STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2397, 8 February 1900, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bi Dbotkb. Weekly Stock Sales : Fortni/htly : .-. „ „,■ , j Invercargill, Tuesdays. Burnside, Wednesdays b ' A&hbuiton. Tueadaj-a Monthly: Addington, Wednesdays Clinton, PalmeratOß, Fcrtn lohtly : Baklulfaß ridays Periodically: Ooie, Tuesday* | Heriot,Kelso, and KyeOaxrmiu, Tuebdays bura. rCooHutisicationi of (nterost to slnolbreedcrs and dealers a cordially Invited. All Jomiuiiuicß.tluus to reach \\ itnefs ofh not later then Monday munt,', There was a j'arding of 200 head of cattle at Burnside, about two-thirds of which were fit for the butcher. La^t week's prices were well maintained, several lots going for export. Best bullocks brought £3 to £9, medium about £7, and some good cows and heifers from £6 to £7 10s. Some lines of good-sized forward store cattle were sold at £6 to £6 10s. All over the country good store cattle are in request and selling at fair rates. Both here and at the Canterbury works beef is being prepa-red for export, and there seems little doubt that the valuo of cattle is very much increased thereby. We can therefore look forward to values being maintained, as continued export will soon absorb a very largo number of cattle, and at any rate there will b© no excess of supply, and vre may expect better rates than usual to rule as tho season goes on. So little breeding goo on at present that in the course of 12 months or so C anticipate a. rather short supply of cattle. There are many who would give some attention to breeding; and rearing calves, which now offers better prospects of fair »profit than has been the ca.se in the psst.

The yarding of sheep at Burnside was heavy, considering that only local supply bad to be provided, 1500 fat sheep and about 600 stores

being yarded. Prices were easier by abouij 9d per head, best wethers bringing 14s to 15^ good 12s 6d to 13s 6d, heavy ewes up to llg.. The yarding of lambs was nearly 500, and last; week's prices were maintained up to 13s for, prime large, but the average may be placed* at 10s to 10s 6d.

At Acldington the supply of fat sheep was smaller than usual. Heavy freezers brought 14s to 15s, ewes ]2s 6d to 14s. The yarding, of store sheep was heavy — 7500, mostly dealers' lots, few or none being direct from farmer?.The farmers, however, were keen buyers a& before, the dealers, as is usually the case, hairing, I think, the best of the bargain. Sales ofstores are quoted as follows — 642 lambs lls Id to 11s 3d, 255 at 11s, 120 at 10s, 1000 fourtooth wethers at 12s 7d to 13s Id, 490 ewes (mixed ages) 12s lOd, 340 at 12s 4d, and otheu smaller lines at 12s to 15s. Breeding ewes are particularly in demand.

The quotations given above show that the late reported heavy forward sales of freezers has had no influence on buyers. I hope there will be an improvement in the price of frozen mutton and lamb sufficient to warrant the present reported prices of store sheep. We shall certainly need an improvement.

I learn from Canterbury papers that the first draft of this season's fat lambs from tho Canterbury Agricultural College, bred for the purpose of testing various crosses, was solrl at t\i 3 Acldington saleyards last week. For the purpose of carrying on this experiment, which was instituted three years ago, the Board purchased last year 300 halfbred ewes, being by Lincoln rams out of merino ewes. The=-e ewes were large framed and showed tho Lincoln type strongly. They were divided into six lots and bred to rams of the following breeds.: — -Lincoln, English Leicester, Border Leicester, Romney Marsh, Southdown, and .Shropshire, and as the ewes were purchased late in the season, the lambs were rather more backward than they should have been. The first draft of lambs, which were entirely grass fed, and wers not quite as prime as if they had been topped off on rape, numbered 38, and comprised the following ■ of each cross: — 13 Shrop»hires, 8 Southdowns, 8 Lincolns, 4 Romney Marsh, 3 Border Leicester?, and 2 English Leicesters. The average live weight and the price per head realised at the saleyards was as follows: — Shropshire?, 801b, 120 5d ; Southdowns, 751b, 12s 6d ; Lincolns, {"lb. 12s 7d: Pvomrey Marsh, BHlb, 11s 7d ; Border Leicesters, 83 l-31b, 12s 6d ; and English Leicsslers, 711b, 12s 2d. The Southdown and Lincoln crosses showed the most quality, the Shropshires being well grown, but not quit 3 so even as the other two crosses mentioned. A fortnight previous a consignment of fafc lambs from the Agricultural College, by Southdown and Shropshire rams out of cull stud ev.es, mostly of the longwool breed*, was sold at Addington for 13s to an export buyer. One hundred of these ewes had been divided into two lots and put respectively to Southdown and Shropshire rams, and the first draft comprised 29 of the Southdown cross and 21 of the Shropshire cross, the average live weight being about 801b.

There is little doubt that the heavy shipments of the previous season's stored New Zealand butter, landed in London during September and October, had a bad effect on the marketing of our new season's butter. Part of these stocks were still hanging on the market as late as December, and materially d&piessad the market price, besides damaging New Zealand's reputation, creating a bad impression among buyers, who did not know they were purchasing stale butter. When Danish rose to 1245, New Zealand could hardly get above 106s as the quotation even for genuine new season's. New that these stale lots aro off the market, cables show that New Zealand is holding its own against Danish, the quotation being. New Zealand (firm) 100s, as agair.sb Danish (nominal) 107s. Large lines of our stored butter parciaseJ on spec by Australians were sent Home early in the season in addition, to heavy lots from New Zealand. These Australian shipments, although graded months before they went to London, still bore the New Zealand grade mark firs'-, second, or third, whereas, the butter.-, sluppad from NewZealand were rograded, and mostly came clown from first to second or third. lam of opinion that Government should brand all slored bullero with a very prominent brand, say *' Old,"or "Last Season," in future. Tic stored milled butters even when re^raded did not come out in London as they were graded. In many cases firsts turned out thirds, and thirds turned out firsts. This I can well understand, as all tho butter was bvale, and what would happen during transit no one could tel 1 . In the case of stored milled butters Government should in future take off all grade marks and brand all "Last Season's" or " Old." As to tho grading of the general shipments of new season's butter I have reason for saying that this continues to give satisfactory results, tho butters arriving generally showing quality a» graded.

The Papanui took 2500 boxes of butter last week from Port Chalmers. The Banffshir© will take another 4000 next week, and it 13 expected th.it the Karamea will clear out another 4000, completing February shipmants. The Aotea took by transhipment from Bluff and Port Chalmers 250 tons of cheese, and the Bitnffshire, londing at Port Chalmsrs on th© 14th and Bluff on the 17lh, will take the nexfc fortnightly- shipment of 250 tons : the Karamea following a fortnight later with about tho same quantity. Tho foitnightl* service has worked well, and tho benefit of it will be felt later, as London buyers will b^ better pleaoed by regular arrivals than they; have been in tha pa?t. '

The following from a trade journal in Lorw don called the Fruitgrower, Fruiterer, Florist, and Market Gardener is of interest, as showing what the eiporLers of Ne>£ Zealand BKSr

duce have had, and" have still, to contend gainst. Mr H. C. Cameron, the Governatient expert in London, has all along done good work, and deserves to have further support and more 'scope than at present. We bleed a good man in London to look after otir interests in all branches of our export trade. JThe worst- of it is that articles of this land 'appear, and' cannot be contradicted for a anonth, and meantime, like all evil deeds, do iiarm in. the meantime. In this case the acknowledgment of a serious mistake by the editor is very meagre compared with the damaging nature of the article, which was the outcome of unpardonable ignorance, as the 'Agent- General of New Zealand's office is well known, and he could have got correct information there. The following is the article: —

" One of the new regulations in respect to the exportation of infected fruit from New Zealand deserves attention. It is officially announced that all fruit infested with Codlin anoth, a pest which has been the means of English fruitgrowers losing thousands of pounds sterling annually for a good many years, will be seized and destroyed by fire, under the directions of the inspector, unless it is immediately shipped on board a vessel sailing direct for other than an Australian jDort. Now this, in our opinion, is rather amusing, though there is a serious side to the business. As the pest is so serious, we think that some other regulation, which iivould have ensured ample protection from the moth to all parties concerned, would have fceen more satisfactory. As it is, what is the position that has to be faced? Well, we see ±hat the officials of the New Zealand Agricultural Department consider the Codlin moth-affected apples dangerous for New Zealand, but not for any outside place. Why? If the pest should be stamped out once and for all, why take up what appears to us to lie such a selfish attitude? What will free trade countries say to this announcement from New Zealand? English fruitgrowers have sustained ssvere lopses through the Oodlin moth. Why. then, should the officials of the English Agricultural ' Department stand by and quietly permit Codlin moth-infested apples to enter the English ports, particularly when the colonial officials whence they come confess that they are so dangerous to the local industry that they must either be destroyed or shipped out of the colony. The permitting of such dan-gerously-affected fruits to enter our ports is not free trade but an abuse of free trade, and should, in the interests of English growers, be checked. When we think that such a regulation can be put into effect in such a manner, regardless of the interests of other countries, and particularly of those countries with whom the New Zealand shippers do business and depend upon for the sale of their fruit, we are amazed at the. apathy of our Agricultural Department, which permits any outside section of exporters to send us fruits affected with a pe3t in sufficient quantities to actually imperil the apple-growing industry of the United Kingdom." In the following issue this letter appeared: To the Editor Fruitgrower. Sir, — Kindly permit me to correct a small inaccuracy in your remarks re New Zealand fruit in The Fruitgrower of November 16. The new regulations, to which you refer as having lieen officially announced, do not apply to the exportation of fruit from New Zealand, but to the importation of it from other countries to that colony. The New Zealand Government is very imperative and the laws are very stringent against the export 3f fruit grown in the colony unless thoroughly sound and of first-class quality. H. 'C. Camebon, Produce Commissioner for New Zealand 13 Victoria street, London, December 8. XWe- are glad to learn this, and we thoroughly approve of the measure. We stated that it applied to fruit for export, which was evidently an error on the part of our New Zealand correspondent. — Ed. Fruitgrower.] I had a chat the other day with a country gentleman from the South of England, and he gave a very gloomy account of the agricultural outlook and present condition of affairs. The export trade from the colonies in. meat and butter is looked upon by many there as the cause of their depression. I admit that the export of frozen meat must have an appreciable effect in lowering prices, of meat ; hut in butter the colonies do but little of the damage. Our imports of butter to London for the 11* months ending 30 th November, 1899, yrere: Cwts. New Zealand ... >„ 102,492 Victoria 166,594New South Wales .„ 34-,6 M 303,730 .As against this Denmark's export alone was over a million and a quarter hundredweights, •while France, Holland, and Sweden were all over a quarter of a million hundredweights ; the figures being : Cwts. Denmark ... 1,321,401 Franco _ 329,379 Holland „. 263,375 Sweden ... 227,184 In cheese Canada certainly does largely, her export to London reading, 1,282, 392cwt for the same period, Australasia having the modest quantity of 36,007cwt, which practically means New Zealand, as last season Australia cent little or none. In cheese France sends So,929cwt, Holland 297,346cwt, and the United States 514,318cwt. iJy friend said that the parish councils authorities in some of the counties were doing all they could to boycott New Zealand and Australian butter. Tt is curious that they have no knowledge that their brethren in the colonies are only very small sinners, and that it is Dutchmen, Frenchmen, and Danes, their ancient foe 3, that are the real culprits. There 3s little do.ubt- that the present evidences of colonial loyalty will call attention more to the colonies, and we may expect the British agriculturist to become educated by-and-bye to the real position, and then we may look forJward to a real "federation," not a mere ■"blessed name" only — a federation that will Snvolve free trade between England and all lier colonies, with a clause allowing free trade toations to come in. This would be a real fclessing to every settler in New Zealand, and it is what should be striven for by all farmers, and the British agriculturist will co-operate prhen he-understands the true position of mat\oTßi