HAWKE'S BAY RURAL NOTES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2686, 6 September 1905, Page 21

HAWKE'S BAY RURAL NOTES,

Hone Fair,

(From Otra Own Cohresfohbekt.) At Waipukurau la.st week there was a large entry for the spring' horse fair. The entries totalled between +00 and 500, ■ mostly draughts. The sale ! commenced on Tuesday with a small ' entry, and was continued till Frii day, each auctioneer having a eepa- ' rate day. Altogether was submitted one of the best yardings of high-quality draughts ever yarded in the district. There was a large attendance, and bidding 1 was spirited for anything that looked likely, or showed quality, throughout the sale. Heavy draught geldings sold from £40 to £57, heavy mares from £4-5 to £57, lighter draughts from £30 to £40. These prices must be satisfactory to the vendors, and as long as the cutting up of the large estates , continues prices should keep up, as each , farmer is wishing to get in a crop of some j sort. - Some 18 years ago I can remember a station of 30,000 acres that was considered quite go-ahead because they broke up 300 acres for turnips every winter. But times are changing now, and soon there will beno wethers except on the back country. Enough crop will be grown to fatten all ■wether lambs as lambs, and it will pay better. The Farmers' Union veterinary surgeon has \ been visiting the various centres, giving short and interesting addresses on "The Management of Mares at Foaling Time," and kindred subjects. These j addresses are very- much appreciated by the fanners generally^ and should do a lot of good. An address on the care of ewes at lambing time would be \iseful. Most fanners, have had to find out what thew know on. this subject >by experience, whereas if they ■had had a little instruction they would have learnt in much less time. It is a singular thing, but even on big, well-managed stations, instruction is» very seldom, given to beginners. A new man is put on at shepherding, perhaps, and told off to look round a block with 1500 ewes. He probably dees his best, but his methods arc 'of the rough-and-ready orcler. It is a useful plan to carry a couple of pieces of rope about Bft long j when going round the ewes, and if any refractory ewes will not take to their lambs, tether them, and in ar hour or two they will usually b© quite motherly. Before ! leaving it is well to stand the ewe up and let the lamb suck in the natural position. If this precaution is not taken the lamb • will sometimes wander away. Also, choose ' a level spot to tether the ewe, and tic the ' rope as near the ground as possible, so that i she is not so liable to become entangled. This plan is first rate with strong or fairly strong sheep, but weak sheep are too apt to throw themselves. In small paddocks four hurdles set tip in a square in convenient places ar© much better than the rope. The winter just passed has been remarkable j for an unusual amount of wet.- I- am told that the! rain- that has fallen this year ! already -exoeeds the average yearly fall by an rnclr. Still, the winter has been, on the whole, ft mild one, and the majority of stock have done well, though I hear of heavy losses in some parrs, due, possibly, to overstocking. There has been a good growth the lasfi "few weeks. There is an old saying that nothing- pays bac£ like Jthe weath.ei.-j iii which case we may look for

The Weather.

' one of our old dry summers. No one can foretell the weather, but, under the law of averages, we should be in for a dry spell, and farmers who agree with the old saying would do well to get their crops in early before the ground gets too hard. i HEPERE.

Veterinary Lectures.