STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Bt Dkotm. VT^okly Stock Sales:" j Monthly: Burnside, Wednesdays I Ngapara, first ThursA«hburton, Tuesdays | day in each month Aldington, Wednesdays Gl«*avy, second WedWniarek* Railway nesday in each month Junction, Tuesdays -Duntroon, second Pn- „ . , „ day in each month ' Fortaightly: . Clinton, Palmorston, Bwlcluth*, Fridays Winton, and WaiGore, Tuesdays kouaiti. Oajaaru, Tuesdays Periodically : Inrarcargil!, Tuesdays Heriot, Kelso, Kyeburn In most parts of the Dominion there has bse-n abundant rain with mild genial weather. The ground was in good condition for its reception, and grass is more abundant than for many years past. It is quite certain that all out frozen meat works will shortly be working at the top of their power to deal with- lambs, especially in the south, and" in the north with mutton and beef as well. It ie anticipated that the coming season will be a record one for the quantity, of frozen mutton and lamb exported from New Zealand, and London people 6eem to be aware of this, and are evidently going to be cautious in buying. The continued unsettled and depressed 1 condition of trade-in Britain, owing to large numbers of workpeople either unemployed or ihalf-employed, is evidently having a bad effect on the consumption of meat, as well as on dairy produce, for 'latest cables from Home are far from cheerful reading to those who have bought in advance. Dairy produce was mainly secured by local speculators, London houses standing off, especially in regard to butter, for the prices paid were considered too high, which certainly was the case. J see no reason for believing tho prices of frozen mutton and lamb will be low on the whole, but I know some farmers have been expecting a considerable rise ip the value" of 6heep and Jambs, and in this I fear they may be disappointed. With such a good season, however, farmers who sell their drafts of fat stock at the prices going and keep on fattening and clearing off will do as well this season as in past seatons, when prices were better. The fattening and finishing of 6tock was not by any means as easy as it will probably be this season. Some management will be required at all the meat works to prevent a glut, as, for a time at least, the steamers available will not be sufficient to keep the meat works as clear as could be desired. I don't think we have ever had co early a season as the present. The exports of frozen meat to the United Kingdom for November were : — New Zealand, 101,486 carcases mutton, 8422 lambs, 7099 quarters beef; Australia, 105,981 carcases mutton, 358,863 lambs, 10,210 quarters befif : S. America, 300.000 carcases mutton, 30,000 lambs, 200,000 quarters beef. As compared with November last year, all the countries except Australia, which is 10,000 carcases short in lamb export, show increases. Our late Dairy Commissioner, Mr J. A. Kinsella, is evidently actively engaged in making dairying a success in Western Australia. 'He is in charge of a email but vi ell-organised Government staff there. He has sent me an agricultural report, and also a pamphlet on "Ensilage," with full directions for its manufacture, and ie evidently very keen to get the farmers there to go in for silos. He speaks of the State farm in the following commendable terms:

"Through the wise and practical policy of the Hon. Mr James Mitchell in starting this dairy farm, a number of valuable ' object-lessons may be learned , by -those farmers inexperienced in dairy matters und«r the conditions prevailing in this State. The farm has only recently been organised — that is to say, it is less than a year ago since the initiation of this State herd was instituted' on practical lines. Notwithstanding this' fact, -ihe Hon. the Minister for Agriculture has done, in that brief space of time, what it has taken the Department of Agriculture in New Zealand eight years to accomplish at the Weraroa State farm." I must say that so far our State farms have been of little use ; absolutely none, in fact, to South Island farmers. i Referring to the position and prospects of the Australian frozen meat trade, the< Pastoraliets' 'Review says : — The worst part of the rush of the lamb season is now over, and those connected with the trade have time to look round again. As far as actual slaughtering is. concerned the JSTew South Wales and South Australian works have eased off tremendously during the last two weeks, > and although, the butchers are still kept pretty busy in "Victoria, there will be a slump there also before th« end of this month. Of course, lambs will be available for export in fair quantities right up to the winter, but there wil l be no rush such as was experienced during the last six weeks. On the whole, the qu&iity of this season a lambs has kept up well, particularly so in Victoria. Grass seeds, however, have been playing havoc lately, and giving the dressers a lot of trouble. -As- was feared, the seeds appeared earlier this year than usual, and are, if anything, worse. i The export of lambs — that is, the actual clearances off "the coast — for November was just on 360,000 carcases. This is about 100,000 less than the corresponding month of last year. However, v.p to the 10th, the December shipments were over 200,000 carcases, and in all probability another 160,000 to 200,000 will bo got away before the end of the month. This being so, the aggregate export for the current quartet will not fall far short of uhat of the last three months of 1907—930,000 carcases. Afterwards it depends largely on the weather. At present there does not seem to be any reason why the* shipments should not be as large as, last season. At the time of writing Australian lambs are quoted on the Smithfi-eld market at prices ranging from 4Jd to sd, according to quality. The best grades are on a par with the rates ruling a year «go — fair Jd and inferior id higher. These quotations are about what was expected, and it is anticipated that they will be maintained for another month or more, except, perhaps, that secondary descriptions may drop a point or two. The industrial position in England ia not too satisfactory at present, and! that may have an adverse effect on prices later. Another thing which may bring down rates is the likelihood of a very heavy lamb season in New Zealand. Rumours of a record export from there have been diligently circulated, which, coupled with, an early start, may frighten holders, but latest reports indicate that if rains do not come immediately there will bt a. deficiency of feed, which will affect both quantity and quality. Tb© mutton exports- for the- past two months and more have been comparatively heavy. Th« October clearances were 106,000 carcases, November's 106,000 carcases, and to date, December's 85,000 carcases. These are over 80,000 in excess of the shipments for October-December quarter of 1907. A large proportion of the sheep treated— they are etill coming into the works in fair volume — are old ewes, fat, of course, and mostly crossbred. They represent the mothers whicl* have given birth to lambs (freezers) during the past three or four years, and have become broken mouthed, glaziers replacing them with youn£ stock. As the bade . becomes more firmly established, with a better understanding of it* requirements, this export of ewe mutton will increase year by year. There is a good demand for the meat in England, and the stuff can be bought on the markets here at reasonable rates — any- , thing from 4s up. ' The fconed-beef trade \ias practically been stopped by the British health officers, who will now allow it to enter only in bodies, sides, or quarters, not in joints or pieces as formerly. The following suggestion from the London correspondent of the Pasfcoralists' Review is, I think, a good one. He writes :• — These who have been in ihe boneless beef trade think that class of goods, the import of which will be prohibited after the end of the year, may, and probably will, be utilised for canning. There is an unlimited output here far Australasian canned mutton; it is in limited supply, while the demand for it has been good for some time. The Australian canned mutton from merino sheep is very good, and one Argentine firm, at least, is preparing its beef in such a way that it is sold in some quarters as canned mutton ; it sells better than as beef. In many parts, notably in the lower' suburbs of j London, it is sliced and sold from the j grocers' counters in as small quantities as i pennyworths,, and even halfpenny worths in 1 Scotland. This canned meat will proba-bly take the place of boned beef; shippers, it ia thought, will, therefore, turn to canning, I think our old ewes would be better dealt with in the way suggested — that is, by canning them, than by sending them Home in carcases and so spoiling the good name "of New Zealand mutton and assist » in keeping down its price. The boneless I beef we stjifc Home was good and whole- '

some, but it was very unsightly when defrosted. I think such meat should be tinned and made attractive as suggested. Some of our frozen meat works, might give this a trial. If they aro too busy, to do so, as is probably the case, there is room here for private enterprise.