STOCK AND GRAZING- NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2674, 14 June 1905, Page 8

STOCK AND GRAZING- NOTES.

By Dxotsb.

Weekly Stock Sales : Fortnightly : Burniide, Wednesdays InvercirgM, Tuesdays Ashburton, Tuesdays Utmthn, • Addinstoa, Wednesdays «,. «. Um *? l y- . , "•'" Clintou, PalmerntoßForlnightly: Wiaton, and WaiBalclutha, Fridays kouaiti. Gore, Tuesday* Periodically Oawaru, Tuesday! Heriot, Kelso, and Kye bura.

There was a yarding of about 200 head of cattle at Bumside last week — mainly store cattle, more or less forward. There were * few very prime bullocks, which brought £11 10s tot £12, and a few prime £9 10s to £10. There was keen competition for all these, but the lower qualities were in over supply, and prices were very irregular and bidding slack. A few bullocks in fair condition brought £7 10s to £8; good cows and heifers, £7 to £8. The rest of the yarding sold at £4 to £5 103.

London reports on the beef market on May 5 indicate improvement, a-s the following quotations from WeddePs report show. It appears that the River Plate people use tne chilling process for the more valuable portion of their beef— viz., the hindquarters; and this is worth noting in view of the- prospect of our being able to organise an export beef trade: —

Frozen.— Only 2534 quarters have been received from New Zealand, but the River Plata importation amounts to no less than 43,864 quarters. The market continues to be fairly firm, tho demand for hindquarters being moderately active, although there is compsurativeily less inquiry for ferequarters. Stocks are mode-l-ate, particularly in the case cf hindquarters, but the supply of frozen forequartero has increased aa an indirect result of the development of fh© Kiver Plate chilled beef trad« (which cousisLs mainly of hindquaitrs), and the present stock of fores is appreciably m excess of that of hindquarters. River Plate frozen beef of best weights ie quoted at 2gd fores and 3|d to 3Jd per Ib hinds, outside weights selling at 2Jd fores and' SJd per Ib hinds. Marketings of N-ew Zealand! bsef are so moderate that quotations are still nominal, in the neighbourhood of 2§d fores and 3|d per Ib hinds.

Chilled.— Arrivals of River Plate chilled beef during the fortnight have beon fairly heavy, amounting as they do to 13,06S quarters. Moderate marketings of live cattle aad North American chilled beef have resulted in the maintenance of a comparatively high level of prires, and River Plat© beef has fully participated, as recent arrivals have been of excellent quality and in good' condition. "We quote River Plate beef at 2!d to 3Jd fores, and 4Jd to 4£d hinds; and North Amen -jan at 3|d to 4d fores, and s£d to 6Jd hinds.

About 1700 sheep were yarded at Burnside, mostly medium to inferior wethers and old ewes. Prime wethers, being scarce, sold well at from 23s to 265, and nearly 28s for extra prime. Good, about 225 ; inferior to_ medium, 18s to 225; good ewes sold as high as wethers, but inferior to medium met with poor demand at from 10s to 16s. About 400 lambs sold at prices ranging between 13s 6d to 18s.

The Addington market was just about on a par with Burnside rates last week. Store sheep were dull of sale, and prices lower. Sales were: — Wethers, two and four tooth, 353 at 17s 9d, 574 at 17s; twotooth, 52 at 14s 3d; ewes, 139 aged 13s Id; hoggets, 63 (wether) at 15?, 100 at 14s 9d. 2A (shorn) at 14s Id, 107 at 13s 6d.

The following is from London under date May 5. Light weights, as usual, is the cry, and heavy weights are at a discount. Unfortunately, New Zealand seems to continue th 9 policy of going for heavier weight always : —

MUTTON.

New Zealand. — Arrivals amount to 116,455 caicases during the fortnight, or practically double the quantity recorded! in our last report. Notwithstanding tho large number received, there has been no appreciable alteration in values, although some of the heavier weights have declined somewhat in price. The demand generally has been only moderately good, as usually happens daring Easter week and the week following. A few more light-weight sheep of beat and secondary brands have come to hand, and for these good prices have been obtained. We quote Canterbury sheep under 561b at 4jd to 5d per Ib, and larger weights at 4d to 4Jd per Ib. Best brands of North Island mutton sell at 3|d to 4Jd per Ib, others at.3|d to 4J, while ewes range in price from 3|d to 3gd per Ib.

Australian. — Arrivals have been 9758 carcases. The demand for Australian mutton is not good, and there is no alteration to record in valuas. Heavy-weight secondary JN'&w Zealand mutton is selling at almost down to Aiistralian prices, and light-weight River Plate sheep are selling too cheaply to admit of Australians being soldi at all freely. Heavy carcases a.re quoted at 31d to 3Jct per Ib, and small sheep at 3Jd to 3id per Ib.

River Plate. — Arrivals amount to 120,060 carcases. The demand both in London and in the provinces has not been good, and prices have been lowered with a view to getting an increased quantity into coTisumiption. Small sheep can now bo quoted' at only 31d to 3Jd per Ib ; while larger carcases are offered at from 3d to 3|d per ib. Lambs. — Arrivals during the fortnight amount to 182,332 carcases from Xew Zealand and 13,554 carcases from tbe liiver Plato. The weather during the first half of the fortnight was unseasonably cold, and the Eastei tratio in lambs was disappointingly s?ow. Notwithstanding a subsequent improvement in temperature, this has not beneficially affected the consumption of lambs, and, speaking generally, sales have been slow. Tho demand is mainly for small carcases, which are not plentiful.

The New Zealand and Australian Land Company shipped last week to the Argentine 200 Lincoln ewes from their MoeraJri flock. This is, I think, the first line of New Zealand stud ewes which has been shipped to Argentine from New Zealand, although lines of rams both from the North and the South Islands have been constantly going. There is a big market 'both for sheep and cattle oL high quality in the Argentine, and such a trade is well worth cultivating. Argent iga has bjcen a yerjtabi©

mine of wealth to British breeders, paying the highest prices for both stud sheep and cattle in Great Britain for a very long time. Cattle in New Zealand need improving, and importing to any extent has been neglecDed for some years. In cattle we must improve before we oan expect to do anything in the way of exporting stud stock, but we have the- basis for. doing so in several good herds, and we have also climate, pasture, and all that tends to make breeding high-class stock a success. In sheep for years we have acted more wisely, and constant shipments of the finest British stud "stock have been coming in for many years; and I think the runholders in Argentine appreciate New Zealand sheep, with justification, for I believe that they could, and will, get stud sheep here cheaper, and as good, probably, as they can g-eb in England, and I believe some of them have found this out already. It must be- a great •encouragement to breeders <f this trade can bo further developed, and I think it can, for the prices often naid for rams, for instance, locally, aro not such as to encourage breeders of stud flocks to run to great expense in keeping up the quality ; but with an encouraging prospect like this, matters will be different, and breeding stud sheep will become another of the many profitable branches of farming, the more of which we can develop and encourage the b-etter.

" The National Dairy Associations, North and South Islands, have, I hear, signed a five-years' contract with the shipping companies for the carriage of dairy produce. They have, it appears, cancelled the two years the present contract has to run, and secured a considerable reduction by the new contract. All seem satisfied, I think, except a section of Dunedin exporters, the main cause of whose objection is that the fortnightly steamers cannot call at Port Chalmers. The reason of this is exactly the same as causes the Auckland factories to ship their butter by coastal 6teamer9 to I Wellington. At present Otago ships to ! Lyttelton. Be it observed that in both cases j the shipping company pays coastal freight to these ports, so that no extra expense is caused to any factory. The reason, then, that the steamers do not call at Port Chalmers or Auckland is that there is little or no frozen meat at either port during the dairy produce season. Why our sheep and lambs go through Dunedin Kailway Station to Canterbury I don't yet understand, but the fact that Otago has little of a meat export trade is quite obvious. Auckland in a similar position, and has at least as good a harbour as Port Chalmeis. During the seven months ending in April this year j ! Auckland sent 52,153cwt of butter, while : Dunedin -sentajnly 19,556ewt. The following figure?, taken from the Government monthly statement of exports, show that .so far as dairy produce is concerned Bluff, Lyttelton, and Dunedin are about equal in experts. Unhappily for Dunedin and Bluff, Lyttelton has a big export trade in frozen sheep and lambs all the year round, so that in the meantime, till Bluff and Dunedin have as good a meat trade, it appears to me that Lyttelton must be the South. Island port at which dairy produce i 3 concentrated for shipment, and the policy of the National Dairy 'Vesociation in concentration is not only wise but imperative, and has worked well while it has been in operation. The Taieri and Peninsula Company is on exactly the same footing as all factories in New Zealand except those adjacent to Lyttelton and Wellington, and let the following table speak for ilself as to the bulk; of its export;. The cost to the Taieri and every factory in New Zealand is the same., as under the contract the shipping companies pay coastal • freight. What, then, is the Taieri and s Peninsula Company's g r * evance ' Oan that company, or should it, have special conditions made for it? — Butter. Cheese. Cwfc. Cwt. Auckland ..- .. 52.153 .. 2,023 ! Gisbcnie .. .. 3,796 .. — i New Plymouth .. 66,273 .. 5.431 Patea 53.190 .. 539 Wanganui .. .. 341 .. — Wellington .. .. 80,005 .. 27.352 Nelson 774 .. 152 Lyttelton .. .. 13,755 .. 5,503 Oamaru 3,256 .. 177 Dunedin .. .. 19,556 .. 6,022 81-uff 2,313 .. 20,557 These figures apply to the exports from October to April (inclusive), and are from the Government monthly statement of exports."