OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

The Season.

(From Onn Own CoßansyoNDiin I .} OHRISTOHUROH, May 27. The autumn, since harvest, has boon on the whole favourable as regards weather, but owing to the lateness of the harvest cropping operations are backward. However, they arc being pushed on, and a few more weeks of favourable weather will see the winter sowing disposed of. There does not seem to be any disposition to sow more cereals than is necessary to keep up a rotation, and the total area in grain crops will be below that of last year. The export market certainly offer 3 no inducement to increase the production of wheat or oats. Merchants have been trying U buy dry, sprouted wheat at 2s 6d at country stations — say, 2s 8d f.0.b., sacks extra, — but they have not been able te. get much at that price, and this week's purchases must have averaged a penny more. A really sound line, one may say, is never seen ; it is stated that 3s was offered this week for a really prime line of Tuscan * alone, at a country station. Very little business will be done on the Chamber of Commerce standard samples, which are a mixture of all conditions — scund, slightly withered, and badly sprouted,— but as few, if any, sailing vessels will be leaded, this does not much matter ; each parcel will be- sold by its own sample. A little wheat has been shipped at a cheap freight, but no space is at present offering under regular rates, though no doubt it will come later on. Oats are not abundant, and prices have hardened for small lines for prompt delivery (although Southland is reported cheaper), duns being in particular request. Glowers of potatoes are busy digging, and the crop is "turning out much better than was expected. Some fields have scarcely a trace of disease, and are good in yield, and the produce is being pitted in the expectation of high prices before winter is over- Diseased crops are being picked over and the sound tubers' sold for immediate delivery, the price being £3 10s to £4- per ton; but there has been trouble regarding some of these lots, both on delivery here a-nd on arriving at destination, and merchants are insisting on supplies for shipment being sound crops.

Farmers' Union.

The North Canterbury Conference of the Fanners' Union was held this week, and was well attended, 22 delegates, fiom 18 branches, being present. All the same, the work of the union is, in most districts, left to two or three of the members, so- that the influence of the organisation does not increase. A few of the more distinctly agricultural questions discussed at the conference may be briefly referred to. With, regard to bones and anthrax, it was decided, after considering several remits in various terms, to recommend the Colonial Conference to urge upon the Government to prohibit altogether the importation of bones and to publish particulars of the districts affected by anthrax. This question will come up at the Agricultural Conference also, and it will be*- of great value to each body if some exact information regarding the results of the use of the Otago rock phospnates is supplied to the meetings. At present everybody is in the dark on this point, and it will be a public service if some of the Otago delegates work up the. subject. Auctioneers' commission and charges on the sale of wool were condemned as being too high, and a reduction to the Australian scale was demanded. It was overlooked that the turnover at the Australian centres is tenfold that in New Zealand, and the clips being larger less labour is involved Indeed, it is doubtful if there is any profit to the auctioneers in handling the small clips which form a large proportion of New Zealand wool nroduction. The Provincial Executive is to "consider the whole question of commissions. The "full-mouthed" sheep question brought forth much difference of opinion, and also some definitions which were new to most sheep men. TJltimatery the following definition was adopted, though not with unanimity: — "That the term ' sound-mouth sheep ' shall indicate that the shoep is four years old, and has bright, clean, full-sized, and sharp teeth ; ' fullmouth,' a sheep five years old, with level mouth ; ' failing-mouth ' shall mean a sheep having short, stubby teeth; 'brokenn?outhed' shall mean teeth wide apart, some broken or missing; 'gummies' shall mean most of the teeth, or all. gone." The principal objection to these definitions was in the inclusion of age. Many Canterbury sheep have failing mouths at three years old (before they are full-mouthed), and some arc sound-mouthed to five or six years old. Copies of the definition are to bi sent to the auctioneers, with a view to having them displayed at saleyards; but it is pretty safe to say no result will follow. Buyers know enough, especially since the Southland cases a. few months ago, to demand a very specific description of any stock which they bviy on representation ; while in the case of sheep sold by auction the auctioneer either gives a definite guarantee or tells buyers they must use their own judgment. The union wants the Canterbury practice of paying farmers for produce, "net cash, sacks extra," to be made general, and full cost price to be paid for the sacks. This question is under consideration by the executive of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. _ Satisfaction was expressed with the new railway weighing arrangements at Lyttelton. The unreliability of railway weights has been a sore grievance, which, it is hoped, has now been removed. Ag remit was received urgfng the necessity for burfaoc sowing on Government leases being regarded as an improvement for which compensation should be paid on the termination of the lease, and for amendment of clause 100 of "The Land Act, 1892" (no compensation to be paid for improvements on land the lease of which is forfeited for nonobservance of conditions). The farmers mutual fire insurance scheme was explained by Mr Pram (Ota-go organiser), and the incoming Provincial Executive w^s recommended to consider the eubject, with the view of inducing members to transfer their insurances to the Otago B\u/,uai pending an association being formed in Oan-teibui-y. Resolutions were- adopted that those in charge of publio sheep dips should

Lire Stock.

be held responsible for inefficient dipping (of which there are many complaints, sheep havin^ been condemned by inspectors within a rr.onth after dipping); and that the sheep rate should be reduced one-half (an addendum that any deficiency should be made up by a rate on cattle being dropped). If other* provincial conferences are as active as this the Colonial Conference will have a heavy order paper. The sheep market has lately been healthier all round. There are full markets of fat sheep and lambs for the time of year, lambs advancing about is on the month, and good aethers being steady while unfinished wethers and orXnaiy ewes have dropped to •"»*££ J near their intrinsic value. It was reported that some old ewes were bought at this week's and last week's market for feezing, but they have probably gone into cold store for local or shipping supplies, as the price paid for them was as much as they are worth in London. Buying prices here are about sid for lambs, Sid for teas, 4d to 4-id for wethers, and 3d to 3£d for eves, "over all." All useful store and breeding sheep and lambs are firmer, but backward and inferior sorts are no better farmers fighting shy of them. Still, there are thousands v of good sheep, principally wethers, bought early in the season by speculators which are unsold, as cost price cannot be got for them. Some of these unlucky dealers have bought feed for their sheep, and will try to fatten them; but mutton will have to advance to bring them out on the right side, and present rates are above London parity. Cattle are in a very bad way, the best steers ranging from 20s to 22s 6d per 1001b, and ordinary quality and cows down as low as 15s. A few steers have been frozen for export, but there is no hone of better results from that course when the London price is under 3d Store cattle are at correspondnig prices, but good dairy cows sell well. Large supplies of -fat pigs have been coming forward, and prices have fallen. Ie is said that the local curers have made a compact with the North Island ourers 'by which neither is to send bacon into tho other's island, and thus Ihe wholesale price is kept up to Yd to 7£d, > though the pigs are bought at the rate of 4d or under. Retailers charge Sd to lOd for rashers, so all round there ia money in tiork, as Id pays the farmer handsomely." Small pigs are next to unsaleable. Mr Lowrie, of Lincoln College, recently threw out a suggestion that a trial of milking cows might be carried out with advantage. The matter was mentioned at the last meeting of the committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association by Dr Levinge, who found the advantages of testing his famous Sunnyside Ayrshires, and it was remitted to the Agricultural Conference for consideration. I understand that Mr Lowrie is working out the details of a comprehensive scheme of recording and testing the milk yields of cows of the various pure breeds, those wfiien Teach 4 certain standard to be entered m a milking cattle register, with their re<Jord. Owners of registered cows would breed them to pedigree bulls of milking character, and not only would the heifers be of special value as milkers, but the young bulls also would be in demand by dairy farmers desirous of improving their herds. The scheme seems worthy of the utmost encouragement, and it should be considered by the forthcoming dairy conferences, as well as by the Agricultural Conference. Registers of dairy cattle have proved of great value in Denmark, Holland, and other countries, and promise to be equally useful in England and New South "Wales, where they have been, more recently established.

linking Tests.