STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2396, 1 February 1900, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dkovhs.

Weekly Stock Salea : Fortnightly : Burnside, Wednesdays I^ercargill, Tuesdays. Ashburton, Tuesdays Monthly Addington, Wednesdays Olintonj p almeratont Fcrtniohtly: and Winton. Balclntha ridaya Periodically: Gore, Tuesdays j Heriot.Kelso, and KyeOamaru, Tuesdays bura.

[Commuaications of interest ts stockbreeder* and dealer" & oordially invited. All communications to reach Witucss offi not later than Monday meht.l

The yarding of cattle at Burnside last week was 163, and a very fair lot all round they were. The previous week's prices were well maintained, best bullocks, fair weights, bringing £9, smaller £6 10s to nearly £8, light weights £5 to 1 £6. Some nice cows and heifers brought up to £7. The market keeps steady, and as long as the freezing of beef goes on this will continue, but in the event of its non-con-tinuance we may see markets jumping up and down as before. The export trade in beef

seems now a settled institution, and prospects in the London market point to a steady trade at present rates.

The market for store cattle is brisk, and certainly with an established export trade there is more now to encourage graziers in buying than in the past. So far as one can judge, the breeding of cattle might be profitably increased. In all dairying districts the rule still is to kill calves, so that the increase of dairying does not help the increase of cattle for beef.

The yarding of sheep at Burnside last week was about 2200, but the previous week's prices were not maintained. Some prime wethers sold at from 14s 6d to 15s Gd, good wethers 13s to 14s, and ewos at about' same rate. The price, though below previous week's, seems good enough, especially for the ewes, which in previous seasons would not have brought within 3s or 4s of this price. Our rates at present are quite equal to Canterbury prices.

The yarding of lambs was nearly 800, and prices were well maintained, primest bringing up to lls 6d, but 10s to 10s 6d wa3 the average price for the bulk of the yarding.

Opinions seem to be very much divided as to the prospects of the lamb trade, some export buyers having apparently a very poor opinion of the prospects, while some large tranpactions are reported from Chrhtchurch during the past week. One of the chief exporters having publicly offered 10,000 Christchurch Meat Company's lambs, Islington branding (231b to 441b), at 2£d per lb, the offer was accepted, and £100 paid to bind the bargain. It is also said that one of the largest dealers and sxporters has sold his whole season's purchases and production of both sheep and lambs to the vendor of the line mentioned above, and cancelled the commissions of his agents throughout the colony, this trah&action involving between 30,000 and 40,000 sheep and lambs. These reported transactions savour of what is known on the Stock Exchange as doing a bear, and one would neec 1 to be well in behind the scenes to know whether it is genuine or not. The mere deposit of £100 to bind the transaction may mean anything or nothing. That transactions of this kind go on shows that our frozen. meat_ trade is not carried on in the way it should be, and tends to become a mere gambling business. There is no reason or necessity for this being so, and it lies with the farming classes, who rear and fatten the stock, to put an end to this state of affairs, but the trouble is that the farming community arc apparently content with the present state of things, or arc at any rate apathetic.

Up to date the market ift Canterbury has

apparently not been affected by these heavy transactions, as reports of the Addington market show.

There was a large yarding of fat lambs at Addington last week, and competition was as 'keen as ever, prices, if anything, tending- to an advance. Prime heavy lambs brought up to 14s 9d, whilst average best freezers brought lls 6d to 13s 9d. Best freezing sheep sold at 13s 9d to 15s, best freezing ewes lls to 14s. The supply of fat sheep was very moderate, and, in my opinion, may so continue.

In Canterbury the demand for store sheep and lambs continues brisk, and prices are well maintained. Plenty of good rain has much improved the feed all over. The following- .^transactions are reported in store sheep : 165 wethers at 13s sd, 1435 at 13s 3d, 817 at 12s lOd. Store lambs are much in request, and sales are reported as follows : 450 at 10s 9d, 268 at 10s 400 at 10s 3d. Ewes, six and eight tooth, lls lOd to 12s 3d. How these rates are to return a profit I confess I don't quite see, but as I have often said before, the store sheep market and the prives given puzzle many people — in fact, it's one of those things, as Lord Dundreary said, that "no fellah can understand."

. The following are the reports of Messrs Weddel and the C. C. and D. Company under date December 15, and latest cable information does not show any material alteration in the position : —

Frozen Meats. — The market was exceedingly quiet throughout last week, partly owing to the fact that it was Cattle Show week. JJui'ing the present week cold and seasonable weather has been experienced, but the demand has not materially benefited therefrom. Supplies of Home-fed meats have been moderate, and, with a fair demand, values have been well maintained. Scotch sheep may be quoted at 6gd and .-/. per lb, and English sheep at 6£d and b%d per lb. Small lots of Continental sheep of good quality have been sold at about sj>d and bd per lb. A fair number of South American sheep have been marketed in the neighbourhood of 5d and s£d per lb. Considering the cold weather, and the near approach ot Christmas, the demand for beef has not been so brisk as might reasonably have been expected. Supplies of States beef have been about the average, and that description has realised about s&d and sgd ped lb, sides. The quantity of Argentine beef marketed has not been i excessive, and sides of this beef have met a fairly ready sale at 4^d and 4-§d per lb. American" chilled beef has been plentiful, but with a steady inquiry, values are slightly higher than they were a fortnight ago.

Trade in frozen meats cannot be called satisfr.ctorj . Nev/ Zealand sheep are but little inquired for, and quotations for these are weak. «Smail supplies of Australian sheep have caused rather more firmness in this department, while very moderate offerings of lambs have resulted in advanced quotations. Beef has remained firm, holders' hands having recently been further strengthened by several shipments being diverted to South Africa.

New Zealand Mutton. — lonic brought 28,736, Ruahino 41,509, Indramayo 39,003, Rangatira 41,613, Buteshire 52,029, and Waimate 33,000 carcases, making a total since January 1 of 1,925,393, an excess over la,st year of 324,593 carcase". As this large increase has accrued in five months, since July 14, and is coincident with abnormally heavy supplies of other maat, New Zealand lambs 106,907 in excess, of last year, 9331 ions of Australian rabbits, equivalent to about 375,000 New Zealand sheep, an excess of 39'2,685cwt of chilled beef. Dutch mutton, and Dutch and American pork, all showing largely-increased quantities over last year, the dull trade, lack of demand, and low values of New Zealand mutton are very much what might have been looked for, especially as the much-augmented imports have come to hand in the season when all previous experience has shown that mutton is usually in curtailed demand. Trade has been very dragging, deliveries for consumption below average, and stocks are accumulating. Very large numbers of the best sheep ai-e being held for anticipated better prices, and this probably is the one reason why values have not receded even lower tha.ii they are. Sales ol the best Canterburys have been made at 3d to 3&d per lb, 3 l-16d probably representing current values. Price lists to country customers offer be&t selected Canterburys at 3&d per lb for single sheep. Dunedins and Southlands of best weights and quality have made 2gd to 3d per lb, North Island 2|d to 3d per lb. Numbers, of very inferior merinoey Canterbury sheep, described as "prime," have been marketed, many selling at Sydney ' prices, about 2Jkl to* 2|d per lb. New Zealand Lambs. — Four thousand one hundred and ilfty-one have been received. Good lambs have been scarce, many of the primest being held for better prices, and with a sUghtly-impi'oved demand, values of the best have been raided to 4±d and 4^d per lb. Very little are required, but butchers are obliged to have a limited supply for those customers who look for lamb ail the year round.

The wheat market at present is depressed in London, and thia season the prices ruling in the British market will rule this market, as, from all appearances, we must export heavily. I am, however, hopeful that we shall very soon see prices improi c. The war, which will doubtless continue for some time, may have an improving effect, and with famine and drought in India still continuing, it looks as if there must shortly be a rise in wheat. The main difficulty will be freight, which at present is scarce and dear. All

available ships are taken up readily for South Africa. If, however, wheat 13 not so promising as one would wish, we have prospects of good prices for our coming oat crop. Stocks of good oats must now be in very small compass, and exporters are looking out for the new crop. As yet, even in Canterbury, none is really fit for shipment, and great care must be exercised in thia respect with regard to oats and fodder for South Africa. It is already reported that several largo lines of oats sold to be equal to sample sent have been rejected by the buyers as very inferior, and these are now lying in Melbourne sheds ex the U.S.S. Company's steamers which carried them there. Any party who now sends inferior oats ,br produce for our troops in South Africa deserves the severest censure. We have a market now which, if cultivated, will be of great value for many years, and

our competitors for the trade will duly, make use of any lapses we make in sending inferior - stuff. If loyalty to New Zealand and patriotism will not prevent small-minded, selfish dealers damaging our trade by inferior shipments, it ma3 r be necessary that all shipments be' passed for export by some recognised "authority, say, an expevfc appointed by a shippers' association or even by Government itself. It is most important that the good name of New Zealand should be maintained. We have established a name for patii^'i.-m. in other ways — let us take care that our commerce is conducted on lines calculated to keep up our good name.

The Lincolnshire sailed with 53,540 sacks oats from Lyttelton, about 30,000 sacks being from Canterbury, the rest from Otago and Southland. Several vessels are now loading, and on the way to load. The Government chartered steamer Undaunted has not yet turned up, and I don't think she will help much, as she is only a comparatively small steamer of about 3000 tons.

During the season I expect to see several large Government transports come from the Cape for oats, and although prices must be ruled by outside competition, I hope to se« good cats of our coming crop worth 2s at any rate. This 3 - eaT, as oats bid fair to be of value, I hope to see farmers generally give more attention to the proper saving of the crop than has been the case with many cf them in the past. This year it is to be hoped the crop will not be left after the reaper has Jone its work to winds and weather, whilst all naiads go rabbiting or racing. It will pay to keep hands working to secure crops in good order. The quantity of inferior,- weathered oats and.wheat always on the market is far in excess of what it should be, and rafleels no credit on our farming community.

The weather is, I admit, not always what it should be for saving crops in good order, but even allowing for this I am sure it will be admitted that there is a large margin for improvement in our methods as carried on in the past. In this, as in overy branch of work, if a thing is worth doing it '» worth doing well. All market prices are good, and none more so than the horse market, and appearances point to a permanently satisfactory market for all cood horses. The large increase of land settlement in New Zealand is one factor, and it looks as if the present war is showing the value of horses from a military point of view. Cavalry and mounted infantry and artillery horses will be' doubled or trebled in the British and' all Continental armies, and as oxir New Zealand horses sent to the Cape are much approved, we may look forward to being able to supply to some extent the British army with remounts regularly. It will, therefore, pay us to give some attention to breeding good hacks, van horses, and draughts, and the sooner we make a start the better. Australia may have some advantages in climate, but as against, that we ought to be able to hold our own always, having abundant feed to rear the young stock on, which is one of the most important matters.