Glasgow .. .. 6,070 8,758 53,996 17.350 Aronmouth 2,147 16,881 119.383 6,982 Manchester 849 4.S47 56.152 New York ■.. 100 • Vancouver Canada (Bast — — 253 Coast porta), — 8 West Indies .. — ' 5 ■ _ Hongkong — 403 San Francisco — 2 Pacific Islands 51 14 62 88,020 701,778 3,365,619 112,231