STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bi Dboym.

Weekly Stock Sales : FortatghtU/ ■' Burnside, Wednesdays luvercargill, Tuesdays Ashburtoa, Tuesdays Monthly: Addington.Wedneidnyi Qinton< PalmerßtonFortnightly: Wintop, and WaiBalclutka, Fridays ko p uaiti:. _ Gore, Tuesday* . Oaaiaru, Tuesdays Henot, Kelso, ana X.ye bur*.

About- 180 head of fat caftle were yarded. Really prime bullocks were scarce, and brought from £10 to £10 10s, and more could have been sold. The market seems firm for prime beef, but lower quality is not in such good iciviest. Medium bullocks brought about £8; cows and heifers, fair quality, about £6; inferior, about £4.

Nearly 1800 sheep were yarded, mosHy good to prime wethers. The market was weaker, and but for export buyers chipping in might have gone lower in prices. Some extra hea^y sheep brought 26s to 28s; prime wethers, 22& to 255; gocd, ISs to 21s; ewes, 15s to 18s. Nearly 400 lambs sold at from 15s to 19s, exporters being keen buyers.

Ab Addington -last week fat-sheep prices were just about equal to those ruling at Burnside. Prime freezing lamb?, standard weights, sold at from 16s to 19s; tegs. 20s to 21s; light lambs, 13s to 16s. In store sheep the market was poorly supplied. Wethers were easier, but the demand for ewes and hoggets was better than it was been lately. The principal sales were: — 680 ewes, at from 17s lOd to 18s 3d: 160 two-tooths, at 16s; 146 ewe hoggets, at 16s; 148 two and four-tooth wethers, at 18s 2d ; 118 at 18s Id; 300, at 17s 2d; 348 twotooths, at 17s to 17s 2d ; 60 hogp^t=, at 15s 7d; 197, at 14s; and 127, at 13s Id.

For some years I have, as reader* of these notes know, depkved the fact that our meat export trade had dwindled to inson's paper, read at the winter show, I pointed out that from Mr Gilbert Anderson's paper, read at the winte rshow, I gather that he, as a high authority, endorses the opinion I ha-ve always held on this point, and, further, agrees that Otago farmers could fatten sheep to a much greater extent than they have done in the past. To cmphasi&e thi3 point, let me again state the experience of Mr Wilson, as gi\<'ii in the leading article a fortnight ago in the Witness dealing with Mr Gilbert Anderson's paper: — Upon an area of 600 acres under gra 1^ of which 300 acres are under irrigation, Mr John Wihon, of Downshh-o Farm, Oplnr, ha-s this year fattened 1200 lambs of his own breeding, and has bought in and fattened 300 store lambs, making 1500 lambs for export of prime, good quality, and has fattened 300 cull dry ewes, which have been sold for the- local market ; while at the present time 1000 head are being fattened on the land. This fact is doubly suggestive. It furn^hes an additional proof of tho fei-tiluy of the land in Otago Central when it receives the benefit of irrigation, and it destroys the fiction that it is impossible to fatten stock for export in Otago. What Mr Wilson has done hundreds of fanners in Otago are capable of doing.

Tho C'hrMohurch Meat Company and the Now Zealand Refrigerating Company have iosued Mr Gilbert Anderson's paper in pamphlet form, and along with it a circular, from which I take the following extracts : —

It jiiay not be generally known amongst the fanning community what an insignificant shaie Ota°o ha-s for many years been content to contnbute towards this, the most important branch of the colony's export tiade. A careful perusal of the ngnros ri\ en in the aceompanyi: vr ai+'o.'e -will not only clmw this but we think .it the ssnic ture v.U at o-icc invite tho question — Aic Ota,co Fanners Doing tl-e Best PcsiVe ioi Themselves by Keljmg upon CJntciLiuv aa a M«uket for theijT Stuplus Stock as Steles'— To this we can say there is only one answer, eni that is NO. The recent amalgamation of Burnside and

Oamaru "Works with the leading Canterbury factories has placed Otago producers iv the very best possible position for disposing of ftrt stock. You are now in the same position as the Canterbury farmer, as you have the same market at your own doors. We are prepared to purchase "ah unlimited quantity of fat lambs, sheep, and cattle, and we trust that next season you will see that you cannot possibly gain by selling as stores to buyers who must make their profit in addition to heavy expenses and railages. Bear in mind you have the same market as the northern purchaser, who has to make his feeding profit out of your stock. - We know Otago can produce excellent quality fat lambs and sheep, but we look to you for your own interests to produce three tinier the quantity. The more we can handle at the two Qtago works the better prices can we afford to give you. -.Lay yourselves out systematically to grow feed and fatten your lambs and surplus sheep, ond you will get the utmost value out of both your flocks and your land. ___, Both the circular and Mv Anderson's paper should be carefully studied. Some may be inclined io disagree with Mr Anderson on some points, and they may be right or wrong in doing so ; but lam quite ; certain that every fanner can gain much j useful information on the facts about and surrounding- the meat trade, and apply them as circumstances permit or make advisable. I That the wast-© in paying railage on stock from Otago to Canterbury should be put an ! end to is very desirable, and unless Mr Anderson is far wrong, I think it is in the power of Otago farmers to accomplish this. 1 am quite certain that the amalgamation of these two compSnTes means a new departure in the Otago meat trade. Some may talk about monopoly and regret the swallowing up of" the New Zealand Refrigerating Company and tho end of competition ; but I don't look at it that way. Aa for monopoly — well, monopoly is a good thing if you are in it, and this company cordially invites every farmer in Otago and .Southland io take shares and become one of the monopolists. The weak point in the now departed company was that farmers had little or no interest in it. I should like to see farmers as a body interested in thi? company, and talking their due share in the conduct of it. If this is done, I am certain great benefit will ensue to farmers. The company runs a trade which exists for their benefit. The company should be mainly supported and controlled by farmers, and not by mere dividend hunter'!, and it rests with farmers to bring this about. Last week's Witness contained quite a fund of useful information to dairymen in the way of papers read at the Palmcrston North winter show and conference. I shall this week deal with. Mr M'Cuddie's paper,, as it treats of a matter that needs tho cai^eful attention of dairymen more than any other. Mv Oiiddi© starts by stating that in equipment of factories and in the education of butter and cheese makers wo have mado satisfactory progress, and I think all competent judges of the matte >- will agree to this Further advances we ca,n and will make, and tc. do this one thing- is urgently needed — viz., an experimental station for o-ir dairy oxrerts and instructors to woik in and investigate matters properly. Our cheese and button makers in the main have done good woi-k, and can hardly get or. to further improvement until the supply of the raw material (milk) at. the factories l^. generally improved upon. Mr Cuddi<? says: — "What T contend, and what I think every rightmindcvl man connected 1 with th<? industry will admit, is that ihe quality of milk 'n purity and cleanliness has rot kept pace with tho improvement, in Ihe manufacture of oi' r bucter and cheese."' Tiie milk delivered to the factories during tho last five or =ix years has not improved. Jlr Cuddia admits that many farmers do send their milk in q-ood order, but thaD it is also certain that others make no attempt at iiri'i'ovement. He- also alludes to the fact that many work under most unfavourable conditions. Milking is conducted in a dirty manner. Much of alt this is due to ignorance of proper methods. To remedy this, Mr Ouddie suggests exactly what our National Dairy Association has urged for many years — viz . a properly -organised scheme of educational milk inspection — not m-ere fault-finding milk inspection. The I men appointed should be fit for the work, and be competent enough to earn the confidence of the farmers. Now. this is just i the most important pomt — viz.. th« com- ' petenco of the men In the pa-fc rabbit, inspectors and very incompetent men have le-en appointed. This must no longer Le th(> cas-p and to this -■•nd th;s recommendation of 'the National Dairy Association i=; | tliafc those inspectors — or instructors, as I should prefer them to be— arc to be appointed after e\aminati< n a; to fitnr«s by the Dairy Commissioner, and should be i uiHcr hia control *o far as the supply of I milk to factories is concerned. Kow, both National Dairy Associations ha^e unanimously pis;ed resolutions endorsing Mv ("udd-e's views, and both aio urging jdu \ho matter with tho Government. Will r^irrncn in New Zealand try to interact aud in-tiucu their members of Parliament on this point, and pot them to insist on this much-needed and long-talked-or -reform in our methods? Some farmers say they cannot afford to improve their yards and the unfavourable surrounding, oonditions. , If the Advances to Settlers Act is to be of any v^U coodL I think th.er» is a biar

and useful field for its operation in case! of this kind, and I believe there are many deserving settlers who would like to improve, but are hampered for want of the ready money to do so : and it is a pity, for the cost of such improvement would soon repay itself.