STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bt Daora.

WeeUi St»ck Sales: Fortn'ghtTy : Bunuide, WtdneccUys Invercarfi-1, Tae»dayi -A*kfcurt«», Tuesdays Monthly A.ddi« t to»,Wed»e«Uy B jj^ tmltnt - Fortnightly: Wtatoa, and W»iBalclntba, Fridays kouaitl. C»r«, Tuesday* PwitixcmUy: C-»aaaru, Tuesdays H«riot, Kelso »ad £yebun. ■"■ | The high prices maintained at both Burni side and Addington for some time past have been mainly due to local demand and keen butchers' competition. This was clearly shown last week at Burnside. The yarding was a large one, and beyond butchers' capacity. Prices receded fully 2s per head, and would have gone back lower but for tha fact that a few export buyers came forward at the lower limits and cleared out all suitable sheep. Prime bullocks continue scarce, and prices are advancing. Inferior and medium cattle are in plentiful supply, but owing to the scarcity of prime it is hardly probable prices will go back. The shipments of frozen meat from Australia for the y£ar ending 30, 1907, show a considerable increase on the previous year. "Victoria shows a larger increase than any other State. These figures are for all Australia in carcases of mutton and lamb, quarters of beef: — Mutton. Lamb. Beef. 1906-7 .... - 1,386,936 1,283,906 302,462 1905-6 .. #a .. 1,170,284 1,272,671 273,009 Increase .. .. 216,652 11,335 29,453 Out of this "Victoria has to be credited with 152,000 increase in mutton, and 42,000 in lamb ; - New South- Wales shows an increase in mutton of 129,000 carcases, and ; a decrease of nearly 55,000 in lamb; South ! Australia shows an increase of 26,000 in i lamb, while Queensland shows a decrease of 67,000 in mutton and 3000' in lamb, but an increase of 30.500 quarters of beef. There is an all-round decrease in frozen meat shipments to South Africa. The I'astoralists' Review remarks on this point that "South Africa is becoming half-sup-porting, and in the ordinary course of events this market will, before many years, be practically lost to Australia." We in New Zealand wasted a considerable sum of money subsidising a very useless line of steamers to South Africa, and it is just as well that this service has been stopped. The shipments to ports other than Britain and South Africa were very small, but show a slight increase on the previous year. They were 99,874 mutton, 17,136 lamb, and 153,963 beef. I am indebted to the Pastoralists' Review for the above figures. Commenting on them xhat journal cays: — Now, the questi-m naturally arises as to the export prospects fox next seaeon. This is a very big proposition to comment upon so early in the /ear, and with the uncertain i Australian climate one dare nob do more than ! generalise in giving any estimates. However, looking at the trade from all points of view, we are inclined to think that tbe only material expansion will be ji shipments' to Great Britain. Africa, as already mentioned, is becoming self-supporting, and the demand in the East and Mediterranean appears to be pretty well catered for; besides, New Zealand and Argentina are working into this tiwde, which, perhaps, means that l«ss Australian, meat wil! be required in th-e future. New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland will probably increase their mutton exports to England, and bring the total up to something between 1,000,000 and 1,250,000 carcases. Victoria and South Australia most like-Iy will be able to show a larger lamb export, but owing to a dry autumn in parts of New South. Wales it is doubtful if that State will bo in. a position to do much more than last year. Neither do we anticipate many lambs being sent Home from Queensland. Therefore, taking the Commonwealth, as a- whol«, 1,500,000 carcases, or an increase of a quaj^ec of a million, appears to be about the limit of the coming season's lamb shipments to England. Present indications point to another l«t© start in freezing, for the lambs generally axe backward. If -this should be so, it mea-ns a rush and subsequent congestion at th« works, all tending to restrict the jotal output. It is very unlikely that- the frozen beetf expox* trade in Queensland will show much advance before the end of the eeason, as the. stock is not yet avail bae. Last year West Australia and Tasmania sent small trial shipments of lamb to London, but it is not anticipated that t-h-e exports from these {wo States will assume any large proportions for gom« time. There is also a talk of starting freezing works on the north-west coast of West Australia to treat beef, and quite possibly something further may be heard of ihis before the sea-son closes. Naturally, in a country like Australia, much depends on the rainfall. When the beef trade from Queensland starts it will assume large dimensions, as the cattle runs are now fairly stocked with young cattle, and feed is abundant. The following are the New Zealand and River Plate shipments for the came period.

They can be compared with the above front Australia: — Mutton. Lamb. Beef. . New Zealand .. 1,792,123 2,518,639 169,993 . River Plate .. 2,821,713 83,170 1,658,590 "In London" (the Review says) "New Zealand mutton is about the only class of meat which has anything like maintained its position; and even here heavy Canterbury carcases have dropped l-16d and North Islands from id to id. Australian wethers are down id for neaviee and 5-16 d for lights, while Plate heavy weights have fallen |d and light id per lb during the month." The London correspondent to the Review writing on June 7, is as interesting as usual He says: — "Ewe mutton is now barred fron army contracts," and since Mr Chamber lain's preference enactment for colonial mutton (now taken off) was imposed, ewet from "New Zealand have been freelj , taken." It is evident Australia had a grievance against New Zealand ewes, foi he further says: — "Australian sheep arrived in May to the number of 61,000. The action and reaction upon each other of the various - sections of the frozen meat trade are evidenced by the fact that the dull tone in. this department is attributed to the effect oS New Zealand ewes, selling at the same price, being preferred to Australian mutton. The very tame and uneventful transactions which have marked the course of the 1906-7 Australian mutton season continue; stuff goes out fairly well as it arrives, but there ' seems to be no spirit in the thing, and buyers in taking Australian mutton seem, to be acting, in a measure, without enthusiasm and under compulsion ; they seem * to say, "We buy Australian mutton, .but we would rather have something else.' The ' bulk of the offerings are medium-weight., carcases, selling about 3£d per lb." Australian cheese met with a good mat* k'et; it arrived in London in May — about 900 crates by the Devon and Star of Scot? ■ land. Some .of it had been sold c.i.f. at 59s per cwt, and, with the exception oi some, which was evidently too old at tha time of shipment, it gave satisfaction. About 300 crates were sent home to compete for prizes, and these were afterwards sold at 64s to 67s per cwt. Doubtless this was due to buyers wanting them as samples.Some of the cheese were from 4>olb to 601b,but those from 701b to £01b cell best in the United Kingdom. On the whole the start made in exporting cheese from Australia is satisfactory, and will tend to encourage the cheese-making for export. It has beer said! Australia could not maker good export , chaese. I have always held that she could; and if cheese is found to pay the farmer better than butter we may be quite sure that Australia" will develop a large export cheese trade and be a formidable competitor to New Zealand cheese on the British markets, both producing it at about the same time of year. The following, taken from an exchange,

Stakes one long for a country life instead of living in town. Prices given now for both wool and mutton would have been a sort -of happy dream to sheep-owners in days . gone by. The profitable nature of sheep-farming amongst small flock-owners is well «hown by a Leithfield farmer's return for the past season.-, vFxom ..a flock, of 203 ewes he had -268 lambs, mcludin«''6Si twins. He soMf&thd" whole 1 ?: of fhe^Jambirat an average of 16s lOd each ; and for the wool off the ew,-; was paid £B^, the total return being about 30s per ewe. .■ s .