STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2201, 7 May 1896, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dboveb.

Weekly Stock Sales : \ Fortnightly! Burnside, Wednesdays E£ffel r i daya Ashburton, Tuesday?. SSo™'S o™'o ™' ™T*?lV™ Addington, Wedne/d'y. Oa X?ds? U Tulsday S . Invercargill, Tuesdays JfontMy:. Periodically: Clinton, ralmerston, Heriot, Kelso, and Eye* and Winton. burn. [Conmunloatloni of interest U itoqkbreed«r> and doalers »r« tordlillj Invited. All jommanioationi to retob Witneii offloe ■ot later than lTondmj night,] At Burnside last week 154 head of cattle were yarded, most of which were of poor quality. Best bullocks were well competed for, being vefy few in number, and bringing from £8 10s to £10, and some good heifer beef Dp to £7 ss. The large number of medium and inferior brought, low prices— about £4 to £6— • and I do not expect to see any improvement in ■ price of this class ; but I fully expect to see a gradual improvement in the price of prime beef, which is apparently scarce, as, though feed has been fairly abundant, the cold and wet weather Df late h»s been against the thriving of cattle. This, it seems, has been the case all over this district, and I think generally thronghout New - Zealand. I suppose the same cause is accountable for the present short supply of milk all round. Cows have not continued in milk as they generally do, and supplies everywhere at . factories are very short, much more so than is usually the case. Milch cows have given out in their supply folly. » month earlier this year than usual. It may be that lack of feeding and care io the winter is gradual ly weakening the powers of our cows, for that attention to all cattle dii'ing the winter season is very much uegltcUd tLere can be no question, and this is one of the causeß that tend to make people doubtfully " Does farming pay?" The yarding at the Burneio'e sheep sale last week was a large one, 3600 about being the Dumber. These consisted mostly of medium ewes and f-heep that could not be classed as fat. A few lots of good crossbred wethers sold at up to 13s 9d for prime ; medium, 9s to 10s. Good crossbred ewes were bought at from 93 to 10s, and they would not have brought such prices but that expott buyers of freezing sheep could not fill freight engagements otherwise, owing to the shortage of prime crossbred wethers. lam quite glad to see these female adults gettiDg away at such fair rates, and hope that in the coming year they will be lass in evidence. In Canterbury prime freezing crossbred wethers bring from 13* to 15s, there' being' a very active competition at these prices. I have before remarked on the prices of prims freezers as beyond what London cable reports warrant, but this is perhaps explained by the peculiar conditions at present prevailing, and they call for icme remark. (1.) The reduction of jfH per lb in freight comes into force on all shipments from June 1. (2.) In consequence of this, farmers are holding on as far as possible before selling fat stock. (3.) Several buyers have contracted with shipping companies to fend cettain quantities of uheep, and are buying all they can to fill engagements. (4.) The shipping companies are much disturbed as to the quantity of freight available in Way, arjd will have to keep steamers waiting unless they buy, which in some cases I am told has been done. Shipping companies have been approached, I Km told, by freezing companies, asking them to reduce the freights in May instead of waiting (ill June 1, but up to date they have refused, and one cannot blame them. If they gave way ■ this year for May, next year it would be the came, and each year until the whole 12 months were run through. The arrangement as to freight is perhaps at fault, although it was (bought that it would tend to regulate supplies, and stop the unduly heavy shipments during the summer months. 1 think one " all the year freight" must bs agreed on in the interests of all parties, and that the regulation and control of quantities must be done by concerted and combined action of ihe freezing establishments here. -But I am getting more hopeless about this. We are all throwing ourselves and all that we hare into the hands of tho big financiers, and their power

is increasing as the power and payment of the producer is decreasing. I have of ten pointed out that this need not be so. The people who produce have as much power if as united as the capitalists. The price of good strong, forward store sheep both heie and in Canterbury is making some people wonder at the small margin between "fat" and " stores," but this is accounted for by the fact that those buying recognise that per lb comes off the freight of frozen mutton at June 1, and also that, the small supplies going sow, and the much smaller supplies going during the month of May, will help considerably to relieve the London market of heavy stocks, > ; and that a general improvement in prices may ba looked for. I am happy to say that the grain market chows continued signs of briskness, as I predicted, and that farmers will be wise not to sell until ca*h is urgently nesded. The butter market continues very strong and supplies very short. The obeese market for Australia, too, is improving. But for ths heavy consignment stocks we have already landed there, things might have improved earlier. I subjoin a couple of extracts from late numbers of the Melbourne Argus :— THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY. AN EXPEBI FROM NEW ZEALAND.- SOME VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS. Warrnambool. An address which Mr M'Ewan, a che*se and butter expert from New Zealand, delivered afc a meeting of the Western District Factories Association has attracted much attention. He men- . tioned that the Government of New Zealand worjted more on educational lines in assisting the dairying industry, and did not interfere with the business arrangements. The department there undertook the grading and freezing of all butter for export. Each box of butter sent in must have the n«ne of the factory and also tho date of churning marked on it. Then a sample of each churning was examined by the graders, who made a report on it, which was subsequently foi warded to the manager of the factory from which the butter had been received. By this means any defects were pointed out and the managers requested to lemedy them. The arrangements for shipping were made by the Dairymen's Association of New Zealand. In addition to the work of grading, the department also took up the work of instruction. He had -four assistants, who acted in tbe dual capacity of instructors and inspectors. They visited the factories and also" the dairies, advising managers of the former as to the bsst system to adopt, and giving dairymen advice as to the best class of cows, the most suitable food for them, the best way of handling milk, and, above all, impressing upon them the necessity of cleanliness iv eveiy particular. During the winter months daity schools were held. At an appointed time the managers and assistants assembled at a certain factory, where he (Mr M'Ewan) met them. Then they took the several branches and devoted two days to butter-making, a similar period to the manufacture of cheese, another two days to testing milk, and then; to the iunning of machinery. By this mean* all the managers were induced to run the factories on similar lines, and as a result an article of uniform quality could be pioduced throughout the country. He was not in favour of the Government continuing to freeza and grade. butter, but considered they should gradually withdraw from the 3» branches acd give greater assistance to dairymen on educational lines. In reply to- questions, Mr M'Ewan sad the aeration of milk had proved very beneficial in New Zealand. He thought that at least one or two of the inspectors should be veterinarians. On Saturday Mr M'Ewan visited the Grasmere Factory, and to-day 'he is at the Wannambool Factory giving practical information to managers and others concerning the manufacture of cheese , on what is known as the Canadian Cheddar system.