THE RURAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23897, 26 August 1939, Page 3

THE RURAL WORLD

FARM AND STATION NEWS

By RUSTICUa

Corriedale Exports . Although New Zealand is the home of Corriedale sheep and bias been supplying sheep of this breed to practically every sheep-breeding country in the world, orders from the United States and Great Britain are not frequent occurrences. This year there nave been repeat orders from both countries. To Ohio in the United States has been despatched what is regarded by Mr James Little, of the " Hui Hui ,r Stud, Hawarden, as one of the best rams he has ever bred. This sheep changed hands at a very high figure, and under inspection before shipment it was very hard to fault him in any way. From the Bushey Park Stud of the late Mr J. A. Johnstone, was secured the ram for England. This two-tooth sheep is a massive animal, with wonderful frame and carcass, covered with a true Corriedale wool of 52’s/54’s count. Both the above sheep measure up to the highest Corriedale standard, and should prove the worth of the New Zealand-bred sheep wherever despatched.

Muthdown Purchases That there is a scarcity of flock Southdown rams in Otago has been known for some time, and, to supply the demand, extensive Importations from outside sources have to be made each year to satisfy requirements. It is,, therefore, interesting to hear that the well-known South Otago breeder. Mr Cecil France, of Milbum, recently decided to increase his flock by the purchase! of 40 stud Southdown ewes from the high-class flock bred by Mr R„ T. McMillan, of Irw-ell, Canterbury. The ewes, which were a choice line and typical of the breed, arrived at their new home in splendid order The enterprise shown by Mr France in increasing his flock, as well as the benefit to be derived by • the introduction of fresh blood, should be amply repaid in the future. The selection and purchase were arranged by Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Dunedin.- . -

Sheep for South Africa South Africa, once a country In ■which the merino was practically the only breed of sheep kept, has been, with the fall in price of fine wools, turning, Its attention more and more to sheep of a dual purpose type. Numbers of sheep have been secured from Australia; South Australia having forwarded over 1000. rams of the various British breeds in the past two years. These have been mainly of the Dorset Horn;' Southdown. Romney Marsh, and Border Leicester breeds. The Corriedale, which is. rapidly gaining favour, is being drawn largely from New Zealand, arid Wright Stephenson and CoLtd,, advise the shipment of a further five rams from Bushey Park stud of the late Mr J.' A. Johnstone, of Durban. The Australian demand for New Zealand-bred stud Southdowns continues unabated. the most recent shipment being 18 stud ewes from Mr' J. Petrie. -of Swannanoa to the order of a Victorian breeder. > Tasmanian Stock Market Tasmania, Which in the past has drawn, on New Zealand for 'highquality stud sheep, is now securing both cattle and pigs from the Dominion. Following on the visit of Mr Allan Stewart, managing director of the Allan • Stewart Proprietary Company, and also secretary of every breed society in Tasmania—a position • he has held for many years—orders have been received for Romney Marsh. Southdown - and Border Leicester sheep. More recently orders have been executed for Berkshire and Tamworth pigs. Last week an outstanding Polled Hereford bull from the wellknown “ Wilencote ” stud of Mr, F-. E-. Humphreys, Gisborne', ’ was sent forward.: When; in New Zealand .Mr Stewart was very much impressed with the Ayrshire cattle of Mr J. G. Donald, of Featherston. Unfortunately, the bull which Mr Stewart favoured was sold ' by Wright. Stephenson and Co.. Ltd-

flams of Interest to those engaged in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, With a view to their publication in tbeue columns, will be welcomed. Thsy should be addressed to Rusticus, Otago Daily Times, Dunedia

Process of Adjustment

to a South Island client at a threefigure price. His next selection has just gone forward to a leading Tasmanian breeder at a price bordering on three figures also. What impressed Mr Stewart most about the "Ardgowan ” Ayrshires was their splendid type and very high butter-fat backing He was astonished that these cattle throughout the herd tested a better average than any other stud in New Zealand. DRIFT FROM THE LAND POSITION IN BRITAIN PRICES AND WAGES Recently the Minister of Agriculture received a deputation from the Trades Union Congress to discuss the drift of farm workers from the land and the standard of living in the villages (says The Times). Although few farm workers are members of a trade union, it Is all to the good that the Trades Union Congress should discuss the position frankly with Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith. Before the Agricultural Development Bill left the Standing Committee Labour members sought to Include a provision that no subsidies should be paid to farmers unless farm workers received t a minimum wage of £2 a week. The amendment was defeated by 21 votes to 17. but many members of Parliament and the general public would like to see a definite relationship established between the guaranteed prices for farm produce and farm wages. While It may seem only right that this should be done, the public does not perhaps realise that the Government is not guaranteeing profitable prices for sheep, oats and barley under the Agricultural Development Bill. It is putting a bottom in these markets for the home producer when world prices are very low, and promising to meet part of his loss, which is a very different matter from guaranteeing a profit. The Minister of Agriculture has expressed the hope that the general prosperity of the industry will lead to a substantial improvement in ®wages, but he has declined to attempt to Interpret the Government assistance to agriculture in terms of minimum wages rates. It rests with this county wages committees to fix appropriate minimum rates according to changing circumstances. Improved Conditions It is common knowledge that wage rates in .agriculture have been rising. More money is circulating in the villages, and. as modern families are smaller, there has been a /decided improvement in the standard of life. It is only within recent years that the Saturday half-holiday was generally recognised, and this year lor the first time it' has become a statutory obligation on the farmer to give his men an annual holiday, at least three consecutive days, in addition to the usual bank holidays. This may Seem little enough leisure to the town worker accustomed to clear week-ends and at least a fortnight’s, annual holiday, but it Is appreciated by the farm worker, for whom the occasion of the year has been the village outing to the seaside. It would be misleading to give the impression that until now farm workers have not had holidays. The day men have the week-ends to themselves, and on many farms the stockmen who work overtime on Sundays have for some time been'allowed a week’s holiday with pay. In general practice the close personal relationships between master and man in the •farming industry allow for a good deal of give-and-take in these matters. TWs is very necessary, since Mr George Lambert’s “Whitehall cow,” which would conform to all Government regulations and not require to be mflked on Sundays, has not yet arrived to put farming on a par with town works which can close their gates at the week-end. The drift of farm workers from the land is a serious problem, in spite of the gradual improvement of wage rates, the provision of better houses, the advent of electricity to some villages, and also water supply schemes The labour problem seems to be much more difficult in some districts than others, and for some farmers , than others. Where the new militia camps are being built, or where aerodromes are being constructed, the call for extra labour this summer has put farmers behind with seasonal work like haymaking and root hoeing. For the farmer who employs two men it is a serious matter If the younger of the two leaves him just now to draw £4 a week as carpenter’s mate for a few weeks at a militia camp. No one can be found to take his place on the farm, and the farmer has to manage shorthamded as best he can. It is not surprising that the farmer complains.

There Is no need to despair*of keeping enough men to work our farms. A good man already commands fully £2 a week in cash wages, and when his cottage at 3s a week and other advantages, such as milk at wholesale prices, are taken Into account he can see for himself that he is as well off as many town workers. Given a sound basis of prices, which the Agricultural Development Bill, in conjunction with existing measures promises to establish, the farmer who organises

his labour force intelligently, taking advantage of tractors and other modem equipment, should be able to pay at least £2 a week to the fewer men he employs. The farmer may say with truth that not every man Is worth £2 a week, but it is generally recognised that the days of cheap labour on the land are past in this country. Agriculture is adjusting itself to the changed circumstances. This is not an easy process at a time when national defence requirements are making heavy calls on rural labour and attracting away from the land, at any rate temporarily, the younger men who have no family ties, But the adjustment Is not impossible. Indeed, it is being quietly achieved on all sides. THE WOOL MARKET CONDITIONS AND PROSPECTS AN AUSTRALIAN OPINION Writing in the Australasian, the wellknown wool authority of that journal, “ R. V. B.,’’ treats as follows of current marked prospects:— According to private reports received In Melbourne last week, the Yorkshire top-makers had shaded their quotations for 70’s and 64’s qualities a fraction, but other counts were unchanged, compared with the - week before. The private cables stated also that very little business was being transacted. although the outlook was hopeful, more particularly for 58’s down to 40’s tops. The latest advice was to the effect that for the higher merino counts the quotations were lower by id to id per lb, and 60’s were barely firm. There was a tendency to look forward with growing confidence to an upward movement In prices, and the setback as disclosed by the private reports about tops is disappointing. We should appreciate, however, that August as a rule is a quiet business month in Yorkshire. It is holiday time in Britain, and it is not to be expected that much new business will be placed for a week or two. In New York, too, the tops market is reported to be quiet after a period of considerable activity. Doubtless the strong and successful opposition to the Roosevelt spending programme will be a depressing influence in America for a time, and to some extent the manufacturers of Yorkshire, who benefit from the new Anglo-U.S.A. trade treaty, will feel the effects. New Selling Season It is fortunate that the carry-over from last season was light. There is nothing more embarrassing to the trade than a heavy carry-over of raw wool. Not only was an excellent clearance of the Australian clip made, very little of the 1938-39 clips of South Africa. New Zealand or South America remains unsold. So the “ first hand ” wools should nave a clear run during the new selling season, which will be in full swing in a few weeks now. Already more wool than usual at this Pf r j°a of the year has arrived at most °f the stores. Very soon these stores will be well filled, and buyers will be busy with their work of inspection, i suppose the most contemplative of e individuals associated with the wool trade at present are the specialists engaged by the selling houses. The path of these specialists is never very easy. At the best of times, just before the commencement of a selling season, it is always difficult, and when conditions oversea are disturbing, as they have Jong been and still are. the task of these Individuals is just about as full oTperplexities as anyone could imagine. There Is a much mistaken idea that the wool valuer’s job is merely to give an idea of values based upon known market data. His responsibility is to Protect as far as he can the interests his company’s clients. Frequently he will be asked whether if be prudent to sell or to hold. He is expected to be in a position to read aright the signs of the market. Some of the questions asked of these specialists by growers call for the qualifications of fortune tellers. Guide to Growers

Jt is true that the wool specialist will rarely “ tip ’’ the market or advise a client to withhold wool from sale in the hope of a rise in price, but time and again he will take upon himself the responsibility of passing in wool. He makes his valuations from his own expert interpretation of market happenings and tendencies, and these valuations, taking them by and large, are a guide to growers of inestimable worth. Without them there would be confusion. The uninformed grower would be pitted against the well-in-formed buyer, and the buyer would be the winner more often than not, we may be sure. The specialist’s work extends to many phases of the trade. Indeed, he must be familiar with all. He is required to be a student of affairs, and I doubt if there Is a body of men better placed —exchanging views, as they often do, with buyers from most countries—to discuss affairs in general. And these men, as I say, are most contemplative Just now concerning the prospects of the new selling season. I have discussed the outlook with several of them during the last few days, and I think I interpret the consensus of their opinions by saying that despite the optimistic statements about the market tendencies that have been going the rounds of late, they will be agreeably surprised if the new season opens with prices appreciably better than the last Brisbane rates. Most of them, however, if asked for an opinion on wool market tendencies, will reply by asking your fancy for the Melbourne Cup—so “ open ’’ is the outlook at this stage.