STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 5

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dbotbb.

Weekly Stock Salts : Invercargill, Tuesday* Burnside, Wednesdays Monthly ; Ashburton, Tuesdays fii: nf .- ii.i_ m i.. AddingtonlWedneiays Clmt^ d wanton * fortnightly: Periodically: Balclutha, Fridays Heriot.Kelso, and Ky» Gore, Tuesdays bura. Oamaru, Tuesdays. [Commu»le»!loni or lotereit t^ itoekbre«dera »nrt dealer! u« cordially Invited. All oommunlo»tton» to reioh Witn*»i 0»c« col later than Mpndaj nifht.l The yarding of cattle at Burnside last week was 172 head, about 100 of which were fail to prime beef. Some of the best heavy bullocks brought up to £9; good bullocks, ordinary weight, £7 to £8; some nice heifers, £6 to £7; and some very prime fat shorthorn cows up to £B—the8 — the best prices ruling for cows for some time, as butchers generally now fight shy of them. Light and aged cattle continue difficult to dispose of. Over 2000 sheep werjß yarded, among which were only a few pens of wethers well finished, though not large, which readily brought 12s 6d to 13e 6d. The beßt of the ewes brought from 11s 6d to 12a ~6d A very large portion of - the yarding went at 7s 6d to 8b 3d, and would probably hay« brought better pricer at country sales nearer home. About' 400 lambs were yarded — rather a poor show. A few brought 9s to 10s 6d, but the bulk of them went at 7s 6d to Bs. At country sales large • yardings ara readily sold, breeding ewes being in brisk demand. Full-mouthed ewes bring 6s to Bs, four-toothed 8s to 9s, merino ewes 4s to ss. Now that harvesting is ovei a good many farmers will be looking for store sheep, which it seem? to me must bring better prices than in previous years. The trouble always is that the price* paid for stores seem to me to leave but a pool margin of profit foi those who buy and fatten them. At present the grain market is inactive, but now that the -Easter "holidays are over there will probably be some movement. It seems evident that a considerable quantity must go to Europe, and the sooner the better if prices are to be improved. Although a considerable lot of grain has been lost by heavy winds in the south and some must be lost by backward harvesting, the crop is, I should say, by fay the heaviest we have had for many years. Later on I anticipate a shipping demand for Australia and the Cape, and I do .not see; the advisability of rushing the market at present low rates, only to lower them further. /The amount ' of grain forced into the market during ,the last- few -week' has already brought' prices down from Is 6d to Is 3d to Is 4d. . ' There is another -point I would 4 , ca1l attention to — viz., that very many farmers send samples to about half a dozen agents in town. These agents trot round with the samples. AH the known buyers both in a large and small way are offered these' oats or wheat by the six different agents, so that buyers are offered six times the quantity that really exists. In many cases the six agents offer the same oats to one another. This, in my opinion, is not good business, and has a tendency to lowei prices considerably. I advise farmers to 6end their grain to one agent -only either by sample or in bulk, putting what reserve price they think proper on it, or asking the one agent for the best offer obtainable. ... The demand for pigs is as brisk as possible, and there is no sign of prices giying way. Prime bacon pigs^are worth 4£d to 4£d. Iv Canterbury notwithstanding large importations from North Island prices' keep high and supply does not overtaEe the demand. The Tamworth pigß continue to be greatly favoured by bacpn-curers. A line of six-month old Tamworths brought 5,3s each last week at Addington. I hope to see this breed given more attention, too, in Otago and Southland. The breed is hardy, matures and fattens quickly, and should be a better pig for us than the

CrimFon Clover sown in autumn gives a heavy crop of green food 111 spring, makes capital hay, and is greatly relished by all kinds of stock. Try it. NiitHO axd Blaib.

Yorkshire white pig, which is comparatively delicate" and requires warme: weather than prevails' "down south generally. The Berkshire and Tamworth cross would prove very suitable.

At Addington last week the fat sheep jrarded were mostly ewes of various ages. The better, sorts sold well, 11s to 12s 6d being paid for some, and up to 14s for prime heavy. Best freezing wethers brought from 13s* 6d to 14s 9d, fair small freezers 12s to 13s. The lambß offered were few in number, and not up to .-." prime Canterbury " standard. Export buyers took the best at 10s 6d to 12s 3d. ' Prices" for store sheep were decidedly good, notwithstanding a very large yarding. Good forward wethers orought 12s to 13s 3d ; ewes and wethers mixed 11s to 12s 6d. There was a brisk demand for breeding ewes, as also f<ji* suitable turnip sheep. Two and fourtooth ewes brought 8s 9d to 10a 2d, fourtooth 11s 6d, four and' six-tooth 10s 2d, six and eight-tooth 11s sd, full-mouthed Bu 6d to 9s 3d. One Hue of the latter (over 1000) brought 9a to 9b 4d. Forward lambs Bii od to 9s 3d. ' Sheep-stealing is hardly a pleasant subject fc > discuss, but I wish the offence or " business " as some would call it, were less prevalent, than it is. We should have more cases betore the courts were it not that many suffeiing farmers recognise the hopelessness of conviction by a town jury, many of whom fail to recognise the crime as a serious one. So (serious, indeed, is it looked upon in law that until comparatively lately, and long after the abolition of capital punishment for burglary and other crimes, it remained in England and most of the colonies a crime for which capital punishment might be the sentence incurred on conviction. But the main difficulty with town juries is that they fail bo grasp the meaning of the ear-marks, and I must say that even if a jury in such cases were composed of farmers, as has been suggested, this difficulty would still present itself, for ea^r-marks are not only very numerous and often very much alike, but can be easily Altered some times, and this fact in the hands of a .cle_ver -.lawyer defending a criminal can

be made a most powerful argument in defence. The "lirand" or "buist" put on the sheep's Z back or sides 'is the Government registered

brand of owners, but it is generally of little use for clear identification in cases of this «ort AU sheep-owners rely on the ear-mark

in working or drafting their sheep, and for that purpose it must continue in use, but to check or prevent sheep-stealing I suggest that Ute tattoo mark applied to th 6 ear or flank or any bare part of the sheep be made a legal mark also, and that it be made incumbene on all breeders to so mark their lambs. This mark properly put on with proper apparatus in- ink will last for yeara. Fire branding on the face has been suggested, but this presents many of the same objections as ear-marking. The "tattoo" mark' is, I believe, recognised by the Cape Government, and Bhould be tried. The prevalence of sheepstealing necessitates something being done at once. It is a matter that affects the, whole farming community, as it is a positive disgrace that the crime should be so prevalent and yet go difficult to punish. All farmers, however, should determine to stamp it out, and they should combine and support oue another in securing convictions against habitual offenders, for there are such in several districts, I am given to understand on good authority. I know farmers who would prosecute but for tho fact that conviction is difficult, and the man proceeded against, possibly a neighbour, is made a dangerous enemy for life if the prosecution fails. There is no doubt that » man who would steal sheep is a dangerous man and fit for other crimes under certain circumstances or temptations.

I notice that in many parts of the country farmers are petitioning against the Rabbit Nuisance, or praying for a milder form of administration. Tho fact is that rabbit-trap-ping is a very profitable business to many people. Ido not say to farmers, but to their families in some cases, and at any rate to very many country people. The rabbit has 1000 friends to each one thai is a friend of the Government rabbit inspector The secretary of the Gore Farmers' Club, speaking on ;he rabbit question the other day, gaid • — ' The inspectors might make it appear at Welling ion that farmers heie were infested with rabbits, and i hat they (the inspector?) were landing botween the farmers and ruin, and that if tbey did not look sharply after the farmers they would be overrun with rabbits. That was ridiculous. Farmers were sufficiently wide awake to look after their own interest" " This being so, I would think it were be?t for Government to abolish the Rabbit Depart- | ment altogether. It undoubtedly was organised in the interest of fanners an.d for tlioir

benefit. If farmers, as the speaker at Gore said, are sufficiently wide-awake now to look after their own interests the best thing is to let them do it, and save the expense of the Rabbit Department. Under present conditions, *nd the increasing demand for rabbits by exporters, I see no hope of the rabbit inspectors doing any good at all, not even if they had the whole police force at their back constantly employed. So many do well out of .rabbits that they would be hopelessly outnumbered, and only worry and trouble would prevail, while rabbits would still go to the freezing works in tens of thousands as at present.

Dear Drover, — A while back there was some correspondence and agitation in the newspapers about " trotting " at auction sales. I think a Mr Murray wrote asking your opinion on the question, but you evidently had some diffidence in approaching the question, as you only replied by making somo weak joke about what took place at auction sales, but promised to have sometliing more to say on tho question later on. Lately there has been some most important auction sales which may be taken as an object le3son by an observer ; therefore I think the present time very suitable to remind you of- your promise to let- us know what further you had to say on the question, as I also am anxious to hear expressions of opinion on the subject. For somo unaccountable reason the press doe's not seem to favour any publicity or discussion on this subject, as it is well known that a good deal of pressure had to be brought to bear before boroo of tho papers would publisb anything about it at all, and although it was pretty freely discussed by many of the farmers' clubs and a considerable majority had promised to assist in getting the Legislature to deal with it. ISow, sir, I think the newspapers ought to have given what took plnce at these meetings the utmost publicity, so thnt it could be ascertained what the public opinion on the question was. for of course it is of little use to expect any reform to be brought about in anything, unless it is necessary and desirable, and at the Fame time -backed up by public opinion. I think if this matter were fairly and squarely put before the people of New Zealand and thought over, they would decide thnt it was neither necessary nor advantageou* that the auction or any ot'ier business should bo carried on by fraud and deception. It is diffioult to understand why the auctioneers themselves do not take some united action to put an end to this pernicious system, as it is hard to imagine anything that could be more injurious to the auction business than this "trotting" system. It may be safely said that there are thousands who have now such a contempt, distrust, and suspicion of auction salea that they will neither buy nor sell by auction if they can possibly avoid it, whereas if sales by auction were conducted as they should be — that is, without this ''trotting" — mostly all business would be done by auction, as there can bo »no better way to obtain the full value for anything than selling by auction. As I have previously said, there could be no better time than the present- to discuss this question, owing to the groat and important sales that have lately taken place by auction. First take the Canterbury ram sales, both at Christchurch and Timaru, at which the "trotting" system was in full force. It would bo interesting to know how much of the business that was done was effected by fair and legitimate competition. As a matter of fact, the proceedings tc any close observer looked- more like a burlesque or a farce than a meeting to transact business. Take the Hon. M. Holmes's great sale of Clydesdalo horses, at which no " trotting " was allowed. T think no one will assert that there was any lack of competition or that the prices realised were not highly Fatisfactory. Then take the great Waikakahi sale, the most important event of tho kind that has taken place, or is likely to take place for a long time, aa it comprised such a large number of the best of* stock and all the implements required on a great estate. There was no difficulty in getting good competition and realising good prices there, just because the public knew they wero not being humbugged, and they had either to bid promptly or lose the lot. It would not be so bad if the evil influence of this sy3tem could be confined to tho approvers of it. They might be allowed to plunder and rob each other to their hearts' content, but unfortunately Ihoae who hate and despise it are the greatest sufferers, as their stock is often &old at much below its value as a consequence of the suspicion and distrust of tho buyera^. Now, sir; I am writing this over a norn de plume, but if you or any of your many correspondents will write giving sound and satisfactory reasons why this 'vstem should not be abolished, and sign their name, I will frankly and publicly acknowledge that I havo been mistaken, and will not bo either ashamed or afraid to sign my name. — I am, etc., NOVICE.