STOCK & GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 7

STOCK & GRAZING NOTES.

By Drover.

Weekly Stock Sales : Monthly : Burnside. Wednesdays Clinton, Palmerston, Invercr rgill, Tuesdays anc l Winton. Ashburton, Tuesdays Addington, Wedne3d"ys Periodically : Fortnightly: Heriot, Kelso, and KyeBalclutha, Fridays bura. Gore, Tuesdays. [CommunlcH . i of iDtereit to stockbreeders and dealers are oordlallj invited. All jommunlcationa to reach Witness offlct not later than Monday night,]

Although the market at Burnside was not by any means over-supplied with fat cattle the bidding was slack, and prices, even for best bullocks, a f ew'shillings less than the previous week Out of 164 head yarded only about 30 were, in my opinion, prime beef, a few of these being Herefords from Mr William Kirkland's, Taieri, and the rest, I think, from South Canterbury. The balance were only medium quality.

Burmide now does not appear to command by any means the business that it used to. Butchers who can do so prefer to buy direct and 6ave yard due 3 and commissions, the fact of competition being keen and business contracted making the saving of yard dues, &c, a matter Of consideration. On the whole, the price for meat at Burns' de seems to keep a little ahead of either Christchurch or Invercargill. I don't ■know, however, that butchers are making any Saving by buying outside of Burnside, for judging from some of the transactions tbat came under my notice I think the buyers could have bought cheaper atßunr-ide. There is always a good demand and ready sa'e for cows near calving, these bringing £6 15s to £7 10,«goodhe : fers and pother dairy cows commanding £4 to £6 The Jdemand for 'good dairy cattle is brisk all over, particularly in Southland.

Fat sheep were decidedly in oversupply at Burnside (3416 wore yarded), in addition to which butchers seemed to be filled up, and most of the buying was for freezing, and a fair quantity by graziers tempted to speculate, prices being all in favour of buyers, and ivim 2s 6d to 3s per head lower than previous week. •About half the sheep were unsold It was & really dull and lifeless market, and fine sheep that this time last year would have brought 20s to 21s went at 14s to 15s 6d Doubtless prices for mutton were then far too high, and ib looks now as if they were going to be nrich too low.

I am of opinion that the state of the money market has a lot to do wi'h these low prices, and that sales are somewhat of a forced character, as although the London market for frozen mutton is nob quite so good as it was, yet it seems to me that there is nothing in it to .justify the heavy fall in price now prevailing ; ■but until farmers vmite to carry on the expo-t trade in frozen mutton themselves I fear that matters will not be mended much. This subject is really oue of infinitely more impo tance to farmers than such comparatively palt y ■questions as yard dues and commissions. Attention to the export trade and keeping it going economically aadregula'ly will soon tend to adjust the local market rates, For all New Zealand agricultural and pastoral products, the local market is, and always will be, fitful and uncertain and readily overdone, the power of production in the colony being so overwhelmingly in excess of local requirements or consumption that it cannot be relied upon All farmers' business must be based on, and carried out for, an export trade, as it provides an unlimited and much more certain and eveu market. There won't be muoh room for speculation under what I hope will be the new regime, and it will be a good thing for all concerned if farming proper is attended to, instead of the mere dealing and speculation which he 8 been far too prevalent in the past.

The market for both store sheep and cattle fcontinues dull, as might be expected at this season. The same re ii arks apply to horses. There is still a good demanl for pigs, and the few yarded at Burnside went at £ood rates. There were no bacon pigs for sale there lam glad to see that there is a very good demand for young pigs and breeding sows, and farmers can't go wrong in securing a proper supply of both. Opinions greatly differ as to what policy or which of our political . leaders is to bring back prosperity and make things hum in New Zealand, and all parties have their favourites,

but I shall back the humble and despised pig to do more for New Zealand than any one of them, or the lot combined.

At Blenheim the other clay an interesting discussion took place on the question of footrot in sheep. Some of those who took part in it seemed to be in favour of asking the Government to take steps to prevent the spread of footrot in the Marlborough district. The Government, it appears, have power under the Stock Act of las') session to declare any additional diseases and provide regulations for dealing with them. From the discussion I see that it was the general opinion that the disease was contagious. Mr F. Harding said that farmers themselves were to blame for the presence of footrot by placing their sheep on muchused ground, which might be termed a bed of parasites. He lived on low land and had seen his sheep feed in six inches of water without contracting footrot because he had looked after them. He objected to always running to Government about everything, and expected to see a 'petition presented some day asking the Government to feed tha babies. Mr I Redwood, on the other hand, said that in his younger days he was taught that foot-ot was not contagious, but he had now altered his opinion. Had Government not taken in hand the control of the scab disease they would still be "Scabby Marlborough," and he thought that legislation was required in the present case also. The discussion was at times rather scientific, and the fashionable and respec able "microbe" was bl'iued for the disease. Of course it would not b' como a mere drover like myself to set up an opinion against all this science, but I believe that in this, as in many other cases, the " microbe" is in reality only another t<rm for " dirt," and I am by no means convinced yet that footrot is nfectious in the g- ner ally-accepted sense of the word, but fancy that it originates with damp, and is propagated by damp and dirt, and that with proper care farmers cm easily deal with the matter. The subject is an interesting one, and I hope some of our farmers will have a word to say in connection with it. Footrot, like the " unemployed," has been with us for over 25 years, being, of course, prevalent on lowlands and not on high country. Dirt and

filth in yards and paddocVs will prop i gate all sorts of diseases, and the microbe no doubt has a real good time in such places, and I am of opinion that care and cleanliness will prevent the spread of footrot b tter than an army of Government inspectors.

It is rather unfortunate that the steamers carrying our sh ep to the Sydney Fair should have met with such bad weather. No.withstanding this, tho losses will not exceed 2 per cent., or about 100 sheep out of the 5000 sent. The Rotokino sufFered most, losing 50 .slices.

The Sydney agents, I am sorry to see, have bseu unable to arrange what I might call a proper and fair mode of conducting sales, the Tasmanian owners' agents insisting on selling right on during the three days— Tuesday, Wedne'day, and Thursday — and refusing to arrange with the other agents. This is a great pity, and not by any means conducive to the future success of the sheep fair, the management of which should, in my opinion, take control of the selling in the interests of all concerned. I trust that the prices realised by our enterprising New Zealand breeders will not be prejudicially affected, and still think that New Zealand breeders will do fairly well, and that " blood will tell."

The proposal for the erection of freezing works at Balclutha continues, I hear, to occupy the attention of a largo number of farmers, a-.id certainly the matter is one of the greatest importance. Balclutha seems a suitable situation for works, draining, as it does, large and prosperous districts such as Waipahi, Tapanui Catl'ns, Port Molyneux, Kaitangata, Milton, Tuapck* "West, &c. The shareholders are, I understand, to be mainly tho men who will supply the sheep. It is not intended, I hear, that the shares shall carry more than 5 or 6 per cent, of interest, and they will bs of little value to speculators or investors, the object of the promoters being to make the business a truly co-operative one, and giving those who supply sheep all that is possible. In fact, the company is to be a cooperative one somewhat on the lines of the leading Southland dairy factories, and, in my opinion, if the proper men are at the head of affairs it will be a great success and the precursor of many freezing works on similar lines

throughout the country. Every farmer should have bis little share in his local freezing works and dairy factory, both of which skou'.cl be looked upon by him as part of his own farm and own business and loyally supported right through, for he thereby secures a certain and ready-money market for his produce at all times. Unity among farmers in all these matters will bring about prosperity, and I hope that all over New Zealand they will see that in their Jcase 'as mu;h as in 'every other th'ng union is strength.

The sales of the Popotunoa, Greenval* 1 , and Waipahi properties by direction of the trustees of the late Mr James Logan are, I think, very satisfactory, as showing that there is a good demand for freehold when prices are reasonable and not at inflated or land boom rates. Over £91,000 worth of land, comprising over 33,000 acres, has been sold at something like £3 per acre all over. Running down the names I can see that the purchasers are mainly sons of the soil, brought up in the various districts adjoining the estates, and no more com pt tent judges of value could be found. It proves that settlers of the right sort dearly love freehold tenure, and don't cave about becoming leaseho'devs under the Government as landlord* but prefer being the " laird " themselves. This is settlement of the right sort, and doubtless there will be more of it. These settlers are to be congratulated, and I hope they will increase and multiply and gradually spread over the whole coun' ry; Government have now to some extent become partners in the Bank of New Zealand Asseti Company, and suix^y the "bursting-up" policy and other wild talk as to property indulged in by some of their supporters will now hardly be consistent with their present position, so that property owners may feel a little easier in their minds, and not be in such fear of the imposition of overpowering land taxes, &c. Government cannot fail to see tha* this wild talk about property has been one of the main factors which have induced the want of confidence that has led to the critical position of the Bank of New Zealand, which necessitated the seeking of help at the hands of the Government, or, I might say, at the hands of all New Zealand settlers and property owners,

as the Government simply represent these in a matter of money, as this is.

The Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association evidently intend to follow up their late success in the winter produce show, and several improvements are in contemplation. The prize lUt is already under consideration, and will shortly be published. 1 have seen a magnificent 50gs silver cup presented by Messrs Nimmo and Blair as a challenge cup for butter, on the same lines as the M'N< mi challenge cup for cheese. The cup is to be exhibited at Auckland, New Plymouth, Hawcra, Wellington, Kelson, Dunedin, Christchurch, and Invercargill ; so that the show for text year >viJl be well advertised, and a pplendid exhibition may be expected. Other handsome pr zes are fully expected from all parts for seec's, roots, grain, hams and bacoa, and other produce.

that the dairy industry is going to be one of great importance to the colony, and that within a very short time it will be I am pretty well sure. The Government will do all that lays in their power to further it, as dairying is the best means of making a living out of the land on which the Government are so anxious to settle the people."

Mr H. S. TiffeD, of Hawke'sßay, has been experimenting with beet sugar seeds obtained from the well-known growers, Vilmorin, of France, and Carter.of Eoglaud. The results of the analysis of six samples, but all of different varieties, show that the three French sorts give from 12 22 to 14*76 per cent, of sugar. In California the standard is 12 per cent , all the percentage above that being paid extra for. At Californian prices the return would be nearly £L per ton. Another French variety gave about 12£ per cent., but the two English samples gave under 11 per cent. The highest yield previously recorded at the Government laboratory for New Zealand grown beet was 9 1 per cent.

A child diesd from tubercle on the brain in Napier recently (says the Herald). The father asked the medical attendant how the disorder might be contracted. The doctor replied that infants frequently contracted tubercle by party.king of tnilk from a tuberculous cow. The inspector, of nuisances was communicated with. He went to the dairy of the man who supp.ied milk to the family in which the death occurred, and found a tuberculous cdw. It was at once destroyed, bub as the child was dead, and possibly as other children may have become tuberculous, it would have been much better if the cow had been killed long before.

Messrs Nitnmo ar.d Blair, seedsmen, of thiß city, have presented to the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association a silver challenge trophy, ef the value ot 50 gu'iicas, to be competed for annually at tha winter show of the society. The trophy is to be awarded for the best half-ton of factory-made butter suitable for export, and is to become the property of any person or firm winning it three times, though not necessarily in succession. The trophy is in the form of an urn. It measures about 2ft in height, and lOin across at the broadest part. The cover of the uru is adorned with a design in the shape of bluebells and other flowers, while the body is covered with ferns. There are 116oz of silver in the trophy, which forms an exceedingly handsome ornament.

The Port Mo'yneux correspondent oE the Clutha Leader writes -.— " A tew weeks ago a gentleman, Mr Rue, visited thin district, and made an offer to establish a dairy factory in the neighbourhood. He required a guarantee o£ the milk of 400 cows, for which he was prepared to give 3d per gallon. Most of the set-