STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Br Daora.

Wttki* SUck Mm le* : F*rtn-ghVy : Burntide, Wednesday* Invercarfi'l, Tucsdty* •AikfturtoM, Tuesday* v^thu,Ad*i^..,W«* B «da y . ck^'-SS^. Fortnightly: Wiut«, acd W»i BAlcluth*. Fridays kauaiti. Uore, Tuet«bya Ptritiic+tly: Oamaru, Tuetdayi j Htri*t, Kclso and KyeI bnra.

The stock markets at Burnskte and Addington continue brisk, with prices well maintained. Sheep and lamb skins are now valuable,- and will help to maintain prices all along. Wheat, although not booming as it was, is at a high figure, and will remain so. Oats arc high, and will probably improve in value, and, altogether, farmers arc having a good time. Messrs Weddel's report under date London. 3rd Slay, is of a rather cheering nature. It says : MUTTON. Kew Zealand.— Arrivals during the past two weeks amount to 121.279 carcases. There has been very little alteration in tb« position of the market during the fortnight. Canterbury sheep — in short supply — have maintained their price*, which still show a sub- J Btantial premium over other brands of New Zealand sheep. There is, however, a slightly •etter demand noticeable, and although values generally have not advanced, it ha« been possible to make sales more freely at, late rates. This is doubtless owing to the fact that consumers are now buying mutton more freely owing to the higher prices demanded for lambs. Canterbury sheep under 561b are selling at 4Jd to 4Jd per lb, white the heavier weights are realising from 3|d to 4d per lb. Xorth Island sheep of be*t brands have sold at from 3jd to 3Jd per lb, and secondary sheep at 3id and 3fd per lb, according to weight. Ewes are Belling at 2Jd to 3Jd per lb. * Australian.— Receipts during the fortnight amount to 49.863 Trade for this description of mutton has been very slow, and it has been impossible to make any appreciable headway with sales except at reduced prices. The only demand has been fear light weight cheep, and even then the top price obtainable has been from 3 5-16 dto 3Jd per lb while heavier carcases have sold down di 3d per lb. The demand for the lighter weights is owing to the much increased prices obtained for secondary lambs, which has re-suited in buyers transferring their attention to a cheaper article. River Plate — Arrivals during the papt two weeks amount to 115,090 carcases. Trade generally has been very poor, and importers have found it impossible to make any headway with saies except at reduced rates. With Kew Zealand sheep offering at very low price?, River Plate mutton has had to recede in value in order to keep stocks within due compass Small sheep are selling at from 3Jd to 3id per lb. while heavier carcases are rea'ising from 3Jd to 3gd per lb. LAJTBS Arrivals during the fortnight amonnt to 37,746 carcases from Australia, 248.748 carcases from New Zealand, and ' 7691 carcases from the River Plate The lamb trade h*s been very decidedly the most active in the frozen meat market, a good demand being experienced for all classes of lambs, and a further advance in prices has besn established. An additional element of strength has been imparted to th« market by a good deal of speculative buying, the large dealera being anxious to secure sufficient supplies for their requirements in the near future, in vjew of the probab'-e shortage m arrivals this month. The scarcity of really prime Canterbury lambs keeps prices far that description at a. high level ; but at the comparatively wide difference in price. North Island lambs and carcases of secondary quality now offer more attraction to butchers. Thes* classes have, therefore, come more into demand, and prices have been raised As usual, as the season advances, a much belter inquiry nc.v exif-ts for snea 1 we-ght lambs, and the margin between values of small and large lambs has been reduced The market doses firm, prime Canterbury lambs 28/361b, being quoted at 5Jd to s^c] , 3G/42!b at s£d to s}d . cr,d 42 50H, Pt oid to S^d Prime Ncrth lir'aud lambs of 2S/361b sell at 5d and sjd , 3G'42lb at s<l to 5Jd , and 42/501b at 5Jd to .jgd Secondary lambs, being now more in demand have advanced in price to 4Jd to i;d per lb The moderate supplies of Australian lambs now available are in few hands *n<l firmly held The advance in the pneo of secondary New Zealand lambs has permitted of* some rise in Auot'.ahans, but it is difficult to obtain any material premium for prime quality o\ er the prices current for ordinary quality. Best Australian lambs realise 41d to 4i<i per lb, and ardinary quality 4Jd to 4Jd per lb Small lots of River Plat* lamb, are being offered, mostly in. the pronnces. for which market they are best suited, and are selling at 4id to 4£d per lb. The report of the National Dairy Association (Ltd.), North Island, is an interesting document. It elates that the dairying' season 1906-7 in the North Island ha© been the mo«t fa\ourable from a producing : standpoint foi many years. Grass has been ?ood and abundant, resulting in a considerable expansion all over New -ZoaJand. This ?xpansion is indicated by comparing tho sxports from Ist May, 1906, to 30th April, L 907, with the corresponding period 1905-6. j Butter showe a decrease of 8150 boxes, and I ;h<ese an incroase of 53,908 crate To • ?»nijt>lete the e-timate the heavy stock oi

butter in store at 30th April, amounting t<l - 100,000 boxes, must be taken into account. Butter was sold at 10id to lid, f.0.b., resulting in a heavy loss to buyers. The "* average prices realised in London were • from 116s to 975, the average prices for each fortnightly eteamer being as follows:!' Rimutaka, arrived London November 9, 116s ; Kumara, 110s ; Tongariro, 112s ; lonic, 113s ; Tntalrina.. 109s ; Athenic, 107s ; Kaikoura, 104s ; Paparoa. 103s ; Corinfchie, 102 ; Ruapehu, 995 ; Mamari, 100s ; Jtimu- * taka, 101s; Gothic, 98s; Tongariro, 975; lonic, 926.

The average London prices for cheese were as follows for each fortnightly eteamer, the first steamer arriving with cheese being the Rimutaka, November 9:— Rimutaka, 625; Kumars, 625; Tongariro, 61s; lonic, 60s; Turakina, 625; Athenic, 63e; Kaikoura, 645 ; Paparoa, Ks ; Corinthic, 66s ;i Ruapehu, 665; Mamari, 665; Rimutaka, 65s ;| Gothic, 635; Tongariro. 625; lonic, 625. An average of 63e would, on ordinary account sales, net 6d, f.0.b., so that probably the factories who sold at 6id did fully as well as those who consigned.

The report says that the contract London, steamers have throughout the season maintaired regular departures and arrivals. The increased quantity of cheese overtaxed the cheese chambers provided, and some North. Island shipments were unavoidably shortshipped. This congestion was, however, re'ieved by a few shipments to West Coast ports of England.

The report, thus refers to some importan* matters that will have to be dealt with by the association and by factories, and the matters ara of interest to all •dairymen and factories in the South as well as the North Island. The report ssts: "A recent decision of the Supreme Court in reference to co-operative dairy companies is of more . than passing interest to our members. A* co-operative dairy company was sued by , on« of its members for an order restraining it from extending ite Operations to nonmembers from borrowing and lending money contrary to the memorandum 08 association, and further, that various! alterations made in the said memorandum? and articles of association should be d«-_ clared invalid. The decision of the courti" was, in effect, that the alterations made inthe memorandum were invalid, and that the business of a co-operative company was confined to its members, and that such company could not purchase from non-members ' raw material ' — that is, milk. This judgment is far-reachingr. and indicates that: special rare is required in amending a> company's memorandum, and it may further assist in oreventinff suppliers leaving a factory of which they are shareholders, and? spllint? their milk to another company in which they take no responsibility."

The report furthor says : "In connection •with the demand* of the Dairymen's Employees' Industrial Union of Workers for

■horter hours and increased wages, your executive are strongly of opinion that if the demands are given effect to it will result in many creameries having to be dosed,' and act prejudicially against the interests of suppliers. Steps are being taken to adjust the differences now existing, and it is hoped that in the interests of- air concerned a satisfactory settlement will be arrived atr. With regard to a bill promoted - bj the association — the Co-operative Dairy Factories' Companies Act— the Government^ have agreed to give it favourable consideration, and to draft a measure that will remove the existing anomalies under which - such companies are now placed." The annual meeting of the association f*kes place at Palmerston North on the 18th June, and the conference on the 19th. The prize essay— "Butter-making in New Zealand," by a factory manager, will be read on the evening of the 18th. The papers to be read on the 19th are various and interesting. Perhaps the one that will attract the/greatest interest is that by the Hon. Robert M'Nab, Minister of Lands. The subject is "The Testing of Dairy Herds, 'i The matter is of the deepest importance, and* the, Bon. the Minister of Stands is able and eminent enough to bring the subject into prominence. Speaking in Canada lately on testing of cows, Mr Ruddick, Dairy Commissioner, ■aid: "lam pleased to say that the work which we began, two years ago with a. view of. encouraging the testing of cows is beginning to show excellent results, and the interest in this matter is becoming widespread. A large number of associations are being organised, and a great many mdi Tldual farmers are arranging to keep records of their own herds. We propose to continue this' work, and gradually extend the scope of it as fast as the milk producers" can he induced to follow it up. We hope before long to induce many farmers to take 'account of the- feed of the animals as well as the production of milk." The National Dairy Association, North Island, have* .76 co-operative factory members, 10 proprietary factory members, 1 dairy-farmer member, and 8 exporting firm members; their revenue annually is £800. Their - expenses run to about the same amount, including secretary's salary (£400), assistant (£9O), travelling expenses (£80). The South Wand Associations revenue is only about £350, and the expenditure about the same— salaries of secretary and Lyttelton secretary, £200 in all ; travelling expenses, £58. The South Island Association is, therefore, not a heavy tax on 'farmer's from Christchurch to the Bluff, as £150 of the revenue was a Government subsidy. The winter show at Invercargill la6t week !was a great success, and a decided advance on previous shows. The Southland A. and P. Society deserve great credit. They have Hone their part well. But this show, as ' well as the Dunedin show, is not supported by farmers with exhibits as they might and should be, and on their part there is a lack of push and enterprise in supporting ibotb societies. Take, for example, the cheese exhibits at Invercargill. Only six cheese factories competed, and Southland is* a great cheese district, with many factories. In this matter, I think the directors of factories are at fault. The cheesemakers in the past have shown enterprise, but the cost is considerable in entries, railage, etc., and this should be borne by the laotories. Every factory should send at least one exhibit to both Invercargill and Sunedin winter show. I think the A. and 3K Societies should increase the prize-money, giving a number of prixes to exhibits which grade over a certain number of points. Thi« is done at Palmerston North show. Increasingly these shows are getting to be a contracted competition between a very few factories, and the object of <he A. and P. Societies is more or less defeated. There Should be more exhibiting by individual tanners. I think individual farm exhibits Srould be more interesting and of more ducational value than county bays. P*ttonally, I think all money prixes should be abolished, and that the societies should jrive Sups, trophies, and medals of- special design. h that case the entry fees should be merely feiominal, and even the railage of exhibits might be paid. This should have the offect *f stimulating farmers to exhibit. At the«» •Winter shows the gate money is large, and Should suffice to run the show without entry Snoney, which, after all. is not larpe, ami {apparently is now diminishing owing to lack hi exhibits.