STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES,

Otago Witness, 5 December 1900, Page 6

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES,

By Droves.

Weekly Stoclc Sales : Fortnightly : -. ' „ ■,■„•■, , Invercargill, Tuesdays Journside, Wednesdays Auhburton, Tuesdays Monthly: Addington.Wednesdays Clinton, Palmerston and "Winton. Fortnightly: Waikouaiti Balclutha ridays Periodically: _ Gore, Tuesdays j Heriot.Kelso, and KyeOamaru Tuesdays . | burn. The yarding of cattle at Burnside last week consisted of about 160 head, mostly medium quality cattle. Prices ,were slightly lower than those of the previous week. Some prime bullocks, however, brought from £10 to nearly £12. I think for the next few weeks, until the freezing works open, prices will probably be lower. Considering the quality of the yarding, I? reckon prices at this r <ale were remarkably good. ' New Zealand frozen beef in London con- ■ tinues tc bring top prices, and the quality !e well reported on. The market, was on 19th of October rather dull, owing, it is said, largely to the very considerable quantities of rabbits, poultry, and game being marketed. This ia only temporary, is the British cont Annex only eats frozen rabbits dtiring the English game season, although as a matter of fact he could be supplied with these all the year round— £o much does fashion and custom rule the habits of people even in eating.

The Meat Trade Journal 'says UuA the

agent of the British South-African Company has been buying cattle in Aiistralia for export to Rhodesia, and has already shipped to Beira 1000 head in the City of Lincoln from Sydney. He expressed himself to a reporter as rather disappointed, as from the outside reputation of Australia as a stock-raising country he had thought to do better and obtain much larger supplies. He travelled through all the colonies, and appeared most pleased with the cattle at Lee (New South Wales). He purchased 23 head of shorthorn and Durham bulls, seven of which were from the herd of Mr J. H. Angas, South Australia. What he wanted mainly was grass-fed bulls: he did not care for stall-fed ones. He says the effect of stall-feeding might cover a multitude of sins, and a bull looking nice in an Australian stall would look quite a different beast when turned out to pick for himself on the South African veldt. There will be a. good demand, he says, from Rhodesia for good shorthorn grass-fed bulls. I think his remarks would apply to New Zealand to a great extent, and so I am glad to hear that the New Zealand Government are going to inrport shorthorn cattle largely for their stud farm, and as Mr Gilruth has already gone Home to put this intention into practice we may expect some importations soon.

Nearly 2200 sheep were yarded at Burnside, about one-third of which were shorn, and these were the best quality yarded, the sheep in the wool being generally inferior. Best shorn sheep brought 17s to 18s, and the best in the wool 19s to 225. Several lots w ere bought for export, which kept matters lively. Canterbury buyers will be operating now that our freezing works are temporarily closed, so that prices for prime freezers will, I hopej be maintained at payable rates ; but Ido not expect to see extreme prices ruling.

There was a yarding of nearly 500 lambs, and as freezing buyers did not operate the quantity was excessive, and ' butchers were able to secure all they wanted at lower rates than usual. Prices ranged from 8s to 12s, and the sale was a dull one.

There is a good demand for bacon pigs at 30s to 365. Australia has for the last two months been taking heavy supplies from New;

Zealand, and I anticipate a good demand at fair prices for the coming season. Last week at Addinglon the fat sheep yarding was a small one (only 1500), and a considerable portion of these were from Otago and Southland. NotAvithstanding the small supply, prices were clown considerably, the quality not tempting export buyers, and local butchers had the market practically to themselves. It strikes me the Otago and Southland men did not benefit by sending their sheep so far. Best wethers in the wool brought 18s 6d to 22s 6d, shorn 16s to 22s 6d.

The supply of fat lambs at Addington was very small (only 350), and as export buyers were competing briskly, prices ran high, best freezers bringing 14 sto 16s. Those prices cannot, I think, be maintained. There was a very large 3-arding of store sheep (4500), but buyers were plentiful. Wethers in wool brought 17s- to 17s 3d; shorn, 14s to 15s; hoggets in the wool, 14-s 6d to 16s 6d ; woolly ewes with lambs (all counted), 11s 6d to 12s 6d. Beef was lower in price, the quotation being 21s to 23s per hundred. Bacon pigs were in demand, and brought frGm 55s to 455, oc fully equal to 3^d per lb. Supplies were short.

The oat market has been brisk, as I anticipated, and considerable sales have been made, prices showing an advance of fully Id per bushel. We shall, I feel sure, get rid of cur stocks in hand at fair rates before the newcrop comes in. Prime quality wheat sells well, but lower qualities are dull of sale at present. The London market seems hardening.

While writing regarding prices and prospects for our produce at present and in the future, one thing is always present in my mind ''- — viz., the importance of improving our shipping trade, and the fact that New Zealand should at once rise to the immediate need of this being attended to. I therefore call the attention of my readers to the report of a meeting held on the 27th November of those interested in direct trade with South Africa. The meeting was a representative one, the Otago A. and P. Society, the Grain Brokers' Association, and the National Dairy Association being well represented. But need I say that every farmer, whether sheep farmer, cattle farmer, grain grower, or dairyman, is most deeply interested in this question? I therefore hope that all farmers' clubs, dairy factories, and bodies of farmers of all kinds will largely sign the petition which was got up at this meeting for presentation to the Government. It was, I am glad to say, largely signed by farmers at the Otago A. and P. Society's show last week. The Government have plainly said that they will immediately take steps to secure direct trade with South Africa if farmers and others interested show themselves in earnest over the matter. My readers know how constantly I have urged the importance of this matter, and I need hardly do more now than call attention to Mr Evans's letter in the Otago Witness of November 28, and also to the report of the meeting in this week's Witness. To say nothing of grain and fodder, the internal meat supply of Africa is 1 far short of its requirements, and will be for j some time. Even before the war nearly I £200,000 worth of tinned and fresh meat had tc be imported into South Africa, and with the flocks and herds depleted and destroyed by war, this must largely be increased. Further, South Africa will for some years employ European labour, and large works such as the Cape to Cairo railway will certainly go forward. South Africa is, in fact, going to be colonised by the British, and all its immense resources developed in the future in a way that has rcver before been done, nor could have been done, by the gentle if conservative Boer. New Zealand can, if we all pull together, develop an immense trade with South Africa. If we lie still, Australia will take it and largely belp themselves with New Zealand produce, as in the past, to develop a trade in which we ought to, and surely will, have a very large and profitable share for our own benefit.