AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 6

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Very considerable activity is being displayed in the local frozen meat market at the present time. Daring the past week ao less than 7600 lambs have reached! Burnside Freezing Works to be frozen for the London market, and there is every, prospect.of the daily average—l4oo—being maintained. The reason for such large consignments coming forward may be found in the dryness of the weather and e, fear of a lack of feeding. Weavers brought record prices at the Loan and Mercantile Company s sale at Opunake last week, ordinary lines that last year were selling for 7s or 8s running as high as 355, and special lines, with a strain of Jersey blood in them, running over £3. , -r. • j Last week a farmer at Kangiora mad© u trial digging in a potato crop which pr<H mised to yield 16 tons to tho acre, and found only one sound tuber amongst a, considerable number of roots. The choicest lines of barley in tne-Blen-heim district are reported to be selling n* a® fid per bushel. As supplies of prune malting grain are likely to prove short of requirements this season, it is more than probable that current quotations will not only be maintained, but will possibly be C ' X The?e d are now oyer 600 members of the Farmers’ Union m South Canterbury. Twenty-two new members joined on bat ax* day last, and the Hon. J. Anetey, M.L.C.-, was elected a member ol the executive. Mr W. Taylor, of Greenhill, Te 4wamutu, who has for years laid himself out to procure high-class stock, recently purchased from Mr J. Little, of Ormhi, North Canterbury, bis two-tooth Border Leicester, which took first prize at Christchurch .or rams undier 16 months, and was also champion. It is stated that 25 guineas was the figure paid. In no other breed of sheep has so much money been spent in importations in Canterbury of late years as m Border Leicester. Up to January 51 the three Stratford' cheese factories—Cardiff!, Ngaire, and Lowgarth—had received this season. 52,2071 b of butter-fat more than in the same period of last season, an increase of about 8£ per cent. The average test has bean 3.72, as against 3.63 for last season. February, has so far been a good, month for milk production, the falling away in supplies being less pronounced than usual. Warm nights and frequent showers have mad© the paddocks full of feed. The Flemington Estate, Waipukurau, Hawke’s Bay, was put up to auction a few days ago. The subdivisions varied' in size from 114 to HIS acres. There was only a fair attendance of buyers present, the result being that only a few lots were sold under the hammer.' Amongst those sold were: Lot 4, 575 acres, Mr King, at £8 5s per acre j lot 7, 141 acres 32 roods, R, J. Fleming, at £lO 10s per acre; lot 8, 113 acres 2 roods 10 perches, R. J. Fleming, at £7 15s per acre; lot 5, 580 acres, was purchased after the sale by Mr Matthews at £8 10s per acre. The largest farm in New Zealand, Longbeach, is now reduced to 6000 acres. Speaking of average crops, the manager says: “ The best average yield w© had her© was in 1901, when the wheat went 50 bushels to the acre all over, and worst was in 1908, which was the second of two dry seasons, and then tho average yield went down to about 22 bushels tc the acre, a tremendous drop. The biggest total of wheat taken off the farm was in 1899, when the yield; was 300,000 bushels. Our record for oats was in 1901, when they averaged 99 bushels per acre.” The High Commissioner, in his report from London, contends that the fall in. the price of New Zealand butter during December last was the result of the action, of weak holders. The report, dated December 24, says:—Although it might have been expected that .owing tc a considerable shrinkage in the supply of Danish •butter and the increased demand by retailers for their requirements for Christmas* trade, prices for New Zealand parcels ex Tainui would have been firmly maintained, this was not done. Agents handling Danish butter advanced prices to their clients, and obtained 1275-128 s per cwt, and in some instances as high as 130 s. On the other hand, unfortunately, several agents handling New Zealand butter, instead of holding firmly, appeared to be. nervous, and offered parcels they were handling at reduced prices. Naturally, buyers, seeing this, hung back and reduced their offers. Several weak holders sold New Zealand! butter at 108 s6d and 109 s per cwt. In my opinion, the price realised for butter on the spot the week previous to the Tainui’s arrival—ll2s per cwt—oho-uki have been maintained. There was no valid reason for the low price? mentioned being accepted, ‘ but naturally, when this was done, stronger holders had to follow the market and reduce their prices accordingly. In this manner the average quotation could not be made higher than HCs for New Zealand butter last week. This week, however, owing to the bulk of the Tainui’s shipment'having passed into second hands, the market has again been firmed up, and 112 s has been realised for it. The largest station at present leased from the Government of Queensland is Sandringham, in the North Gregory district. It is 3032 square miles in area. There are a number of others running over 2000' square miles, including Nockatunga, in the South Warrego. 2900 square miles; Wellshot, in the Mitchell district, with 2385 square miles; and Milo l , in the Warrego and Mitchell districts, with 2800 square miles. The two latter, being in the better class of district, are the more notable of the big stations. Under the laws of Queensland these leaseholds gradually contract in size, the Government being powered to resume areas at-stated periods, the lands being then made available for closer settlement.

The determination of sex question." the, president of the Missouri State Dairy Association writes, " which has been so often under discussion by breeders of various lines of live stock, is never settled to the, satisfaction of everyone in the argument; An experience in breeding Holstein cattle for a number of years, with careful-obser-vation, has convinced ma that th© rule. holds good that which ever parent enjoys

the highest degree- of nutrition impresses on the offspring the opposite sex. lor instance, the bull in better condition is more liable to produce, heifer calves; «°w *<> the same degree superior wilLyield bull calves. Our own experience during the past two years at Hillerest Farm is in evidence. In, 1907 we had a foreman who paid very little attention to his bulls, consequently the cows were in better comparative condition of nutrition. Result: 1908, 80 per oent. of our calves were bulls. Last year, since Mr "W. G. Lyon became foreman, more attention, was paid to the bulls, consequently both Prince Inka and Sarcastic Lad have had this season 90 per cent. iheifei* calves to their credit. This would disprove the theory that old bulls get bull calves and younger ones heifers, as Prince 5s ten years old and Lad is only two. I do not believe the time of service, that is, early in the heat, oi later, has any influence. These observations are based on a herd of 60 cows, and should be entitled to .more credit than would be accounted for by mere coincidence."