FARM AND STATION NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22824, 7 March 1936, Page 23

FARM AND STATION NEWS

Item* of interest to those engaged ii with a view to their publication in Thejr should be addressed to Rusti

WOOL-SELLING SEASON ROSTER OF SALES The following wool sales have yet to be held in the Dominion this season: — 1936 , Mar. B—lnvercarglll. Mar. 27—Wanganul. Mar. 11—Dunedln. Mar. 31—Chrlstchurch. Mar. 18—Wellington. Apr. 4—Dunedln. Mar. 20—Napier. Apr. 6—Wellington. Mar. 24—Auckland, Otago Provincial Sheep Dog Association Sheep dog trials for the 1936 season have been arranged ae follows: — Heriot. —March 4, 5. Ratanui.—February 26. Wakatipu.—March 12, 13, 14. Clutha.—March 16, 17. and 18. Warepa.—March 19, 20, 21. Kuriwao.—March 24, 25. Patearoa.—March 26, 27, and 28. Strath-Taieri.—March 30, 31, April 1. Kyeburn.—April 2,3, 4. Waitaki.—April 13, 14, 18, 16. Omarama.—April 17, 18. Tokarahi.—April 20, 21, 22. ' •Tahatika.—April 22, 23, 24, 28. Waihemo.—May 13, 14, 15. Ngapara.—May 18, 19, 20. Tarras.—May 21, 22, 23. Wanaka.—May 25, 26, 27. Lowburn.—May 28, 29. 30. June 16, 17, 18, and 19.—South Island Championships, at Mossburn. •Otago Provincial Championship.

By RUSTICUS.

i agricultural and pastoral pursuits. . these columns, will be welcomed. icus, Otago Daily Times, DunediaV

The Wool Year When the "wool year" closed on June 30 last there was a carry-over of greasy wool amounting to 164,411 bales in brokers' and growers' stores. Added to that unsold wool were 5201 bales of scoured wool and 17,067 bales of freezing companies' slipe wool, in all 186,679 bales of marketable wool. -The figures are those compiled by Dakrety and Co. At June 30, this mass of unsold wool was a problem that gave growers and brokers plenty to- think about. But the New Zealand selling season was then a long way off—in fact, it was not due to begin in Auckland until November 26. Meantime, the world market for wool showed a decided improvement, although no sensational prices for wool were made in any of the sales held in Australia or London. The market was better than it was this time last year, and increasing quantities were exported from Australia and New Zealand. So far as this Dominion's wool was concerned, the exports for seven months ended January 31 last amounted to 302,568 bales, against 186,45° bales for the corresponding period of 1934-35, an increase of 116,109 bale 3. The New Zealand Wool Brokers' Association reports local sales this current season to January 31 at 305,438 bales, an increase in disposals of 113,358 bales over those for the corresponding period of last season. No doubt, the improved price obtained for wool sold in New Zealand during this 1935-36 selling season of roughly 2£d per lb will explain the disposition of growers to take the market. The return so far haa averaged' 9.133 d per lb, as against 6.466 d per lb for the corresponding period of last season, an increase of 2.487 d per lb, and this improvement in values should be followed by a very sub stantial reduction, if not total disappearance, of the 164,400 bales of unsold greasy woo] held at June 30.

Publicity For Wool The Canterbury Sheep Owners' Union has taken a lead in New Zealand in endeavouring to reach agreement with other Empire producers on a publicity campaign for wool. The proposal was discussed at a meeting of the executive of the union last week. The Australian Woolgrowers Council wrote advising that a joint meeting of the council and "the Graziers Federal Council had considered a special report on wool publicity and research. The meeting had decided in favour of creating a fund for improving the production and increasing the consumption of wool and that the fund should be raised by a compulsory levy with legislative authority. The levy to be imposed should not exceed Is a bale of wool in any one year and the Commonwealth Government should be asked to arrange for the collection of the levy under its powers of excise. , ~,,•*« ± The Christchurch meeting decided that a special committee should discuss with Lord Barnby, who was responsible for reviving interest in the plan, the results of his visit to Australia. The opinion was expressed that publicity in the interests of wool consumption was urgently required to counteract "the unfair and harmful propaganda being published by manufacturers of some fabrics having a vegetable origin."

1935-36 SHOW SEASON

FORTHCOMING EVENTS Shows have been arranged for the following dates during the 1935-36 season:— 1936 March 7.—Upper Clutha, at Pembroks. March 11.—Lake County, at Lake Hayes, Arrowtown. March 21.—Temuka and Geraldine, at Winchester. . April 13.~Mackenzi« County, at Fair--1 lie. , April 13.—Strath-Taieri, at Middlei march. Th» New Zealand Championship Triajs will be held at Hawera this year, commencing on June 1. , British Beef Prices The average price for all fat cattle sold at the 1935 Smithfield Show was 56s 4d per cwt, compared with 52s 7d per cwt, the previous year. . Not a big improvement, but a move in the right direction. Cattla Society Mergers

At a meeting in December of the Shorthorn Society. (England) an amalgamation with the Dairy Shorthorn Society was agreed to. A few months ago the Lincolnshire Bed Shorthorn- Society amalgamated with the Shorthorn Society. As a result. of these amalgamations, the Shorthorn Society will now be a very strong organisation. Instead of having divided interests, all Shorthorn breeders will be working, together for the good of the great Shorthorn breed, which will now be in a stronger position than ever before.

Milk Bart Milk bars have established themselves in London. On another two sfmbitious establishments' were opened to the public, one in Regent street (in the West End) and one in Cheapside (in the city). Both cost a trifle under £2OOO to fit out completely. The bar which was opened in Fleet street some little time ago has settled into a steady business of about 1000 to 1500 drinks a day. Arrangements have been made to run milk barg at the following, shows next year: Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, Oxfordshire, and the Bath and West. Other show committees are considering the matter, and it appears likely that milk bars will soon be essential features at any show of importance.

Tasmania's Lamb Export Despite the marked improvement in pastures and the greatly increased carrying capacity that the laying down of subterranean clover and introduced grasses has effected, the development 01 Tasmania's fat lamb export industry makes surprisingly little headway, and ardent advocates of the new trade outlet are reviewing the situation. The venture was given a modest but promising start in the 1931-32 season, when 18,986 carcasses were shipped overseas. In the following season the figure fell to 7.813, and in the 1933-34 season the export quantity was almost negligible, for but 2627. carcasses were offered. It was impressed on suppliers that while there was London , praise for the quality and uniformity of the consignments, no distinctive Tasmanian reputation could be established on the basis of such widelyfluctuating arid haphazard supply. This season an improvement in the quantity offering has been effected, but even so the special drive aiming at an export total of 40,000 standardised fat lambs of compact size to be shipped in full bloom produced only 12,453 carcasses, and the export programme had to be shut down much earlier than was intended. The determining factor in the position is the relative values obtainable in the local market and at Smithfield, and while the prices secured in London for the present season's initial shipment—6sd to 7Jd lb -—were satisfactory, the fact remains that considerable quantities of sheep, both on the hoof and in carcass form, are imported each year into Tasmania for butchering requirements, and that there is a ready demand for sappy and wellgrown lambs straight from the pasture. That there is a future for the State's lamb export enterprise is unquestioned; but that any large-scale developmenfemust wait until pasture extension and flock increase demand continuous seasonal export as a stabilising element in the position is only too plain.

All Flesh I* Grass Grass has never been so well described as by Ruskin in his matchless saying that it is one of the primal treasures of the Art of God (writes Professor H. E. Armstrong in the Sunday Times). It is man's primal treasure. All flesh is made of i grass. Grass is Nature's adopted means of transmuting sunshine into meat. Alj who can wonder, gazing at sheep quietly grazing upon a grass pasture, must be amazed beyond measure at the miraculous silent transfer going on before their eyes of its vivid juiciness into materials so different as horn, wool, hide, and the underlying flesh and bones. Some few W us now have gaint understanding of tlie processes at work: we can.see so far past the veil of life that we are able to. picture the structure of the build- ' ing materials. They are of strange complexity in large part. To most a grazing sfyeep is just potential mutton or a warm; garment; the cow but a machine 'producing milk; the pig a walking bacon factory, a creature that squeaks. Yet all live stock and man himself are but 1 tratisinuted grass. Man lives, in fact, not by bread, but by grass alone, with the sole aicl of air and water.