STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2762, 20 February 1907, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

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<■ Wetkly Steck Sties : BumsiJe, "Wednesday* -Aabburtvß, Tuesdays j AeUiastaa, Wednesdays F»rt nightly : Balclutha, Fridays Gere, Tuesday* Oanaru, Tuesday* J

Forlivght?<i : Invercirgi 1, Tuesdays Monthly : Clinton, Palmerxtan, Wiaton, »ud \V»ikouaiti. J'madiemUy: JHeriot, Kelsc and Eye bura.

Both at Addington arid Burnside the yards were flooded with sheep and Jambs from prime to poor stores. The hea\y supplies even affected fat stock, -n hich were easier. Store sheep were very hard to sell. Were freight available, the North Island could relieve us of a lot of sheep, but freight is not easily obtained, as such a trade is unusual, and there is no adequate provision for it. Several shipments, however, are constantly going to the North Island, and arrangements aie being male for shipments on a more extended scale.

Notwithstanding that town butchers are getting sheep for 12s that they paid 25s for last year, prices of meat to town consumers remain as before. Butchers, at any rate, must be having a real good time, and it's nice to think that someone is leaping some benefit.

The London frozen meat market is dull, and rather weak, both for lambs and mutton. This may continue for some time, owing to extra, heavy shipments arriving and afloat from Australia and Now Zealand. It seems to be a question whether the larger shipments from Austr.'ia n 'll make up for a shortage in New Zea-land shipments later on.

It is not at all improbable now that Germany may be compelled by force of circumstances to open her door to colonial frozen meat. Already seveial of the smaller Continental States have done so. The London correspondent of the Pastoralists' Review says : — A useful outlet for colonial meat seems to be opening up in Sweden. Some six month 3 ago an enterprising Swedish firm purchased some New Zealand frozen meat in London — mutton, lambs, and beef — and the representative of the firm, who is again here, reports that his venture has turned out very well, and he complains that he canno+ at present buy as much meat as he would 'ike The grade of meat required for Sweden is fair second-class quality, le»n, to come within reach of Swedish pockets, and the meat has to meet a duty of from id to Jd per lb Tu<* point in favour of Australasia with regard +0 thia new market is that no Argentine meat, live or dead, is allowed to bs landed 111 the country

Shipments of butter from the colony for the month of January were 73 044-cwt. as against 54-.546cv.-t for January. 1906 — an increase of 18.493cwt. The shipments for 10 months ending January 31, 1907. are 224.100cwt. as against 185, 073c wt for the same period last year, or an increase in 1907 of 39,0?7cwt February and March shipments will show a further large increase this year unless, owing to the very low prices ruling in London, some of the .shipments are held back. Such a great increase is very satisfactory, all the more so as nearly all the outputs of factories to end of February and March- were sold at from 10jd to lid per lb. The buyers in England, however, arc having a bad time, and will probably lose about a penny per lb on their purchases, which is not pleasant. They all seem to have failed to see that Australian shipments «ore_ to bo very large — about double those of New Zealand.

In Australia the <=ystom of selling outputs to the end of March or April doos not obtain, and the factories do not do so woll as those in New Zealand. At present bost Australian factories arc selling fob. Melbourne and Sydney at from 9<J to 9i<l. j and export buyers are by no means keen even at these prices.

The increase in our chee<=e shipments is very much greater than in butter. January shipments were 31,8420wt, as against 16.899ewt in the previous Januarv — an increase of 14,943cwt, or nearly 100 per cent. For the 12 months ending January 31. 1907, the cheese shipments were 103,Q43e\\t, as against 60.709cwt in previous January — an increase of 42,334ewt, or about 75 per cent. By the end of May it is certain that thia increase will be fully maintained. Our New Zealand shipments will be about one tenth of what Canada, sends, but a<? Canadians are now in short supply, it looks as if cheese in London may go to 70s per cwt yet, although the heavy shipments now

Ramrs of Poultry should uas Nnrvo Aim Blaib's Garni asd Potti/thy Mbal, which i« composed of the beat ground bones and shells, specially prepared to meet the requirements of tha f*et-increasing poultry mdi stry. It i» ) made up in 341b btgi, «t Is 9d «ach. Ajk you grocer for lk

commencing to <irr!\e from New Zealand may have a steadying effect New Zealand cheese at present 1-, worth about bs*, wlndr 1 would give only a pniall profit to buyers 1 here at 6 l-8d to 6|d.

The shipments of dairy produce for February were: — Mamari, February 1- — 37.671 boxes butter. 8592 crates cheese : Wanvera, February 2—4-I^62 — 4-I^6 boxes butter ; Runutaka, February 14—40,881 boxes butter, 12,141 crates cheese : and a-bout. 30.000 boxes have i already been held back fiom shipment aiid I stored. If this goes on we shall see cheap butter in winter.

I don't think the question of iriigation for Central Otapro has been much helped by the visit of the Minister of Mines, nor even by that of the Minister of Agriculture. The Cromwell people wore for utilising the water for irrigation purpose^, and seemed to think that there was not much in the mining business. Some others thought differently, and the Minister of Mines, of cour=e, sided with the mining industry, and said, respecting the irrigation argument, he was not goina: to have the mining industry charged with work that came within the province of the Lands Department. Personally, he thought it would 1 be a goo-el thing to bring: in the wat°r — first, perhaps, for mining purpose", and secondly, for irrigation. He believed it. would pay very well. Unfortunately the farmers were not, as a rule, a« rcadv to pay for the water as the miners were. 1 He purposed having an inquiry marie into the whole subject of water rights. He be- . lieved in State control of the primary elements, such as land and water. It seems a pity that on© member of the Cabinet which governs the country should openly state that his particular department was not going to be charged with the work of another department, and talk as if they 1 were rival business firms. Water is, no doubt, reruired for mining purposes, but 1 not less is it requned for agriculture, and I I am of opinion that there is more in agriculture for Otago Central with a good irrigation scheme than ever there will* be in mining. Instead of the Minister of Mines and the Minister of Agriculture squabbling about expenditure in their different departments, the Government should take the whole thing in hand, cancel all water rights at a certain time, and devise a general scheme thai will supply water for both mining and agriculture. At present many mining water rights are held for pure speculation, and many of the claims they p-upplv don't pay, and never will. Some of these" water rights and races could certainly be u'ed to greater advantage to the community for irrigation.

I notice t-he Minister of Mines said "ho 'believed in State control of the primaiy elements, such as lagd* and wafer." A proper idea,-'!, thinjk, and ij.hope tln^ 1- the Government's view" of the <fuestion. and that they will act unon it, >but I wish 1 was sure of their doing so. I am afraid irrigation in Otajro CVnttal will not be taken up, but will be left till next elect. on time, when the Minister who is doing the barracking for the Government nominees will talk big about irrigation scheme*, as has been done previously at the election time- without any piactical progress following.

The Otago Central League cenainlv helped alon.s: or hastened the construction of the railway. Farmers. landholders, miners, and settlers generally should now form an Otago Water Hunnly and Irrigation Lpague to urge on the Government to device and carry out a comprehensive scheme of irrigation and water stipplv. The country from Wanaka to the Taieri has rivera with ample fall to supply abundant water from Hawea Flat to Strath Taieri. Few countries ever had such natural advantages for irrigation. Many area<» which were practically deserts have been made very fertile by well devised irrigation in different parts of the world. Let there be no squabbling between miners and farmers, however, or it will be many a, day before we see irrigation in Otago Central.