STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3115, 26 November 1913, Page 15

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

j Weekly Stock Sales. • Burnside, Wednesdays ; Ashburton, Tuesdays Addington, Wednesdays Waiareka Railway Junction, Tuesdays. Fortnightly. Clinton, Thursdays lialclutha, Fridays Gore, Tuesdays Oamaru, Tuesdays Invercargill, Tuesdays. Wallacetown, Tuesdays. Monthly. Palmerston, Ist Monday Glenavy, 2nd Wednesday

>*gapara & Winton, Ist Thursday llataura & Waikouaiti 2nd Thursday Riverton, 3rd Thursday Wyndhani, last Thursday Balfour & Thornbury, Ist Friday Duntroon & Otautau, 2nd Friday Rlversdale, 3rd Friday Waikaka, last Friday. Periodically. Horiot, Kelso, Kyeburn, Lumsdea, Mossburn, Ort'puki, Clifdcn.

BURNSIOE YARDS. At the Burnside ealeyards on Wednesday last tho yarding of tat cattle numbered 182, of which 62 were cows and heiiers. Several pens vvcro of good quality, and on trie whole the entry was of a good class. At the commencement of the sale prices were on a level with the previous week, but towards the close there was an improvement of from 5s to lite per head, licet may be quoted at from 33s to ois 6d per lOOid, according to quality. An extra Heavy bullock, first prize-taker at the Taieri Show, sold at £22. Prime heavy bullocka realised from £l3 10s to £l6 10s; medium, £l2 5s to £l3; prime heifers and cows, £ll to £l2 10s; and medium, £9 to £lO. The store cattle totalled 150 (10 were not ottered at all) and six bulls. There was an odd pen or two of good cattle, but the entry was principally composed of young animals. Tho demand throughout was good, although the quality was not up to the standard. Yearlings brought £l 7s to £2 14s bd; cows and heifers, £4 12s to £7 10s; steers, £1 8s to £6. Only 20 dairy cows were yarded, and these were of about the usual quality, and prices ranged from £5 IDs to £9. -the 23 calves yarded sold trom 6s 6d to 425. The fat sheep yarded numbered 2335, consisting for the main part of good quality wethers. A number ol shorn sheep were passed, the reserves being too high to permit of business being done. Butchers had been buying from outside, and this had an effect on prices, which were easier by from Is to Is bd compared with the previous week Tho decline towards tho close reached 2s. Heavy shorn wethers realised up to 25s 9d, good from 20s 6d to 22s 9d, heavy woolly wethers from 3lte 6d to 345, and "good from 26s 3d to 29s 6d, and woolly ewes 26s to 30s, good 23s 6d to 275. Only 119 fat lambs were penned. The quality l 1 round was good At the opening ol the sale prices were on a par with the previous week, but as tiic sale advanced there was a slight easing tendency. Beat lambs made to 19s 3d, good 16s to 18s 6d, lighter sorts 14s 3d to 17s 6d. There was a yarding of 40 fat pigs and 70 stores. Prices throughout were on a level with the previous week's rates. Baconers and porkers were eagerly sought after at prices ranging from £3" 10s 6d to £4 2s for baconers, and £2 6s to £2 19s 6d for porkers. A DDIXGTON MARKETS. Tho yarding of fat cattle at tho Addington live stock market on Wednesday last, which numbered 295 head, was for the most part composed of good quality beasts. The ■ casing tendency which prevailed a fortnight previously was slightly accentuated, and prices fchowed a further decline. Beef values ranged from 30s to 365, according to quality. Steers realised £7 17s 6d to £l2 10s, extra to £26, heifers £6 15s to £9 10s, extra to £l3 17s 6d, cows £6 15s to £9 ss, extra to £l4. There was a largo yarding of store cattle, principally of 15 and 18-month-old sorts. Competition was brisk, and a good clearance was made. Yearlings realised £1 15s to £2 Is, 15 and 13-month sorts £2 15s to £3 16a, three-year steers £7 3s to £8 14s, and cows £l 10s to £5 15d. On tho whole the- yarding of dairy cows was indifferent, and the sale far a dragging one. The entry was fairly large, and tho range of prices was from £3 10s to £lO. The average yarding of fat calves showed an unchanged demand, and prices were from 8s to £2 13s. The yarding of fat sheep was tho largest for some time past, and the quality was mostly prime. Tho majority of the sheep were shorn. The : market was steady throughout, but prices j were not quite as high as a fortnight previously. Exporters look a number of lines and assisted to keep the market firm. Butchers' supplies had been reduced during ' the holidays, and as a result competition j was good from the trade. Woolly wethers realised from 25s 9d to 235, woolly ewes 23s lOd io 27s 6d, extra prime -shorn wethers to 27s 6d, prime 20s to 24s lOd, extra prime shorn ewes to 26s 3d, prime 18s to 22. s 6d. The entry of fat lambs was the largest of the season, 635 being penned. The animals were of nice even quality. Some export business wa.s done, but the competition was not at all keen, many of tho purchasers only taking a few lot 3. Best lambs made from 17s to 20s, and lighter 14s 4d to 16a 6d Tho etoro sheep consisted of two pens of shorn wether hoggets and a few rams.

The yarding was the smallest seen at Addington for years. There was a brisk demand, and prices wore equal to the best values of the season, ranging from 13s 8d to 14s lOd. The demand for the medium entry of fat pigs was slightly slacker than at the sale a fortnight previously. Choppers made £3 to £5 Hs, heavy baconers £2 18s to £5 6s, extra to £5 16s, and heavy porkers £2 2s to £2 ss. The demand for weaners was good. Best stores made 34s to 38s, and small weaners 14s to 20s for good sorts. COMPARISON OF PRICES. In an interview with Mr P. S. I.aird (formerly president of the V ictorian Master Butchers and Stockbuyers’ Association) and Mr F. Paul (a member of the Sydney Master Butchers’ Association) at Christchurch they expressed surprise at the high prices ruling for fat stock. Cattle which realised £lB in the fat pens at Addington would not, they declared, bring more than £l2 or £ls in Melbourne, and in Sydney the price would not exceed £l2. Rarely have fat bullocks realised £ls in Sydney, but occasionally high prices are paid for advertising purposes. Sheep which realised 18s at Addington would not make more than 10s in Sydney; but in Melbourne prices wore a little better. In Sydney the best mutton was retailed at 2jd, and id more in Melbourne, but these prices were Id to below those ruling at Addington. Mr Paul expressed himself greatly pleased with the manner in which fat cattle wore classified, and the uniformity was very different iVom the diversity of cattle in fat pons in Australia, where frequently onethird were really stores or potters. In Melbourne the weekly entries averaged 80,000 sheep and 2800 cattle; but there all classes of stock were not sold on one day. Both gentlemen referred to the dilatory method in which business was carried out at Addington and the latitude allowed to salesmen as regards time. THE PANAMA EXPOSITION COMMISSIONERS. While the Panama International Exposition Commissioners were in Dunedin they accepted an invitation to inspect the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company’s factory while the processes manufacturing butter and cheese were going on. The process was so recently described in the Witness that it is unnecessary to repeat them. The Commissioners and the ladies of the party were greatly interested in and pleased with what they saw, and were much struck by the cleanliness everywhere alxiut the works. The ladies appeared to greatly appreciate the font that in the whole process of butter-making the manufactured article was not at any stage touched by human hands. Quite an interesting time was spent in the cheese room, where Stilton. Wcnsleydalo, and other varieties were sampled. They commented favourably on the delicious flavour of the various varieties, and on departing warhily thanked the management, through Mr Bcissol, for u most interesting morning. In the afternoon the Commissioners took a run through the rich Taieri Plain, and were much impressed by the evidence everywhere of comfort and prosperity. BUILDING UP A DAIRY HERD. What may bo done in the way of building up a superior milking herd is well illustrated in the case of the Sparrovalc Farm, the name given to the swamp land lying adjacent to the Bar won River, which has been reclaimed by the Geelong Harbour Trust. We need not here dwell upon the reclamation work, the undertaking of which many were at the time inclined to condemn. Mr Bail'd, the manager, by constant attention to detail, from heifers, the breeding and milking qualities of which were unknown, lias by systematic culling and breeding built up as creditable a herd of crossbreds as can bo found anywhere. The cows have all u herd number, and from this the age, breeding, or date of purchase, period of lactation, and yield milk for any year in milk, and butter-fat of .all the milking stock can bo given at a moment’s notice by the card system of cutalog'uiug. 'The influences of a favourable or unfavourable season are considerable. The average for the herd in 1910 was 400 gallons. During that year 54 of the heifers bred on the farm came into profit, and their influence was shown in the 1911 returns. In that year (lie herd was reduced by 55 head, but the total weekly loss in milk amounted to barely 23 gallons, while the average yearly rot-urn was raised from 400.9 gallons to 519 gallons per cow. Each of the farm-bred heifers, therefore, was about equal to two of the cows that were culled out that year. VALUE OF TESTING. In giving the particulars summarised above, Mr J. S. M'Fadzean, the Victorian Senior Dairy Supervisor, points out that in making out the average of 519 gallons the total number of cows on the farm during the year was computed. Among a herd of 176 cows of comparatively recent formation there is still much variation in the milking capacity of the individual cows; but the following list, showing the yields in a calendar year, is another example demonstrating tho benefits to bo derived from herd-testing:—One cow has given 11G2 gallons ; one cow, 990 gallons; five cows gave 850 gallons and over; nine cows gave 800 gallons and over; 13 cows gave 750 gallons and over; 13 cows gave 700 gallons and over; 18 cows gave 650 gallons and over; 19 cows gave 600 gallons and over; 23 cows

gave 550 gallons and over; 12 cows ga»« 500 gallons and over; eight cows gave 45® gallons and over; 15 cows gave 400 gallons and over; four cows gave 350 gallons and over; one cow gave 300 gallons and overj j four cows gave 260 gallons and over. Tha j average yield for throe years of the cow afc j the head of the list was 842 gallons, which at lOd per gallon shows a gross return of I £35 per year. Among the heifers two that, i came in at the beginning of the year con- i tinned in proiit the whole 12 months, gir-< | ing 780 gallons and 629 gallons for the year It is gathered that purebred Ayrshire bulla of good milking strains urc used at Sparro* vale Farm. REARING CALVES. As the milk from the Geelong Harbour Trust’s farm referred to above js sold for I lie supplying of milk to the metropolis, thia necessitated limiting call-raising to lira lowest number possible; while on the other hand, experience has demonstrated that tha improvement of the herd, or even its maintenance at its present standard, could only bo attained through stock bred on the farm. 1 In order to make call-raising profitable only • t-lie progeny oi the best cows are reared, ' and it is then that the value of keeping milking records becomes tully recognised, for the trouble of collecting tnem is repaid many times over in each season’s heifers. There are 60 cows in tiic herd that hava records of over 650 gallons for the year, or 79 that have cleared the 600-gallon mark. All milk from a cow over 300 gallons may bo set down as profit, for, as a rule, it will take 300 gallons to pay the owner fjfc feeding and milking her. Mr M'Fadzeaa asks what is the value of a well-bred heifer from a cow capable of giving over 6S(? gallons per year. lie thinks any Linnet supplying milk would be glad to buy thei# as springers at £lO per head, or even more) while tlio actual cost of raising and calving them would bo covered by £7. Thk would allow of £3 worth of new milk being given to each calf where the building up of a probable herd is in progress. At least ono heifer should bo raised each year to every seven cows in the herd. The only way to got good cows is to breed them; yet there are many engaged in dairying that do not profit more than £2 per cow each year, who say they can see nothing in herdtesting to warrant (ho work. it is th® absence of systematic herd testing and calfraising that makes dairying show so little prelit on many farms THE UNITED STATES MARKETS. Many and diverse are the •'opinions expressed as to the probable effect of (h® revision of the United States tariff. As regards frozen meat, our High Connssioncr, Mr T. Mackenzie, believes Now Zealand should bo able to expand her exports of this commodity. The problem was lo find soma means to prevent the American Meat Trust from depressing values at the source of production and of exploiting consumers. An Australian writer thinks the position with regard to mutton is not so promising as m the case of beef, despite the fact of a decrease of five anti a-nuurter million in tho number of sheep in the United States during the past three yearn. Captain Pcarsc. who represented Australia and New Zealand at tho Refrigerating Congress at Chicago, in the course of an interview with the representatives of tho American Sheep Breeder, said ho was sure meat-freezers in Australia and New Zealand would not consign their produce to the United States. It would have to be a bona fide sale or ’• nothing. Mr Barman, manager of tho Sansiwona Co., the largest meat concern, in the Argentine (also a delegate to sfiO congress), declared that South American freezers would continue to send their produce to England and the Continent so long as prices were satisfactory. “Of course,” he said. “if the Yankees will pay us a better price, we will shift out consignments to tho States. But, remember, wo have our long established agencies in England, and will not change unless it pays.” It would thus appear that no outsiders are particularly anxious to exploit tho United States market, and that if they want frozen meat the enerprising Yankees must go out and get it. THE POSITION OF WOOL. As regards (ho admission of wool into the United Stales free of duty, it is generally agreed that the change should prove advantageous to New Zealand. Our High Commissioner is sanguine that the admission of wool free of duty on and after December 1 will at once enormously stimulate the manufacture of woollen articles and fabrics in that country, and that tho reduced cost will probably cause tho displacement of largo quantities of cotton goods. From Now Zealand’s standpoint free wool, ho thinks, will be an enormous advantage. Latest London advices state that the American demand is yet on uncertain quantity, and cannot he gauged as (o its probable volume or intensity. Of the Australian sales Dalgety’s Review says:—“ Selling in all the Australian markets. Geelong alone excepted, has been unusually rapid this season —so much so that the Commonwealth saFs aro now more than half way through. It La probably being realised that the best wools will be in smaller sunplv than usual this seasons, which is no doubt the reason for’ tho present excellent inquiry for the good to super descriptions, and tho large clearances which aro being made under the hammer. There have been important orders in the market of late for Amcrioa., and

although no very large quantity has 60 far been taken for "that destination, the competition of buyers on U.S.A. account has stimulated the market and made a very eolid position for the clips affected. The best wools are also wanted for France, Gerfpaany, Yorkshire, and Japan, which accounts for the excellent reception which all •wools with the requisite quality are now receiving." The Boston correspondent of the Review states that "negotiations which had been-going on for some weeks finally culminated in the clean-up of approximately .6000 bales of South American and a considerable quantity of New Zealand cress- . breds. There are various estimates as to the actual extent of these operations, but there is an agreement to the fact that the trading in .South American was in the nature of a complete absorption of certain grades, and that about 1500 bales of New Z-etrland changed hands, of which 1000 bales were sold by one firm. All of the purchases were made by a large New England worsted mill. The South American wool included straight-quartor-blocd principally and 6ome high-quarter and Lincolns.; and New Zealand 40's to 44's wkere sold to the extent of several hundred bales. A firmer feeling has resulted, and importers are not ■ disposed to force their holdings as formerly In fact, it is said that some of the South American lots brought higher prices than were realised at sales made one week or so previous. The settlement of the tariff question and the assurance that by December 1 wool will be on the free list, has given dealers and manufacturers more confidence. QUALITY IN POTATOES. Potatoes ot any variety are subject to vary considerably in composition according to the conditions of growtti. Climate, soil, and manure have each an effect upon quality. The criterion m judging potatoes is the* percentage of starch and eiry matter which they contain. Poor potatoes are watery. A dry season and a light soil give tetter-quality tubers than the opposite conditions. The kind of manure usee! has also an influence, and Bulletin II of the West of Scotland Agricultural College sums up the results of three years' investigations on this subject The analyses were confirmed by cooking tests. Nitrogenous manures alone, without phosphates and potash, lowered the quality Stable manure, being neb in nitrogen, also gave poorer quality than ro manure, and this effect was more marked in a dry season, presumably because the stable manure also made the soil moister by comparison with the no-manure land. Phosphates, such as supei-phophatcs, unproved - the tjuality either alone or in mixtures. The' same" was true of potash manures. Of the different potash manures, the sulphate gave better quality than the muriate in each of some 20 tests. The good-quality potatoes keep best during storage. For practical purposes, quantify must bo sought. as well as quality, and. to obtain the maximum result in cropping, a half, rather than * full dressing of stable manure is recommended, this half-dressing being supplemented bv a small dressing of superphosphate and sulphate of potash, with a little "sulphate of ammonia added where the land is not in too good heart.