STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2663, 29 March 1905, Page 8

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dbotbb.

Weekly Stock Sales : FortwgliVy : Burnside, Wednesdays lavercargC'l, Tuesdays Asaburton, Tuesday* Monthly: Addington,Wednesd»yß Clinton , Palmerstor, Fortnightly: Wintop, and WaiBalclutha, Fridays k< £ iai . fc !:. „ Gore, Tuesdays Periodically. O»»iaru, Tuesdays Heriot, Kelso, and Kye- % burs.

About 160 head of cattle were yarded at Burnside last week, and a rather poor lot they were. A few good bullocks brought about £9 ; medium, £8 to £8 10s ; others, £6 to £7; good cows and heifers, £6 to £7; light and inferior, £3 to £5.

Nearlyv 1600 sheep were yarded, about one-third of which were only in store condition. Prime wethers brought 22s to nearly 245; medium to good, 17s to 19s; a few ewes brought equal to wether prices. About 700 lambs were yarded, and sold at prices ranging from 15s 6d to 18s 6d_. Very few were in prime condition, but most were up to butchers' requirements.

At Addington cattle wer© selling rather better than at Burnside, as the yarding was not a large one. Prime beef brought about 22s to 235 ; cow and inferior beef, 15s to 19s per hundred. The best of the bullocks brought from £10 to £11. The market for other than primest was decidedly dull. There was a large yarding of store cattle, but buyers were not at all keen, and a large proportion of the yarding was withdrawn from sale. Six pounds seven shillings and sixpence was bid for a line of nice three and a-half to four-year-old stee.rs, but not accepted. Calves brought 18s ; yearlings, 33s to 375; fifteen to eighteen months, 35s to 555 ; two-year-old heifers, £4- ; three-year-old steers and heifers, £4- ss ; good milk cows sold at £6 10s to £8 ; springing heifers, £5 10s to £6 10s. About 4000 fat sheep were yarded, mostly good to prime wethers and ewes, which brought from 21s to 25s 6d ; medium, IPs to 20s ; aged ewes, 16s to 17s 9d; merino ewes, about 12s. About 4-500 lambs were yarded, and both butchers and exporters competed keenly. Tegs brought 18s 6d to 20s 6d ; prime lambs, 17s to- 18s 3d; unfinished lots, about 16s. There was a very large yarding of store sheep and lambs (about 17,000). The demand for wethers especially was keen, and ewes also, except for old or faulty ones. Forward wethers broug-hfc 20s to 21s 6d ; two-tooths, 16s 6d to 18s 6d; wether lambs. 15s to 15s 6d ; mixed sexes, 16s 6d ; good four to eight tooth ewes, 24s 6d ; twotooths, 225; aged, 22s 6d.

About 7000 sheep were landed at Lyttelton last week, ajid this is about the regular thing lately, and it looks as if the number will increase rather than diminish.

The tempting prices for lambs are, I believe, just too much for any but very prudent farmers, and, notwithstanding the fact that they are* paying from 22s to 23s for old ewes, many continue to let their ewe lambs go with the rest at 15s to 18s. I daresay we shall export as many ewe lambs as ever we did. Certainly we shall export far more than the depleted flocks of the colony can properly afford. These old ewes at 22s won't last us long, and if more prudence is not shown the state of depleted flocks will not be improved upon, and then what is the land worth, for it does not look as if salvation lay in oat and wheat growing.

No ; thei grain market is decidedly dull and lifeless. New Zealand oats don't bear a great reputation in distant markets, as I have before pointed out, owing to the generally bad quality of tba shipments avg made during the South African war and also during the past two seasons. Australia has up to this time secured whatever orders there Tver© for Japan and the East simply because their grain, though inferior in quality, was dry and fit for long carriage, which ours in the past two seasons was not. The Japanese now have secured fine graingrowing oountry right up to where their armies are, and will trouble no one long now for grain or foodstuffs. There seems nothing 1 now but shipment to London for tEe bulk of our oats and a large portion of our wheat. In London our reputation has suffered also. and orders will be hard to get. We shall have to consign, and I hope if we do every effort will be. made to reestablish confidence in our grading, which is now shaken to its foundations. This can be done by careful grading, and also by supervision of shipments, in not allowing wet and damaged lines of oats to be shipped with good oats. Just how this is to be done I cannot say, but shippers, to protect their own interests, will have to give this matter their very careful attention*.

unless thoy will accept Government grading and supervision, which would be best, but which, I am told, grain merchants and agents won't ha-ve, preferring their own system, if system it can be called, that has proved so disastrous to New Zealand's reputation in the grain export trade of the past.

Farmers who have heard his lectures, and those who have read them as published in the- Witness lately, will regret that Mr H. C. Wilkie, F.R.C.V.S., has resigned his post as one of our Government veterinary surgeons, and leaves for the Homeland shortly. I look upon his departure as a distiuct loss to Now Zealand. His ability is distinctly above the average, and, doubtless, will find more scope and better pay than in a Government situation. He is just the sort of man we wanted to keep. A very fine draughtsman and a lucid teacher he was, as those who have seen his anatomical drawings and heard him lecture will allow. He has had a good many years' experience in New Zealand, and would have .made a most excellent lecturer for our proposed veterinary college — a much more useful one than a man straight from Home is likely to prove until he acquires considerable' New Zealand experience in diseases of stock in the colony. I am sure all who know Mr Wilkie will agree with me in what I have said, and will wish him success wherever he goes. We do this with confidence, knowing the man and his ability.

The Farmers' Union and farmers generally have protested against the Government's action in not erecting bone-sterilrsing plants as authorised by Parliament, but without avail. Two men appointed by Government have set sail for India to supervise the exportatioa of bones, and, I suppose, use some magic spell to cast out the anthrax and other virus of disease in th&m. I don't sco how they can do any good unless this is so. One of the appointees has been connected with, the finger-print criminal detection branch of the police. No doubt this has some connection with bones, but not being a scientist I cannot say just where or what the connection is. The other was al.°o a Government official, and will, no doubt, do quit& as well for the purpose as any other man. The point, however, we want light on is this : Who has advised the Government to reverse its previous intention to erect bone-sterilising plant? Not the farmers most interested in the welfare of the country and the stamping out of anthrax; not the Government "Veterinary Department ; not its Agricultural Department, or any of its men. Who, then? That is what we want to know. I strongly advisa farmers to push this matter, and on no account to purchase one ounce of imported bones or any mixture made from them till they have a sterilising plant erected to safeguard their interests.

North Island dairy factories will, I think, be fairly represented at our winter show in Dunedin, and I strongly urge upon the direotors and managers of factories in Otago, Southland, and Canterbury to &xliibit at the Manawatu and Wesfc Coast A. and P. Association show at Palmerston North on June 20 ho 23. Prize lists have been sent to all factories, and the prizes are very liberal. Comparison by such exhibiting is most valuable and I hope- directors will all encourage and help their managers to exhibit.