STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2505, 26 March 1902, Page 8

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bt Dkotkb.

Weekly Stock SaUa • Fortiughlh/: a -j -v\r j j Invercargill, Tuesdays Burnside, Wednesaays Athburton, Tuesdays Monthly: Adu n/ton,Wednesdaysn /ton, Wednesdays Clinton, Palmerotnr>, Winter, and WaiFcrtniahtly: kcuaiti Balclutha, Fridays J'tnodically : Gore, Tuemlaye j Heriot, Kelso, and Kj c Oamaiu, Tuesdayi I bura. There was a yarding of about 2*o head of cattle at Burnsidc la«t week, and piictr, of course, suffered a little in cor.bpquer.ee. A few good bulloe-ks brought £8 10s to nearly £10. The bulk of the jarding, ho\ve\er. were cows and heifer-- Butchers secured seme fairly cheap beef. There wa« little or rothing to tempt exporter-., for only prime is suitable for this trade. A large quanta of secondary beef oiitinues to be sent Home (cased) in piece*. There ne\er was such a good tune for old coy, .-. The e.\port beef trade to London is still satisfactory, but shipments are much Muallor than ejne would wish, and I hope «oou to ■-co an increase 111 this moat hopeful hue of our export trade. Latest London reports iFebluary 8) quote continued imnro\ement and good demand for prime Xew Zealand beef. The quotation-, are: — Xew Zealand hinds 4^d to 4|d, New Zeplard fore; 3gd to 3id. be^t Quee'iirland hinds 3^d to 3id, do fores 2Ad to 2^d ; River Plate same a* Queensland. New Zealand fore« are bringing the 1-a.rne pi ice a-, Q lie enoland anc l 1{| 1W Plate hindquarters. The report says there 1- a decided cl>ange for the better. Fourteen thousand Queensland cjuaiteis were re-s-hipped from Leindon to South Africa, and made .a cleaiance 111 the fortinglitK j-upply, benefiting the market thereby. Mr Gow tell« u a 111 hh o report that the amiy contract puce fm beef 111 .Semth Af nca nas lid per lb, but is now, owing to couipotition, down to 7d, and jet the^e army contiactor-N nm-t -imply the* Queen--land and Ri\ei Plate bent instead of good New Zealand, which eouicl well be done at a lfss pi ke. But I mppo=e mfeiior beef is t-nougli for jioor Tommy Atki.i-. Xo uonder the South Afiieau Cold Storage Comp'iny made 11 < loai profit of 0110 million sfei ling la«t yeai. I,atei on we -hall hcai all nbout the = c aimy con tiaci-, and the fortiiii"- liiiuie at the o\ p«nse of the British taxpayer, ancl f venture to -ay it will bo tho exposure of a of meat indgmtiide Supplies fro.n New Zealand and Australia could ha\c* all along been got of hotter (juahty aud cln aper in nriee. Ip to the present little =at.»f\tc tion hp 3 bpon got bryond that the agitation h.is Kivpii our frozen meat g< neiallv a good ad \i itiM-iiie nt. not ouU mi the United King dom. but tl-( 111 the Continent, and later on wo nid\ iraji tbp benefit But faimci-' uii'on.- should let th.- I'reimcr know that they cxppit him to ki pp tin- matter of ••upplv from the eo!o.uc s . and « -poeiallv New /..viand, well to thp- front m his ( O iiferenc.'s with thp great .mtlioiit'c-s at Hoire Tne fact 1- n.uch of the tiouble 1- e'uo to thp CM- mnoranoo of tic- -well of the' War Oflie p Ar ny mi n fire >-v\p!]s, ;tIlc ) i o know anything about ir.sc'i" 1-. fi>i a -well, infra dig — "le»u," in fart 'J I.c (on-e-ciuciice ii- that the bi.nne" ■- i"il<^itiil to biimc tommi-aioii ai^fin, oft< 11 oik " mae'e in (lermany, " who is b;> ro lucuii- a -v, «•!!, and quit* wnti rupulou- -o loi ,1- nniii" \ is to bo made. Ccnel.ll!> ilie 111rni1.ii.1- of bigh repute don't get into this mii-int s. It is distinctly one for the -.'jiart adventurer This has been the history of army contractall along, as disclosures after the Rus-.an war, the Indian Mutiny , and other ~n.all«'t affairs have alwajs shown. The voiding of «hecp at Bur:.-'de wa< alinut 2SOQ. All cood weLheri tvara wall

competed for at from 14s to over 163, medium wetheis 12s to 13s 6el, and a few good ewes 12s to 14? 6d ; medium ewe« 9s to 10s. Prices for all good sheep showed an advance of nearly Is pea- head. The London market has been depressed for some time, and the staleness of a considerable portion of present stocks makes owners anxious to sell. Prices for Xovt Zealand are weak and irregular, whilst River Plate does not suffer from the same cause, and is unaffected in price. Later on an improvement may be looked for, as another cause of the depiession was the unduly large supplies of Home-grown mutton put on the market owing to shortness of winter fodder. This will work for an improvement, as spung supplies will be short. The yarding of lambs (about 1100) found ready buyeis at 10s 3d to 12s for export. The first shipment of the new season's New Zeal.»nd_ lamb was landed by the Tougarno early in February, and brought s^d to 6d for prime Canterbury, whilst stale lambs (prime Canterbury) were selling at 4^fl. This report notes that small ship- ! uients of River Plate lamb.s are coining to hand, ancl owing to the good season in the Argentine the quality is very satisfactory. At one time we thought that the lamb trade was New Zealand's ior all time. It does not look like it now ; but if we maintain our name foi good quality all may yet be well. New Zealand muft go for quality, and leave quantity to follow. Quality must not be sacrificed to putting out quantity. [ Let other countries supply cheap meat; let ours be best quality. The. C C and D. Company (Kelson Bros.) say, 111 their circular of February 14. that the guarantors for the piopt-r fulfilment of the army meat contract are Messrs Houlder Bios., shipowners, associatec' with Messrs Bergl in owning moat vvoiks 111 Queensland: the Federal Steamship Company, owner* ot Ocean Beach Woiks 111 Xc« Zealand, and a-bOciated with Messrs Birt and Co, owners ol meat works at Bii-bane. ancl .Sydney; and Mr Craart, cnntr.Ktor for the supply of meat to Natal Fit-Id Force 111 1599 19C0. None of the.-c guarantors, as f.u a- Ilcnovvn, have mteicsts m Aigeiitina — ceitamly have no meat work; there; but twej have in Australia and New Zealand. The only connection w-ith Aigentina seems to be that Messrs floulder Bros contract with one of the River Plate meat companies to carry fiozpn meat, and einploj pan of their fleet ri the work. The Federal Steam-hip Company, then, it >i-fin c , .110 the owners of the Ocean Beach Work- at Buff ' We wait anxiously to see how much Southland is to benefit by th'o : contract. I am sorry to -ay that it appeais as if the whole meat trade is rapidly getting into the position of being undci the control of the shipping ling, and I don't kiaow- if thi- 15 going to help farmer-. I am inclined (.» think not Notw ith-tdiichng what Nel-on Bro-. say, it is a niattei of fact that se\eral fteuners. some of them that u-cd to trade to New Zealand, aie now loading at River Plate for South Afrrc-i, and I don't think New Zealand will benefit much by it. alt'iough a few small bits ot the contiact niaj be rluti4 this way to keep us quiet. Mr H C Cainproi' on FVbru.irv 6 sa^e his view-, on the meat c nitraet a- follows, and I flunk fanmi- mil read th.a with intere-t : — 'IHE OLD AND 111K XKW CONTRACT. NEW ZRALAXD PRODUCE COMMISSION KU INI ER VIE WED. TV' nup-tio-i of the .<rn,_\ meat contracts foi 'scjt.th AfiK.i h, s Ij ,1 o pjominei.tly Ij.nituht to tl c fio it durii 1,,'1 „' tlic past feu da\ s, arJ th? whe'p Mibj^t 1- Mich t ,n mir-GiUiit o:i-, Int ii-lv to the tioop mid the taxpavci, but to Austinld'ia. th.it a «];aul lcpiesentutivo of tho Hutish Au-tial..-ian sought and obtain^ 1 an intirvie-v with }Ir H. C Cimoiop, tl.o Piocluc Coamiisbiio'ier to the New Zcald'iel Oovcriiiii^nt, op t!ic meat i<.=ouices- of Its colon;, cspcciallv v ith a vio\, to fco'ith Afriran -upulipa By ehanco, I\ii don, the New zje.i .i!.cl Trade Comiiijs-io.ier, who l.as r"eei.t'. M-ittd South Africa, was with i'r f'ameici when 0111 rpprc-ctat >c callocl. a"d lie coinplct'ly cndo's"l the mc.ts cxpiL =cd. nj.\-i';cT cc.\unio.\>. "A- I'o ofT'ci:i' iui«u,'ci-ni it -c 11,- to 11.1 0 \ct Ijpcn niudc 01 t '. <_ -uljjcct of the uclcji i."ice of the South Afi i< an a' n.j contract 11 is inffic n't, 111 the face of the rumci'rs appisf- j 11 x ii- the ncwsjpapeis and othervvi-c, to make a: v «t it"mt>n, rpgarrhnt' it," s;ls ;l <] M,- Cameron • " So far n- New Zealand is concerned I should I ■=ay that ui>clri the term= of the contract tor ' fu zen ni(v» — ,f the term- be stncily adhered to— a vciv larj." pioport.o 1, if not the hulk, '■ of the suppljns wi'l ha\e io be nbtuped fre-111 tlie-re. The coi'ditions t which I rcfei arc tho-o vvh'Lii stipu'ate tl.at ?'' lir'tn mrat hfet-i xud uiuLUnjo. — bUDphcu iliij'l Le 01 die beat

quality, and in prime condition. If we are io uuepi expert evidence ws to what fiozen ! mutton and beef is lecognised on the Smilh- ! field market aa answering these conditions, it is, I Hunk, indisputable that that cxpoited from New Zealand stands pre-eminent. "Whpt strikes me as strong evidence that this is is the price v.hich has lulcd year by year for that meat in comparison with that of other expoiting countries. If we make a comparison of the puces for the best qualities of New Zealand muttoi and tho=e fcr best River Plate mutton in Smithfield Market during the past five years, a noticeable difference will be found in favour of the former." "Is that difference as great as it was 9 " asked our lepiesentative. "I admit, that lately the margin between the two i= now clo&er than formerly. Still, there the margin is, and it would b'p even gwater were it not for the unjust practice wn.'ch, as you aie peifcctly well awaie, prevails thioughout the- country of selling inferior moat from other countries as 'INTew Zealand' to the detument of the reputation of the produce of that colony. VAH\ING QUALITIES. "Is it not sometimes ciaimed that there is , little or po diiierence in the qualities of frozen meat 9" "Yes I kr.ow that throughout the country an impression prevails in the minds of those not intimately connected with the meat trade that frozen meat from all countiics is identical in quality. This 13 quite erroneous, however. There is a most marked difference m the quality of New Zealand and Australian and River Plate meat. In New Zealand, vvheie the climate is cool and farming operations are conducted in English fashion, the sheep are treated as in this couatry, and are fed on English grasses and turnips. But 111 Australia and the River Plate, where the climate is hot, breeding and feeding are conducted quite differently. The merino cro^s predominates m Australia, and, until very lecently, 111 the R'ver Plate al<-o. In the latter rolonj during the la=t few years, hoive\ er, tt>2 breeders have gone in for the use of heavy Lincoln rams I While this use of Lincoln b'ood has had the effect of lrcr^asing the weight of the carcases expoited, it tan scarce'y be haid that the quality of the meat has been effectively impioved thereby. A Lincoln iui«>, as everyone co;i\ei.saiit With breeding knows will result in ' early maturity, and nl.rrj quj'ititv aid not quality of meat is ds^irpd, what is gained nay ba satisfactory Ihe mutto 1 resulting from the u=p of that boo.l '.M'-ff l."-.i/-vr>- 'li-> fnn. sidcred to be of the finest quality. It is usually fat arcl coar=e, ,urn 10 1,1. s i>a-c,i Ln.eo.n crossing has been abai.dciccl in New Zealand." "What is the cross there 9 " "In New Zealand the .Southdown and Lpicpv tei cross prevail, and, as is veil 1-nov 'i, the une of these broods, especially the foimer, leads to a high, standard of quality." iew Zealand's sltpljes. "What about the supplies of Now Zeala:.d," queried the British Australasian it»{>re»e"tative. "Are thiy sufficient foi the requ.rt merits of an army contract?' 'Ihe quantity of meat available 111 New Zealand for thp supply of the aruiy contract is largely in excess of any requnpincnts at all likely to be niadi\ arc! no difliculty would be expenc.iced 111 dcli\ cring that .»npply in South Afnca. The supplies rpecved 111 London fiom Xew Zetland during the la = t five jrars Lave b?eti iWdih n.cicasiiig. Duiiiig 1901 no Ipps than .'{,25!,C22 carcasos of mutton and lamb were lni.drd hrr», while thp impoit of Xew Zealand b^i f into th 1-. crunhy, although bc^f is not '•o la' gel, pioducrcl a«- Hiuttoii, has jUo been ircrciioin^ cnn-idpiab' v Lat>t year th"re v.ere dehvei'd he-e 111 378 ijuutei 1 - Nn,\, m I be^f a'so. Smithfield quotation", piove cm.clusnelv that 111 t!ie p.-timntion of Iho°<» erjni"r>d in the ti^de, that from Xew Zealand occupies n po-iticn ,Lt the h(ad of all othel Coll'itru"? .sending frn/.-^n beef h«re. "You drnw. I suppose, a distinction between 'chilled' aiid 'fiozoii' bee' '" "Ye-., Xcw ZciUi.d fiO7Cii beef occupies n place liiuiv .n b<twec"i oidmaiv fiozr-n beef ai.d AniPiicin •> h 'l<"d' l)pc r And tin* ;.e.ii it is cxpptU-d that the --uppl.t- wi'l -how a Icirj/p increase." .sinrriN-o r\t rr.iTiFS. "You spo'.p iu-t now of thpif b'Hig no d fii cu'ty 111 the shipment of =npp!irs. "Their n 10 difficult}," responded Mr Cair.pron "Slnpp iig facilities for con\ evine the moat arc ample. Th -re are 39 «tcamiTs tiadi.ig between Xew ZcaH>.d and tins country, all fitted with the latest improvements in refngciuting_ machmerv and plant for frozen m/at These- stenmois ha', c a carrying capacity of enti .!, 50'i,00 J carc^c-" incspectn c ol general (."go " "As tc the |iiirH of Xew Zealand meat Wil' the- u'lrm of -ucci-ful competition ;n 1 Pouth Alr't a '" ' In m\ talk with yo'i. T bavp bo-en taking t lie pnee- for th^ finest qualities only of Xcv/ Zealai d intiMon," replied Mi Cameron "Looking at the figures ruling at Sinithficld fni that quilit'-, it wi'l 1)2 found that the average price during the past fivr joar-j has been about .'SS'I prr Hi. There is "1 c reason tc suppose that, m the face of im< leading hiipplici, the price on a\rragr \, ill be hkelv to go Inghei than that I thyi!'. it 1= undoubted thai meat can be landtul m Sciih Africa, aL a. leaaetA/xice

than would be expected for it at SnnthfHc] whcie the chaigcs incurred cfter cu-ehargo fioiu the vessel in the docks here arc Jd per lb. I believe it would easily b" possible to deliver fine Xew Zepland mutton at stations «=.tualed on the lailway lines m South Africa at under 4d per lb. "Of course, if the conditions of contract are not strictly adhered to, it will be possible for a contractor to put in inferior meat at a lower price than that I have mentioned. But I should imagine that when tenders were sent 111, those submitting the offers, beir.g, of course, conversant with the conditions, naturally expected, when fixing their price, that the conditions would be adhered to, said the New Zealand pioducc commissioner as the interview closed. At Addington last week the fat sheen market was dull. Buyers for export tooic the few prime wethers offering at 15s to 16s, lighter sheep 13s 6d to 14s 6d. The yarding consisted mainly of aged ewes, and these went ohiefly at boiling down ratpp, or remained un-old? Tup lambs yarded were a poor lot. About 2000 of the best went to export buyer 3at from 10s 3d to 13s 3d, averaging about 12*. Tl.e yarding was about 9000, mainly ewes. Good forward wethers alone sold readily at from 11s to 13s 6d. The store lambs were a poor lot, and sold at from 63 to Bs. Very little uheat is offering. The Millers* Association desire to bring prices down, and it rcir.aius to be seen whether they will succeed. The- Government *tatistic-3 bhow that the yielc'.s throughout the colony on the average are not large, and that there is also a decrease, in the cropped area of 40,610 acres on the prr\ iou» year. It i-ec-m^ that all v.ill be required for local consumption without any for export Personally I don't wonder that farmer^ are firm in holding out against reduction 111 price. I The oat market is quiet, and rumours arp circulated that the War Office has ceased buvmg. X<> doubt they ha\e in the meantime. Timy l>a\e a''cad> !>ought largely, and -c\<-r<il steamers are- ii^w loading, and are couunir to load. It cannot br- expected that tlif War Office will cue oider* e\cry week. Later on they will be buying again. Oats will also be wanted for Australia later, and on the whole I advise farmers to be in. i.<) hurry to sell. It is quite true that Canada can .supply oats if we ask too much, but I don't think that as ypt piie-es have been s.) high a» to foiec the trade into th© hands of the Canadians. [