DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2086, 15 February 1894, Page 23

DUNEDIN HORSE SALEYARDS.

Weekly Report. Messrs Wright, StEPUENSON, and Co. report as follows :— The entry of horses for our sale on Saturday was a large one, and comprised a greater number of draughts than has been offered for some time. The demand, we regret to say, was not so brisk as we had reasonable grounds for expecting it would be, but we believe it was not on account of the lack of buyers, but because of the f aot that a large shipment of draught horses were during the progress of the sale being landed ex Talune, from Melbourne, and which are to be sold on Friday, 16th inst. Town buyers were also aware that these horses are a remarkably fine lot, being young, active, and well bred, and coming from a hot, dry climate are particularly suitable for the hard roads of Dunedin, and they naturally wished to have an opportunity of supplying their requirements from so large and suitable a selection. The draughts offered were of a mixed description, but it was the inferior sorts only that brought anything like fair values. Light harness horses and hacks were also largely represented, and although a good number of these were quitted, prices were disappointing. We beg to direct attention to an advertisement appearing in the Otago Daily Times and Witness, from which full particulars of the sale of the shipment of Melbourne horses may be learned. We quote : For first-class draughts (extra heavy), £25 to £30 ; for good ordinary draughts (young), £18 to £22; for medium draughts, £12 to £16 ; for aged draughts, £6 to £10 ; for good hacks and harness horses, £12 to £16 ; for medium hacks and harness horses, £7 to £9 ; for light and inferior hacks and harness horses £2 10s to £5.

sumption of food to a given weight of animal as it approached maturity. As regards quality of meat, it was found that when pigs are fed freely upon highly succulent food, such as cooked roots, the refuse of starch, herbs, and the like, thoy are frequently found to give a very rapid increase. But pork so fed is found to sink rapidly in the salting process, and to waste considerably when boiled. On the other hand, when pigs are fattened upon the highly nitrogenous leguminous seeds— peas, however, being much less objectionable than some others — the lean is hard and the fat wastes in cooking. Finally, it is to the interest of the farmer to use highly nitrogenous leguminous seeds, and even flesh, if it is at command, during the earlier and growing stage of his bacon hogs. But if a constant market is to be secured for pork, barley meal or other cereal grains must supersede everything else as fattening proceeds. "VV. I. — Assuming the measurements to have been correctly taken, and that both the animals are in prime condition, the carcase weight of the larger bullock is 7621b, and that of the smaller 5041b. An allowance must be made if the animals are exceedingly fat or only moderately so ; in the former case one-twentieth must be added and in the latter deducted from the weights Btated. Some judgment must be exercised in taking measurements. The addition of lin to _ the length is a mistake easily made when an animal stands with the head down, and a similar error may as easily be made in the girth if the animal stands with the back raised. Again, the form of the animal is very seldom perfect, the fore and hindquarters being frequently unequal, and allowance must be made for these differences. When the forequarter seems heavier than the hind, the tape line should be extended a little nearer tho head than the exact top of the shoulder ; and when the hincU quarter is heavier than the fore, the line should be stretched a little beyond the tail-head. In regard to the girth, a very common fault in the carcase of an anima^.as undue contraction behind the shoulder, the actual girth of which givee-a result below the truth. The tape line must therefore be applied with judgment. (2) To ascertain the dead weight of living sheep, "weigh the sheep alive (fasting and fleece dry), to ascertain the weight in stones (141b) ; double the number of stones which the sheep weighs will give pounds weight per quarter if the animal is fairly fat. Thus, a sheep weighs alive 9st; 9 multiplied by 2=lß, or 181b per quarter. Or, reckon the dead weight to be four-sevenths of live weight. Thus, as above, 9st=l26lb, four-sevenths of which, or 721b=181b per quarter. A deduction from the farm weights must be made for wasting on the way

to market. Inquirer.— We have not been able, after a care ful search through, the whole series of New Zealand Law Reports up to the end of last year, to find the case you msntion. The presumption of law is in favour ot a yearly hiring. In Short v. Laery, 11 N.Z.L.R. 17, Mr Justice Richmond says : "A general hiring where no term is fixed is presumed to be a yearly hiring in the absence of circumstances showing a different intention." Iv this case the man and his wife were both engaged. An inference may be drawn from this that a yearly hiring was contemplated by the parties rather than a monthly one, as a man with a family could not be supposed to contemplato removing his home and family to a distance for the sake of a short engagement, neither would any reasonable employer expect that he would do so. You have not in either of your letters stated whether the agreement was in writing. If it was, and you will forward an exact copy of the writing, stating at the same time any circumstances known to both employer and servant likely to influence their conduct, we will further con-

eider the matter and reply. It is our desire to give only reliable answers. This matter is one of some difficulty, as you can see yourself from the fact that in the case you mention it was taken to the Court of Appeal. Unless all the facts are fully and carefully stated our answer might only mislead you. Desideratum. — At different times branches of plants of various kinds, such as elderberry, sweet peas, &c, have been stated to have the property of driving away flies, but we doubt their efficacy very much, and moßt people troubled with them in great numbers fall back on fly papers. If the house is isolated it is best to keep the premises scrupulously clean, taking care that there is no manure heap about, for it is here that the pest breeds. Could you not put a blanket over the window of the room in

which you sleep in the day time, thus excluding the light as much as possible ? Agency. — (1) Yes, New Zealand newspapers are prohibited advertising consultation sweeps. (2) Yes, it certainly is. Constant Reader.— There is a woollen factory in Wellington, and the tweeds you allude to are no doubt manufactured at it. A. R., Green Valley.— We have submitted your query to Mr Jenkins, who replies .'—The instrument is not yet to hand, but I am making other arrangements, and may possibly be ready in a few weeks. The hair you may say will be permanently removed. Should, perchance, any spring into life, which is doubtful if properly treated, they can be destroyed again, and I effectually. The cost I cannot determine just yet, but it should be modest, and the time Bhould not be long. M. E. asks :— ls there a coach road from Tarras to Blenheim, and if so, what route does it take ? ——We believe there is a coach from Pembroke to Omarama and Pukaki lake once a week, passing Tarras. From Pukaki lake there id a coach road to Timaru, or rather part coach and part t^ain. From Tarras there is a coach road to Cromwell, Roxburgh, and Lawrence, and thence by train toDunedin. We do not know whether there is a coach road from Christchurch to Blenheim or not, but should think the best way would be to go by Bteamer to Wellington and thence to Blenheim. Farmer, Dalmore. — There can be no doubt that the long continued wet weather we have had this year has injuriously affected plums in many localities, causing them to split and spoil. Some varieties of the plum are subject to this drawback every year more or less, however. Winchman, Alexandra South.— (l) The plant, a specimen of which you send us, is Dipsacus fullonum (or Fuller's teazel). You are quite wrong in supposing the plant to be the Californian thistle. Though the teazel is not a thistle, yet it may probably have been considered one in former days, as its old English as well as its German name still hints at its connection with the thistle tribe. (2) The introduction of the teazel is not to be so much dreaded as the spread of what is called the Californian thistle (Cnicus) or Carduus arvensis, the creeping plume thistle, which is to be so much feared from its creeping roots, the smallest piece of which if left in the ground will grow and form a new plant. Fairplay.— (l and 2) Next week. (3) This correspondent asks if any reader can inform him how to preserve plums in honey.