STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

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Wed* StockSalcs:, Inver ™-£S days Burr>si<ie, "Wednesdays ' *r rr *;i,, . Af=hburton, Tuesdays Jici.^uy. Addington.Wedneadays Glint °£;5; 5 -wTnton Fcrtnightly : Wa'k-juiiti Baldntha ridays Ptriodkalhj ■ Gore, Tues=.lay« j Heiiot.Kelso, and liyeOamaru Tuesdays I bum.

The yarding of cattle at E^rnside last week v/as over 260 head, and this large supply was accountable for a slight loweiiug cf prices. \ Some prime bullocks brought from -S8 to £9 10s, smaller £6 10i to 57 10s, fair quality £5 10s to £6 10s. Some good cows and heilers "brought £6. Were it 'not for the export beef trade now established, a large yarding like_ this would hare brought prices down by £1 per head, and local butchers would have had quite a nics time.

There was a yarding of nearly 3GOO sheep, most of which were ewes, and buyers were by no means eager to purchase them. Prices, except for young maiden ewes, were down fully 2s per head. The best of the wethers brought 16s to over 17s, maiden ewes 14s to 16s, good "butchers' ewss 13? to 13s 6cl ; while a large

number of inferior brought only 9s to 12s. Considering these quotations, I think that the prices farmers have been lately paying for store sheep were, as I have all along said, far -too high, and leave no margin of profit ; but in many cases a direct loss. Ido not expect to see ai±y improvement in prices for fot ewes, and if the price of prime wethers is maintained it is as much as can be expected. I hear that

liondon buyers have been much dissatisfied with the heavy, coarse sheep they have been receiving, and we may depend upon it that high prices will in future only obtain when quality warrants it.

The' newspapers lately record the loading •of three steamers — the Qotlvic, Afric, and "Whalcatane—at the Port of Lyttelton with 231,169 carcases of mutton within. 12- da.ys>; and this in addition to shipments by the same steamers at Napier, Wellington, Timaru, and Dunedin. Probably over 300,000 carcases have gone by these .steamers, and will be dumped, on the London market all wit'un a few days of each other. As showing how the Port of Lyttelton ca.n load steamers rapidly the matter may be one 'for congratulation. Bui I don't think it reflects imic'i credit on us as to our management of the trade. I don't think the British buyers will congratulate us on our splendid management, and on the way we look after their interests. These heavy shipments occur continually, and have a most prejudicial effect on the market, as any one who studies the best reports from London will understand. There will be the oft-recurring glut, claims for stale off-colotired meat., etc. Perhaps farmers think that because they have sold their sheep to dealers and got the cash, they have no further interest in the matter, "but later on they will know better. -

The utter disorganisation of the New Zealand meat trade will certainly be felt in the colony ere long. There i>> no organisation in Britain, and no one there eecaio to take an interest in •it. While, as I have pointed out in previous notes*, the River Plate organisation i^ rapidly "bringing their prices up to our level, we seem to be getting worse. In London the discharging and storing at the docks i* a= bad as ever ifc was, and if we could only see the figures of ■the amoiint paid on damaged and deteriorated meat, we should be astonished. There is, I believe, shortly to be held a conference, organised by the Canterbury A. and P. Society, and the subject of our meat trade might flje profitably 1 discussed at it. When Messrs brbell and Nathan spoke and wrote on the jsubject, the great panjandrums of the trade

pooh-poohed all they said, but very much that they predicted has happened, and it cannot but be admitted on all hands that the meat expert -trade from New Zealand is not one that shows much foresight or good management on the part of those responsible for its carrying on. We nosd combination and co-operation here in the place of foolish competition, and we w ant regular shipments and regular arrivals in London and proper management there. We want the trade pushed in the provincial districts of Britain. , We want, in fact, to imitate the River Plate people, if we can't do better. We should have led the way; but seeing we did not, it will be well for us now to follow their methods. The -day is past when we can afford to think ourselves superior to them. They are very formidable rivals now, and both in quantity and quality are making rapid strides, whilst we are, I cannot help believing, going backward, in quality at any rate.

The lamb trade is not so brisk, and prices seem to be -giving way. At Burnside there was a small yarding. Best brought 10s 6d to 12s 6d, medium 8s 6d to 9s 6cl. London buyers are not apparently eager for them at even these prices.

At Adding ton market prices for beef ran about 17s to 19s per hundred, or slightly lower than tho33 ruling at Bumside. Some nice bullocks from the North Island brought £8 10s to £9. It surprises me that the North Island factories in the Wellington district don't do more in beef exviort. At Waitara a steady trade in first-cla-.s beef is carried on, greatly to the benefit of the whole district. In fact, the beef export trade from Waitara has caused considerable prosperity in that part, and settlement is rapidly extending to the noith. Later on dairy factories will be plentiful there, and will further enhance the value of land.

Prime freezers (wethers) are worth 16rf to over IPs at Addington. Primes lambs 13s to Tss for export. Ths demand for stcrs sheep is os keen as evev. Good rains have made feed plentiful ail round, four and six-tooth store wethers brought 15s 9d, aged 10s to 10s 9d, forward wethers Its to 14-s 9cl, Chatham Island two tooths 10s 6d, forward lambs 10s 9d to 12s. These are good prices, but where the buyers' profit is to come in I don't quite see. Bacon pigs are worth 3d to 3^d, store pigs plentiful, suckers and weaners 4-s to 7s.

The Winter show this year bids fair to be very interesting. Instead of the farmers' butter, cheese, scones, etc., being shown in the upstairs room, they are to be shown in the main Lall a^ong with the large cheese and butter exhibits, which usually make such a fine sLow. This arrangement will further enhance the fine appearance of the show, and id •a decided imm*o\ ement.

As to conferences raid meetings, there will be no lack of them. The National Dairy Association's annual meeting of members takes place on Thursday, the 24th at 10 a.m., in the Board room. Then the Otago and Southland Farn-ers' Union have asked, and been granted, room for raetings to discuss the agricultural intereit? of the two nrovir.ess. This seems to me a big order, ior a w eek or a fortnight might be profitably employed in discussing such matters. I have not heard before much of the Otago aud Southland Farmers' Union, or their doingd. Perhaps this is my .fault ; but what I desire to point out is that the multiplicity of bodies representing farmers does not make for giving weight to their opinions. I suggest that the Otago A. and P. Society should organise fortnightly or monthly meetings in Dunedin, and that all farmers' clubs and associations should affiliate with them, sending representatives. The A. and P. Association have magnificent rooms, and could provide proper accommodation, and they should also at once arrange 1 for an agricultural and pastoral reference library. It would be greatly in the interests of the farming conmunity if they could be drawn together and organised under one head office. Such organisation is badly needed. Farmers' clubs and unions in the various towns are certainly very ueeful; but a Lead centie is needed to weld together and give effect to their resolutions, for I take it there cannot be much of conflicting interests amongst farmers in one district as against another. 'I imagine their interests are pretty much alike, but their interests, whatever they may be, require to be solidly set forth by one body representing all. Farmers might take a leaf out of the different workers' unions book. They have become the most powerful body in New Zealand because of their thorough combination and organisation. It is quite possible for farmers ib become equally powerful by following the same methods, raid seeing that the agricultural and pastoral interests, with the gold miner, pay for all, it very much becomes them to organise and combine and see that they don't pay too much, and that they get a fair share. The labourers and workers don't neglect this at all, and they are always, like the fat boy, asking for more.

Mr Ruddick has prepared quite a big programme of lectures, etc., for the show week, and daixymen hungry for information should have ample to satisfy them. I hope to &cc a school at Edendale this year. It is needed; various improved methods of cheese and but-ter-making having come before us lately, and this is the proper and practical way of making them known. Government have been asked to arrange, but no rej>ly has come yet.