OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

Otago Witness, Issue 2842, 2 September 1908, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET

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CHRISTCHURCH, August C 9

Since my last, fro s ! has been ■very general, over 20 days being noted, on some <>f which it was pretty severe, from 14deg to lodeg being registered. There have been a few faJk of snow, but only light on portion of the plains -fc-nd on Banks Peninsula, and it was soon gone; but the falls in the back country have been fairly heavy. In the early part of the month there were a few slight showers of rain, but on the 20th, 21st, and again on the 25th, fairly food showers fell. The last -few days aye b^een bright— slight frosts at night, birt warm during the day. Warm weather is now much wanted, as the frosts have much retarded the growth of gras3 ; and feed is getting scarce. As lambing is now (very general, the want of grass and green crop 16 being felt. .

—Stock Sales.—

At nearly all country centres yardings have shown a big falling off, and in most cases the linea brought forward are the culling* of farmers' flocks, consequently nro generally of a poor class, and sales are hard to make. When any good lines of young ewes or good forward wethers are offered, despite the shortage of feed, fairly g.iml 1 competition is shown.

— Addingt-on Market.—

The yardings for the past five weeks \sss just orx a. par vritH the »reT"ioua mont.l {four sales), the totals befng 2169 cattle, of which 1578 were fats, 52,034- sheep ffaU and stores), 1469 pigs (all classes). Tho cxtia sale this month just about accoun'ipg for the difference in numbers. Tho tiaality all round^. has been generally goocl, but in Giand isational inaikct (the week befoie

the race) was seen the usual yaidings of extra prime of all classes, particularly cattle and sheep, and the first yarding of new season's lamb. . Like all sales on holiday time, the one held on Grand National week was the smallest for a long time past, and the business done was of a half-hearted nature. —Fat Cattle.—

The weekly yardings run from 30J to nearly 400 head each week (with the ex ception of race week), the quality being generally good 1 to prime, though complaints are made of the classing not being hard enough, and the consequent protraction cf the sale and' the- tendency to give lower average quotations. At the National sale there wer© a number of prime' beasts offered, the most noticeable being a line of eight steers and six heifers' sent in. by Air W. D. Rutherford, Montrose, Amuri. The steers sold at from £14 10s up to £20 ~los for an~extra prime Hereford bullock ; heifers from £9 17s 6d to £13 iss. Best steer beef is now selling at from 24s to 1289, and extra to 30s per 1001b; inferior and cow beef, 18s to 21s. Shire Cattle.— The entries have been small to medium. The demand has not ■been strong for the early part ~of tho month, but a better tone now pre-vails, and a good many sales, are made privately. Fat Sheep.— The yardinge during the month have been good to large, the one of the 19th mat. being the heaviest for some time past, and considered' a record for this time of the year. The quality in most cases has been very good, -a big proportion being wethers, and including drafts from the south. A number of halffinished are now coming forward. Owing to export buyers operating more freely, the demand has kept good, but there is practically litt|e if any alteration in prices from last month. Best wethew cell at from 19s t6 23s 6d. A few show wethers at National sale sold at 40s to 50s, a few Shropshire on account of Mr F. Bull, Waddington, making the top prices. Medium sell from 16s 6d to 18s ; prime ewes (guaranteed free of lamb), 17s 6d to 20s; extra -heavy to 22s 6d; inferior and light from lls 6d.

Eat Hoggets and Lambs. — Very small entries of this class are now coming forward, but for any good of last season competition is good) at from 13s 9d to 18s 9d. New season s lambs are limited to from 5 to 10 weekly, and are taken by the trado at from 15s to 19s. A few at National sold up to 22s 6d.' Store Sheep. — With the exception of the sales of the 12th and 26th, the yardinge have been .fairly large, hoggets being very largely in evidence, ewes being next in point of numbers. In contrast to the sales at the end of last month prices are considerably easier. During 1 the month ewes 1 fell fully from. 2s to 2s 6d per head, and the -hoggets and withers from Is to Is 3d. As improved feed prospects are getting nearer, prices are again hardening. Good young ewes in lamb now ©ell up" to 18s 7d ; hoggets (ewes) 13s 5d to> 15s 6d ; mixed sexes, 10s to 13a; wethers (two and fourtooth) from 12s 6d to 16s. Pigs. — There have been fairly good entries, but baeoneTS and porkers have been shorter in supply, a big oroportion of the yardings being -stores. A good demand ax'ste for all classes. The operations .of an outside buyer on the 19th gave a jump in baconers, and last week a buyer of stores from the south was the cause of a substantial rise in all classes of stores. Baconere now sell at equal to sid to 6d t>er lb ; porkers to 6d ; large store at last week's sale sold at from 34s to 30s, medium 2£s to 335.

— Property. —

Though & few sales have taken' place privately (at prices withheld), there m nothing to note of any " consequence in this department. The sale of a few small farms* on Banks Peninsula at from £24 10s to £31 10s per acre is Teported, and a block of the Greenhills of about 4000 acres is also reported as sold at a satisfactory figure.

— Grain, Potatoes, Etc.*-

The business in all departments continues very restricted. A few sales of wheat of 300 to 500 sack lots lhave taken place. Though Aehburton reports more demand, and a shade better price, things locally continue about the same. A few sales have been made at a shade better price. Present quotations are 3s lid to 4s Id, country stations. Timaru reports a *=ale of a line of Tuscan up to 4s sd, f.o,b. Oats.— The demand appears to be principally for seed purposes, and for small orders. Prices are nominally Is lid to Chaff.— A fairly large trade has been done for shipment, but the last week shows a falling off, and prices are easier £3 10s to £3 12s 6d being now market good trade has be«n done during the month, but prices are now easier! £3 10s for either Derwents or Up-to-Datcs being now market quotations.

—The Canterbury Farm Labourers' Union. —

This long-drawn-out and vexed case has at last come to a conclusion, as far as tne courts are concerned. The majority of the court did not see that they could make any award, as the results would be co farreaching, but a few recommendations were eiven on some minor matters, the result being a feeling of relief to all farmers and to all who are in any way interested in the Dominion's welfare. It is already having its effect, in stimulating business in any trades connected with the farming industry. Implement-makers and others are now receiving orders that had been held back pending tho court's award, many farmers having made up their minds to practically give up grain-growing if the award had been given on any line* approaching the demands asked for. Of course the leaders of the movement are in high dudgeon, and very strong language k being used against Judge Sim. All right-thLnking peopje are quite with him in his decision, including many farm hands whom your correspondent has spoken to. They quite admit that tfliey are not on all fours with other industries, and that unless the farmer can grow -his mutton, wool, grain, etc., to be able tq compete against other parts of the world that things would have practically to come to a standstill.

—Farmers and the Freezing Industry.—

On Thursday last the Canterbury frozen Meat Company' had a visit to their Belfast works of members from tiho Fanner? Union of the Oxford, Sheffield, Darfield, and Kirwee branches, when over 200 were present, including a number of ladies. A very pleasant day was spent inspecting the \<trious departments, and much surprise waa

v manifested at the many ramifications ol this important industry

— Professor Lowrie. —

Canterbury particularly and the Doml« nion generally are, I am sorry -to say, about to lose the valuable services of Pro* fessor Lowrie, of the Lincoln ' Agricultural College, under whose able management ib has made wonderful progress, things being at a pretty low ebb when he assumed charge. It is now a real, live institution, and its name is world-wide, and it draws students from all parts of the Dominion, Australasia, and the Home Country. Ha has received a very responsible position ia West Australia.. He will be greatly missed by all sections, and his place will be hard to .m , — New Zealand Farm Implements. —

The fame of New* Zealand farm impla, ments gets further and further afield* Messrs Andrews and Sevan, of Christ* church, some littl* time since sent one of their chaffcutters to India to the order of the director of military farms in India. They, have" received the following memo, from that gentleman : — " Machine baa caused great interest, and department^ quite satisfied, and expect more ordere will follow." Messrs P. and D. Duncan have also forwarded to Egypt, to .order, fiomi of tiheir well-known ploughs.

— Horse Shows.—

'The Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, to further -encourage breeders, are giving a 5-guinea gx>ld medal for the best draught entire, and a. 3-guinea gold medal for €he best three-year-old draught entire at their parade to be held next month. .

— Prize Sheep and Bullock. —

The Hereford bullock sent in for the Grand National- sale at Addington, which .was purchased by Mr James Knight, whtn killed and dressed turned the scale at 13541b. The. Down wethers, also purchased by the same buyer, and which were bred and fattened -by Mr F. Bull, Waddington, weighed 1551b to 1711b. 17<e WensleydaieRomney cross wethers, fattened by Page's Trust, * Kirwee, and pusrohased by -the Cbristcihurch Meat Company, weighed from 1591b to 1941b.