FATTENING STOCK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 9

FATTENING STOCK.

(Tapanui Courier.) Canterbury is evidently a much better fattening province than South Otago. otherwise her graziers are superior managers, as the large freezing works there are constantly increasing their output, whilst in South Otagc we only hold our o"wn, and are comparatively small shippers. Take Ashburton," foi example. The Fairfield works there are not long started, and now the plant is being enlarged, so as to increase the refrigerating power up to 4000 carcases per day, or more than South Otago does per week, at ordinary periods. In this district there is no doubt that grazieis have to a very large extent been over-stocking, and consequently their lambs would not fatten. The past miserably cold wet summer of course militated against fattening, and the consequence is that Tapanui district has exported a smaller number of fat lamba than fo- many years past, and a great proportion of those' sent to the works were not prime enough for the first grade. No doubt many of our graziers have been taking advantage of the high prices ruling, whilst Canterbury was "stocking up" after the drought and her period of grain-growing, but now 'the sister province is again filled up with sheep, Otago and Southland graziers will have to arrange to fatten their own produce, or find a weak market for store* for some time to come. Farmers and graziers must reduce their ewe flocks and grow more artificial fattening feed, if they wish to get good prices for their lambs; and new grass, rape and soft turnips are what are needed to make prime lambs for the freezing chamber. There wa? at one time a great outcry to the effect that we were shipping too many ewe lambs, but we think that there is yet an ample supply of young ewes for all requirements. Owing to the abnormaHy high prices of last year, too many old toothless ewes have been bred from, but no doubt most of those that survive the winter will find their way to the boiling-down pot next fall. The graziers in this district rear a good class of lambs for "fattening, and as far as we can see of the markets, the fats are bound to continue a good price for some time to come ; and, considering the low prices ot grain, it may pay as well to grow summei and fall fattening feed, instead of too much wheat oi oats. fattening off, the land is not being Impoverished, and most people who have tried the experiment maintain that there is more money to be made out of fattening stock than by growing grain at the prices ruling of lat« years.