STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2668, 3 May 1905, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dbotbb.

Weekly Stock Stiles : Burnside, Wednesdays Ashburtoß, Tuesdays Addington, Wedneidays Fortnightly : Balclutha, Fridays Gore, Tuesdays Oaxiaru, Tuesdays

FeH)i\qhtly :

ilavercargill, Tuesdays Monthly: Clinton, Palmer»+o», Winton, and "Waikouaiti. Periodically Heriot, Kelso, and Kyeburn.

The yarding of cattle at Burnside last' week was email, only 98 head, and a rather poor lot they were, but owing to the small yarding, prices were rather better than at the previous week's" sale. The best of the yarding 1 , brought £9 to £10 ; others from £7 to £8 10s. Next week will probably see a; large yarding of much better cattle selling at less money. I think; however, farmers enjoy these fluctuations, as they have never done anything to regulate the yardings, and I think that, with the help of the agent?, something in this direction might be done with benefit to all concerned.

About 1800 sheep were yarded, mostlymedium to inferior wethers and ewes. For the few good wethers in the yarding 21s to 24s 6d' was paid, or about equal to previous ' week's rates. Medium wethers, "about 19s ; best ewes, about 20s ; inferior to medium, 14s to 16s. Inferior to medium sheep we-ro lower by about Is 6d per, head than at tho previous week's sale. Nearly 600 lambs of fair to good quality were yarded^ and sole' at from 13s to I7s 6d.

At Addington last week prices for fal sheep 'were about on a par with" Burnside rates, export buyers leaving the field of operations to butchers. Prime lambs sold at from,, 17s to 18s : tegs, 20s ; light. la\nbs from'A4s to 16s, Export buyers .weiyji nofc '' very active. The store sheep market' was particularly dull. There was a heavy "yarding of sheep from the iNortfc Island and Marlborough, and . many lots were passed in, farmers not seeming nearly so keen for sheep at any; price as they were a. few weeks back. A large quantity -of the sheep offered were backward and inferior.

I London advices under date March 24 report the meat market as quiet, although, home-fed mutton was in rather short supply. River Plate advanced their price slightly. Both small sheep aoid small lambs are inquired for without avail. Beef is in heavy supply, particularly American chilled. Quo .tations at March 24- were: — " , — Sheep. — I New v Zealand prime, small, 4^3 to 4fcf~ secondary, large, 4d ; ewes, 3d. -Australian, small. 3id ; large, 3d. 1 River Plate, small, 3|d; large, 3id. — Lambs. — New Zealatfd prime, 6d; secondary. 5|6T. Australian prime, s£d; secondary, 4|d. i A decided improvement in the quality of t River Plate beef is recorded, whiah is bringing it within one-eigthth penny of New Zealand.

Tlxe London Daily Chronicle has the following rather interesting note on the fraudulent meat ease lately c decided and reported m these notes: — A recent action arising out of the difference of price between Australian and New Zealand meat may suggest to the public the cheapness of meat nowadays as compared with its price 50 years ago. But how about its price in 1533, when "it was enacted that butchers should- sell their beef and mutton by weight, to wit, their beef not above a halfpenny a pound, and mutton a halfpenny halffartliing" ? Unfortunately, though this acfc was "devised for the great commodity of the realm," improved nothing of the kind, as the graziers "raised their price thereafter, so the butcher could be no gainer but by likewise raising his price.'' After all, trade methods have not altered much since 1533, when there were only six score butchers in the city and suburbs, and "every one killed six oxen weekly."

j The following extracts from the London i Meat Trades Journal of March 16 are in-

teresting : — ! In the week ended March 1, one reads \v ; tli | alarm that no fewer than 17 outbreaks oi j anthrax were reported, of which two occ.irrctl in Aberdeen, two in Gloucester, and one escTi an Caithness, Cumberland, Kincardine, Lf.nark, Lincoln (parts of Holland), Northampton, Salop, Somerset, Stafford, Warwick, Worcester, the East Hiding, and the West Riding. The swine slaughtered as diseased, or a 9

having been exposed to infection, during"" , week ended March 4 numbered 35, es against 46 in the previous week and 236 in the equivalent week of 1904. To this total Stafford contributed 13, Huntingdon 7, Northampton 6, Essex 5, Mid Lothian 3, and Oxford 1. The outbreaks of dieeu scab, during "Jrcak

The Imperial Bhass .-pbay Pxriip: WitTr F ..ream and Pine Spra_. Nozzle. — Made bjj American noted manufacturers. Are obtaixH able from Nimho Aim Blaib, Dunedin. Fruity i growers and Orchardists should use tte*>»-

fended 4th inst., comprised 12 in England and 19^in Wales, the total of 31 for- Great Britain Comparing with 33 in the preceding week, and vith 43 in~ the corresponding week of lsst year. - - , 'I . - , . sr-. Owing to numerous complaints regarding teh'eep-worrying at Blowicjc, Sduthport, police constables, carrying guns, have been on Saty clay and night for the last few days. Some 14 sheep have been worried within the past -three v or four weeks. ' — . "~ In- a couple of -months 7 time the" drcaaed "fly" may be expected to recommence its attacks upon sheep, causing much annoyance to "lhe animals themselves and substantial less ~\o flockmasters. Everybody is familiar w-"lh .fee. blue-bottle fly, but -it is » green-bottl« ly, Lucilia sericata,- which is the cause ci --Juaggdte on sheep, and cgnoernin^ waioh tie lyta J bt--Agriculture-haa just prepared atf filustrated leaflet.

ThK be it observed, is one week's record >£ wfeit appears to be. a somewhat ojuoni©

condition of affairs in England, and the farmer there has not always a happy life. Here we have anthrax, swin& fever, scab, sheep-worrying, and the "Lueidia sericata" (nice name), or green bottly fly, in prospect, and apparently its arrival is confidently expected aa a regular visitor. I notice they cremate all diseased stock or stock that has oome in contact with diseased stock, very quickly, otherwise these diseases alone, if fairly started, would ruin half the English farmers very quickly. Let us be thankful we- are comparatively so free from these diseases ; at the same time let us be watchful, and use all preventive means.

I am glad to see that fefoe Otago A. and P. Society endorsed the following resolution re sterilising bones as sent down by the Hawke's Bay A. and P. Society: —

" That this society regrets to learn thai the Government has decided to abandon its intention as stated to Parliament to give effect to the earnest representation of the chief veterinarian in the- colony, and is of opinion that the appointment of inspectors in Australia and India will not secure -the colony from the danger to life and property anticipated by Mr G-ilrath. In this view the society is supported- by the opinion generally held hy experts in India that no inspection will Beci'te efficient sterilisation there. The Government apparently from its reply " considers a saving in the cost of manure justifies the abandonment of the only^ -efficient way which Ft-.jlia-ment approved of meeting the danger of sn- . thrax. This society urges that the risks to be run are not justified by a small saviig in "the cost of manure, and strongly urges the Government to reconsider its action iii lhe -matter."

3^ut it" isi no use. These societies will just get another snub, as before, from the Government, who apparently are determined on. a couirse in direct opposition to farmers, their own Veterinary Department, and every one who is capable of giving a eoiund opinion on-this matter. The Gzar himself has never acted in a more 'autocratic, unreasonable, or pig-headed manner towards his subjects than has our • Liberal towards thefarming community, whose interests are deeply at stake*' over' this matter. And no one yet knows" at ' whose instigation or in whose interests' ' fihe change in "policy over this matter was made — a change of policy which, I believe, every, farmer and land' owner in the" colony disapproves of, and yet it is done. The Government evidently look upon the farmers as a pack of children who don't know what is good for them. If the Bootmakers'' or Candlemakers' Unions only^were moving in the matter instead of farmers, Government would be polite, and, I venture to cay, quite subservient to their opinion.. Buit the farmers' vote, as I have often- said, ia worth nothing — not being a block vote ; • and. we are rapidly getting on to Government by caucus, and shortly it will /.be~ Tammany Hall if things go on as they are J at- present doing.

According to latest' London letters and circulars' under date March 24 the butter market, was strong 1 . The quotations' for butter Are- as, follows : — New Zealand, 108s, to 110s ; and .New South., Wales, 106s to 108s;' Queensland? 104s to 106s; milled and dairy," ,100s ' to 102s ; Danish, 110s to 113s'; Argentine, ICI6s-to 107s. New Zealand cheese was ' selling at 56s to 58s, and the market reported strong with Canadian in. rather short supply. - Latest cables indicate a fall. in. butter, which, however. I think -is only temporary, and that cheese is»still about 58s. Supplies, of butter, from the colonies wiil-now cease,.. ..as", all vwill be needed for Winter'jsupplyv;. The Corinthio v sailed* last week, 27th ult., with 4352 boxes butter' and 3375 -^ cheeseV out of,, which _Otago and Southland sent as follows: — Bhiff, 1352 crates cheese ; Dunedin, 298 do. ' South Island shipped no butter in the .Corinthie.

* The following, 1 from the Taranaki Herald, must be taken ctun grano-salis." l£,"i£,in fact, what the . Americans "would "oaJlt rather "high falutih' " : —

A London firm of produce merchants, Writing to Mr T. L. Joll.of Okaiawa, atamfc better, say: — "So' far as next year is conesrjied fhcre is such a. tremendous- scarcity all over the world that it will pay the dairies nc« to sell a" firm a single box "of butter. For instance, the United States of America, have D^en so far^ short of butter, that during- the last 14 days the price" has been 1625; take away 26s for duty rand that - leaves 1345. Canada had cleared out; all its butter to the States, und ig buying from England very heavily. With this great scarcity of butter it is very cltar that next season will be a good one for Consignments. That, together with ihe fact that the creameries have lost very heavily th ; s year,, ought to^jpreyent any creamery m New Zealand from selling "" outright." America did take a considerable quantity of butter, however. ' Messrs Ti^engrouse and Go. report having sold several lines to 'America at- 108s to 110s, and the buyers paid 28s' per cwt duty. ' This is exceptional, and i 'We jnust^not run. away with the idea that ■fehiis state "of matters is permanent. As a -jnatler of fact, very high prioes have * tendency to greatly stimulate production, _and then over 'supply and' lower prioee quickly follow.