STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dhoybb. Weekly Stock Sales : Fortniylitly : « - - j v.r ■> -•, Invercargill, Tuesdays Burnside, Wednesdays , r „ Ashburton, Tuesdays. Monthly: Addington. Wednesdays Clinton, Palmerston t and Winton. Fcrtnightly: Waikouaiti Balclutba ridays'* Periodically : ■Gore, Tuesdays- -> I Heriot.Kelso, and Kye.Oamaru luesdays f bura. There was a yarding of about' 200 head at, 1 Burn&ide last week, about 100 of which we;-e good to prime beef. Prices wpre well main=" tamed, prime heav^ bullooks- bringing "£9 10s- • to £11, lighter £8 to £9. some good cows and heifers brought £7 to over £8. The balance of the yarding was stores, and they brought from £6 to £7 for forward bullocks, and £3 10s to £5 for cows. Latest reports from London show that tor six months from January 1 the- imports from. Canada of live cattle were 1144 in excess of previous year's corresponding period, whilst for the same time Argentine imports were 28,268 less and United States 6017 less than those of the previous- year ; and all these places show considerably more of a shortage on the" year 1898.

A report* under date July 27 says of frozen beef that, considering the prevailing hot weather, values keep wonderfully high, supplies of home-killed beef being small, and thus permitting of a full level of prices being maintained for other descriptions. New Zealand beef still sells at 3d per lb over Australian and River Plate. June to September aie usually the worst months for frozen "beef, but this year the market; price has been fairly well maintained at a higher level than usual.

Needless to say, the demand for good store cattle of all ages is very brisk, and at some of the sales in Southland lately good dairy cows have brought very high prices, some good milkers bringing over £9. Mr Cushnie and Mr Forsyth, of the Wyndham district, both had exceptionally good sales, their cattle being well known in the district.

The yarding of sheep at Burnside -was about 1800, and prices were well maintained, more particularly for moderate -weight sheep, heaviest being not in such favour. Prime heavy wethers sold at 18s to 20s, medium weights 16s to 17s 6d, butchers' " ewes 13s to 15s 6d. Store sheep, fairly forward, sold readily at good prices. The turnip crop generally has stood, out well this season, and there are still good crops to be fed off, so that we may expect fat sheep for export earlier this year than' usual. . The stock throughout the country look better than usual, as might be expected from the very fine winter we have now passed through. In all districts grass is beginning to grow, and we have good prospects of abundant early feed. I only wish we had stock enough, for undoubtedly the country is much understocked.

Mr M. C. Qrball, speaking at Christchuroh tetely on this subject, referred to the opinions expressed in the newspapers as to the shortage of sheep : —

■ He disagreed with Mr Waymouth's idea that it was caused through the people selling their shoep in 1898, .in consequence of .wheat being worth 4s and 5s per bushel. In 1898 we had 333.000 fewer sheep ip the South Island than in 1897, and in 1899 there were 325,000 less than ir> the previous year, when wheat* was at 2s to 2s 3d jjer bushel. Thus in those two years there was a -shortage of 663,000 sheep in the South Island. This, he thought, disposed of Mr Waymouth's contention chat the price of wheat was the cause. Another gentleman expressed the opinion that the cause was to be attributed to the failure of the turnip ciop ; while diiother cousideied that the statistics were not to be relied upon. Even allowing another million or two. to be added to the published statistics, he did not believe that the country could go on exporting at the rate it had this year. For the past five years the annual average export was 2,800,000. With regard to sheep coming forward too early this yeav, it was to be attributed to the large quantity of rape sown, which was from 40,000 to 50,000 acres more than wa3 the case in 1897. The turnip crop failing, farmers were fortunate in ' having plenty of grass and a really good season for rape. This, of course, caused sheep to be sent to the works much earlier than in previous years. Air Leicester Matson had stated that he thought we should increase our export, but not so rapidly as in the past. The question resolved itself into the number of breeding ewes in the colony, and this, acc'oiding to the Government returns, was 8,200,000, including merinos. We had exported for the year ending June 30 last 3,700,000 carcases. Our total annual consumption, according to published returns, was 2,330,000. Add to this, say, 5 per cent, for mortality, and this gave another million, and for boiling down of aged sheep 200,000. This gave a total of 7,230,000, and the qviestion was how to get tLi number out of 8,200,000. the natural increase of which by lambs was about 75 pei cent., or 6,000,000. That was- the point, and he contended it was .impossible. Unless they could increase the number of ewes, he did not think they could export more than 3,000,000 annually. It would be impossible to keep up the supply while they persistod in sending away the bulk of their ewe lambs. -*;

I consider MrOrbell's opinion 'correct and to the pqigfc, and worthy .th§ considerati^a

of sheepf armers ; and I would just say that while, the question of keeping up the quantity of our export of frozen mutton. is not to be disregarded, the question of improving the general quality is ''of far more importance, for undoubtedly we have been deteriorating, and "the ewes we have'lcept for Breeding lire heavy", coarse sheep generally, and our mutton is increasingly coarse and heavy, whilst prime sheep of moderate weights, say up tc 601b, are in demand, and not to be obtained. lam of "opinion that ewe lambs should not bo killed for export, say, for two years. . The quantity of land under grass in the colony has much increased, and a heavy increase in stock is much to be desired.

At Addington high" prices rule for prime beef. A prime lot of 14- bullocks from Mount Palm station brought £10 10s to over £13, and some fat cows up to £11. Prime beef is selling at. 24s to 27s 6d per hundred j and *Christchurch butchers are. getting, constant supples of dead beef from the Northi Island. The demand for store cattle is brisk, two-year-old steers .selling at £4- 10s and upwards/ 18-mdnth-old mixed cattle "£2 12s to £3, yearlings £2 2s,' six to .nine. months old. 16s to 255. - ----.. - - , ' ...";

' At- Addington freezing sheep.Mnixeji' sexes, ■ bring "17s fed -to- 20s, prime heavy-weight or/ethers -235., - In:«rore,stoe,ep,fqrpard Vethers pell at 16s, good yoting ewes *165,. to 17s, 'aged' 10s *6d to 13s. In pigs, baconers are/quoted at 3£d, pcrkers 3£d, and the'market is heavily supplied.

There is considerable briskness in the oafc market now, as I expected there would be. Melbourne buyers have been operating heavily, I presume for the Cape a«.d^ China, and considerable shipments have already been made. Good to best feed is worth Is Sd to Is lOd (sacks extra), and the market price will keep firm, and, I think, improve ; prime milling is scarce and worth well up to 2e. - t

Considerable shipments of wheat have gone to the United Kingdom from Canterbury, and as steamer freights are now offering freely tho tone of the market is healthy, and we may, I think, look for improved prices.

The quantity of damaged and discoloured grain we Lave always to deal with in the south here is a matter of importance. Late sewing and late harvesting have been the rule, and the cause to some extent of this trouble. This year it ought to be different, as the weather has been such as to give farmers a splendid chance of getting crops in early. The main cause, however, I think, is the careless manner in which, ths. harvesting is often done. A, penny wise and pound foolish policy of saving expense in labour is generally adopted. Bad weather comss, and the crop lies, often for a long time. • The amount of damage done is very heavy, and the quantity .of inferior grain is far beyond, what it should be, and all this inferior stuff has a dragging effect on the market. If, as I hope, New Zealand ■is to have a direct trade in oats,- and not, as at present,- a trade filtered through Melbourne, the question of saving grain in proper order is a most important one, and worth more consideration to every farmer than that of saving a few pounds in harvest" wages. At harvest time harvesting should be paramount, and even the great rabbit industry might be left to stand still for a week or two till the harvest is in. Often the grain is cut and let stand to chance the weather while all hands go rabbiting. The rabits, like the poor, are always with us, and always will be. They won't get damaged from delay, but the orops will. I hope to see an improvement in our harvesting this year.

A case of interest to dairymen has just been decided by the Court of Appeal at Wellington. The owner of 21 cows at Waverley sold them to a purchaser, representing that they would calve between the Ist of September and the end of October ; . but out of the 21 only two calved within the specified time, the-re3t calving at different dates up to the latter end of February. The Magistrate found there had been a breach of -warranty, and gave judgment for plaintiff for _ £45. The defendant thereupon took the case to the Court of. Appeal, and that court held that the magistrate was right in holding that the words used By the vendor to the purehassr's agent, "that they ought to calve in September or October," amounted to a warranty. A good many dairymen think that such a statement as "they ought tc ?alve " leaves them a loophole to evade any liability, but it would appear from the judgment of the Court of Appeal that unless they are quite sure of what they say they " ought not to make the statement." It is only fair that purchasers should be protected, a?, if cows are not profitable to the owner through coming in late, they cannot be profitable to ;i purchaser engaged in the same line of business, and the latter is entitled to protection from misrepresentation, whether wilful or negligent.

The Dairy School held by the Government al Inglewood has been a great success. Messra Kinsella (dairy commissioner) and his staff Messrs David Cuddie and J. D. McGowart had a lot of attentive students. .- Among them, I am glad to say, -were a few from Otago and Southland. The subjects were practical butter-making, the preparation of pure cultures, an,d fermentation starters- and milk-testing. Much good has undoubtedly, been accomplished by these dairy schools, which I trust will be continued, and I hopa

kew Zealand's warm and lovely clime It not without its' sudden changes, More noticed in the winter time* When hail and snow fall on the ranges., The wind blows hard, and biting cold, And finds our weakest parts for sure, And gives us coughs, until we're told -To take .some Woods' .Gj:eat Peppermint)

Farm . .Seeds.

~~Boine day to see an,up-to-date institution in New Zealand where certificates will be issued 'on a course' of instruction having been pro-perly-.gone through by -the students.