STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2205, 4 June 1896, Page 5

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bt Dhovkb.

Weekly Stock Sales : I Fortnightiy: Burnside. Wednesdays SJSfftJKJ** 1 Ashburton, Tuesdays Adding^,' Wednefd'ys InvercavfiiU, Tuesdays Monthly: Periodically: Clinton, Palmerston, Herfot, Kelso, and Ky« and Winton. bars. [Commanlo»t(ons of (atereit t* itookbreeJen and de»lar» tr« oortlUllj Invite*}. All oommunlo»tion» to reub Wltneu offiot not liter than Monday night,! About 150 head of cattle were yarded at Buroside last week. Prime beef was •career than before, bat there war a more than ample supply of second quality. The sale wa« a doll one, and prices, except for tho beat of the yarding, were lower than Shose of the previous week. Borne of the best bullocks, small bat in good order, brought £7 to £8, with £9 for ■ few of fair size ; modiam, £4 to £5, with difficulty. The yarding was a poor one, and the results not at all profitable to sellers.

I mentioned some tima ago that Frofeuot Robertson, of the Canadian Agricultural department, had brought forward a scheme for the Canadian Government running and pushing the chilled meat trade in Britain, with a view to establishing the name an i fame of Canadian meat oa British markets. His scheme ha* beeoa severely criticised by the organs of the "trade." I expect to. heiir that Profes3ot Robertson has replied, and I trust his scheme will not collapse, for he baa the repntation of being a sticker when he goes in for anything, and perhaps is not so easily frightened by the "trade" as some of as are. The " trade " may be right in this case for all I know, or they may be wrong. One thing it certain—viz., that the trade will sit on, and do all they know to stop, any scheme for the improvement of tho meat trade. According to them nothing more can be dona, and they are the only people who can manage the business, and perfection has been reached by them. They are quite satisfied, no doubt, but what about tht farmer and producer, with prices going down for ever and ever ? Do they think that perfection has been reached? Do they daily blecsthis great body known as the " trade " P For my part, although it maybe almost irreverent to say so, I do not venerate this great conservative body known as the " trade," and will always have sympathy for anyone who tries to act independently of the august body, as I don't think that it is impossible to improve mattere even though they assert that ib i«. They are oar boflsea meantime, however, and I must ba careful lest. l speak disrespectfully of them.

I hear of two or three New Zealanders who have gone Home with a fair amount in cash to ran New Zealand moat stores in Glasgow and other towns on the lines that Mr H. C. Cameron, formerly an Inchchitha farmer, has successfully done in Manchester, despite and in defiance of the wise men of the •• trade," who predioted failure.

There was a large yarding of sheep at BarnBide, consisting to a great extent of suitable freezing crossbreds, though I cannot say they were of prims quality. I think that prices showed a decline on previous week's rates, even on the best lines. Best f reezara brought 13a to Us 6d ; second quality, 10« 6$ to 12s 6d ', prime ewes, lOj 6d to 12« 6d ; light butchers' sheep, 6a to Bs. The large yarding had the usual effect of weakening the market, and I would advise farmers not to rush sheep in. The heavy yarding was perhaps due to the faot that £d par lb reduotion in freight on frozen mutton was to come into force on the Ist June, and farmers had been holding back as long its possible in view of better prioes. These better prices will be obtained the more easily if the sheep are not forced on the market. There is no hurry, as the rates are the same now till November. When farmers are the co-operative shareholders in the frozen meat work*, then, and then only, will supplies be regulated and the grazier'a business become a steady and safe one instead of a gambling and risky one as ab present.

In Canterbury the cheep market is much mora lively in regard to store sheep than in Otago and Southland. The grass there lately has been better in many places than it was all the summer. There is an active demand and good competition for all prime freezing sheep, whicfc are not by any means ia heavy supply.

i

The local grain market was duller laet week than I anticipated, a facb partly due to holidays, races, &c, but mainly, I think, to heavy supplies, and to the fact that freight is scarce* for since our. two shipping companies agreed Dot to fight they appear to have determined to give us something like a 10-day service between here and Melbourne'and Sydney. The demand from Australia has now, I think, set id, and freights will be provided when purchasers are able to nil vessels.

Farmers should put a reserve on their grain. I am quite sure there was no proper reason for the lowering of values which took place, last Week. I would like farmers to understand fttat the grain season so far as they are concerned is just about beginning. Ido not advise holding for big prices, but I think they should ask no less, but rather a little more, than the highest rates that have ruled this season.

Mr F. Dnthie, the secretary of the Agricultural and Pastoral Society, and his committee of enthusiastic workers are at it almost night and day, getting ready for the winter show on the lOlb, 11th, and 12th June, and the show this year will equal, if it does not beat, the record. The Lawes's shield competition has been decided, the winners being tbe same as last year, with the same good men second. It is a pity more farmers don't take pait in these competitions, for the eduottional experience gained by entering into the contest is surely of value. Those who do compete, whether they jiave won or lost, admit this is so. The judges have always been men from whom a lot could be learat, and from what I know of them, they nere always glad to impart information.

Among the exhibits at the winter show will ~he many got together for comparative and educational purposes, and among these I notice that at the request of Mr J. B. M'Ewan a large number of butcer faotories in the North Island and in the South are sending just one box of butter each, not for competition, but for comparison, so as to allow us to judge of the respective qualities or characteristics of butter made in tbe different districts or provinces. It is to be hoped tbats all butter factories will send one box esch. Mr J. R. Scott, secretary of the National Dairy Association, informs me that at Mr M 'Swan's request all parties sending (and farmers are „ invited as well as factories) may, if they wish, consign their boxes to him, making charges payable forward, and that he will take charge of and sell their butter after the show at fair market value and remit to them the proceeds. No charge will be made for this entry. I consider this will be ona of the most interesting exhibits. The English and Scotch cheeses have arrived, and will also be on view, and I hope we shall all have a taste of them. I have only to say that if this sample is not better than ths last I tasted, which I mentioned some time ago, I •hall not be greedy for a big piece. Let's hope for & treat, however, gastronomically, and also a flood of light on our system of cheese-making.

The conference on June 9 (^ay before show) of members of the National Dairy Association and delegates from faotories, who have all been invited whether members at present or not, is likely to be a gcod one. I hope that unity will be brought about, and that there will bo no hanging back. The association has done fair work, and can do more— in fact, as much as is wanted if those interested will only link minor differences and agree upon the work that the Association is to perform, and then loyally and unitedly support it. Mr M'Ewan in addressing the Canterbury dairy men at the Chriitchurch winter show said that it was only such a body as the National Dairy Association that could deal with the commercial matters ponnected with the dairy industry, and th&t it was not the intention of the Government to interfere with that part of the business, as it would merely supervise and* endeavour to improve the conditions of manufacture. He advised all to join tho National Dairy Atsociatlon, for unless they did join together in such an association no reductions in freights, &0., could be secured, and he pointed out that there was great need for such close co-operation among dairy-farmers to secure better handling of produce at Home, He urged the Canterbury dairy companies to come to tho conference in Dunedin, or to send delegates, to consider and unite on common ground to secure reform, economy, and better treatment for producers, such as might be accomplished by the Mftociation supported loyally by til con-

cerned. I hear that the Canterbury men are lik«ly to come, the Canterbury Times and other papers having strongly advised them to join the association. The association has, I am (old, always had come loyal supporters and members in Canterbury, bat it is unanimous support in » matter of this sort that brings power and usefulness. I hope for once to be able to report that though in the past only tailors and sailors and shearers and threshing men and labourers and capitalists and agents and shipping companies and such like have managed to combine to live as well as they could, and principally at the expense of farmers and producers, now these farmers and producers have actually shown that they can and will unite to make an effort to put forward the strength they unitedly possess for the benefit; of themselves and to have more of a say in the deal as to the price and disposal of their produce than they have ever had in the past.

The Gore winter ohow was of course a nice sight, but in my opinion the multiplication of these shows does not tend to good. Competition is small, and in every way the educational value of these exhibitions is lessened as they are multiplied. I would rather see the wiuter^ show made peripatetic and h-ild at different centres yearly than that the«e small shows should increase. For the South Island one really good show would be of more value than a lot of small ones. Even the advertisers of seeds and manures who so largely support these shows wiil shortly get tired of exhibiting, owing to the expense being out of proportion to the results. lam no partisan, but now that the^Ofcago A. and P. Society are putting up a magnificent building for holding j this show, it would certainly be to the interest of Otago and Southland, and even of Canterbury, to sink all local considerations, and combine to support this society who started the winter shows, and have up to date made them interesting and valuable— especially as they are ! now, with the new building shortly to be ready, in a position to carry out the exhibition in a manner that could not be attempted successfully elsewhere. Nevertheless, the Gore show was interesting. Competition in dairy produce | was small, but the quality good, Wyndham, Stirling, Inchclutha, Gore, and inland factories being prominent ia factory cheese. Farmers' cheess was well represented, and the quality highly creditab'e, Miss Doull's exhibits being quite up to factory standard ; bub then' Mr David Doull is one of the men who early adopted the factory system, and his factory — for ib really is a factory — is on up-to-date lines. Miss Doull's butt6t was Also up to standard. Miss E. Gilchrist in the farmers' cheese class was quite up to factory standard, showing that on proper methods farmers' cheese can be made as good as fac- j tory — indeed, it is quite possible to make it better. Such, however, is not generally the case, and I congratulate Miss B. Gilchrist, Waikska, for maintaining the honour of farmers' cheese. The roots and grain and seeds were all good, but farmers, I regret to see, seamed apathetic as to exhibiting. A very lively meeting, and a successful one, was held by dairy faotory delegates. The secretary of the National Dairy Association explained the position, and the meeting was heaity in its determination to support the association and extend and strengthen its usefulness by strong and hearty co-operation. A most interesting discussion on the dairy industry will certainly take place on June 9, the day before the winter show.

Dear Drover, — In consequence of the serious feelingof alarm whichhas been occasioned amongst farmers by the revelations at the recent inquiry at Falmerston it has been decided to memorialise Parliament to amend the Stock and Dairy Acts in the direction of granting compensation out of the public funds in cases Bimilar to the one inquired into, more especially those relating to dairy stock, and the unavoidable and unpreventible contagions of variola and tuberculosis. Without going into the merits of the matter just now, I would just say that certain farmers of this district are of opinion that a mass meeting of representative farmers at the time of the winter show would be a most favourable way to discuss the whole question, and knowing that you take a keen interest in these matters invoke your valuable assistance to arrange a suitable date, time, and place. We shall be pleased to have you suggest how this maybe best brought about, and would like you to interview the secretary of the Dairy Association with a view to securing that body's co-operation, Hoping to hear from yon soon,— l am, &0., Defencb. The cmo out of which this letter reaalta is

still sub Judice. so I cannot comment on it meanwhile. With regard to compensation out of the public funds in canes where cattle are destroyed because of disease or to prevent infection, the point ia worth discussion, and if Government could afford to provide an adequate fund for such a purpose it would be a good thing to have a thorough inspection and weeding out of our cattle so as to improve the general conditions. Moderate compensation only should be allowed, elsa we might have some of the knowing ones buying up all the diseased c&ttle in the country. Would ib not be a good thing also to destroy many of the underbred and mongrel bulls that, I regret to say, are in far too common use ?

I have seen Mr J. R. Scott, secretary National Dairy Association, and he says that at their meeting on the 9th this subject might; be appropriately brought up. Delegates are invited, and the Shag Valley delegates should be instructed to have a motion put on the order paper. Mr Scott will, on receipt of such motion, see that this is done. He says, however, that the motion alone must be dealt with, and that oh no account can the meeting deal with the Palmerston casa, still sub judice.