STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3195, 9 June 1915, Page 16

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Stock Sales. Mataura & Waikouaitl Burnside, Wednesdays 2nd Thursday Ashburton, Tuesdays Riverton, Srd Thursday Addington, Wednesdays Wyndham, last Thursday Waiareka Railway Juno- Balfour & Thornbury, tion, Tuesday*. Ist Friday Fortnightly. Buntroon & Otautaa, Clinton, Thursday* „„ ~ Balclutha Friday* Kiyersdala, 3rd Friday Wore, Tuesdays Waikaka, last Friday. Oatnaru, Tueedara n , .. ~ Wallaoetown, Tuesdays. Periodically. Monthly. Heriot, Kelso, Waipiata. Palmerston, Ist Monday Lumsden, Mcssbura. Ngapara Sc Winton, Ist Orepuki, Clilden. Thursday , BURNSIDE MARKET. There were 2661 fat sheep yarded at Bumside of fair to good quality. The prices obtained fluctuated considerably, but were decidedly firmer than the ruling rates the previous week, and quotations ruled at least 2s per head higher. Freezing buyers secured a proportion of the pointings; but the limited space allotted to them at the present time in the freezing works curbs operations considerably. Quotations : .Extra wethers to £1 12s; prime, £1 6s to £1 8s 6d; medium, £1 Is to £1 2s 6d; light ordinary, 16s to 18s; extra ewes to £l 6s 6d; prime, £l to £1 2s 6d; medium, 15s to 17s; others, 11s to 13s 6d. There were only 352 fat lambs yarded, and values firmed up to 2s per head compared with the previous week’s rates. Prime heavy to £1 Is; average, 17s to 18s 6d; light unfinished, 12s 6d to 14s. The 163 fat cattle offered were mainly light-weight sorts. The demand was active, and values obtained were equal to the previous week’s rates, beef selling at £1 10s to £1 17s 6d per 1001 b. Quotations: Prime heavy bullocks, £l4 to £ls 10s; good light bullocks, £ll 10s to £l3; prime cows to £ll ss; inferior, £6 to £7. The store cattle pens were but a third filled, and although some good northern turnip cattle were sold, the demand was not brisk, and young sorts were passed. Two pons of north steers sold at £8 and £8 10s. Dairy cows were scarce, and for the medium sorts ljut moderate prices were obtained. A small yarding of pigs were offered. ADDINGTON YARDS. The sale of fat sheep at Addington was considerably better than at the last sale, and although freezing buyers were not operating, values firmed quite Is 6d per head. Quotations: Prime wethers, 17s to £1 2s 6d; others, 14s to 16s 6d; prime ewes, 15s to £1 Os 9d; medium, 12s to 15s 6d; extra- heavy-weight sheep, £1 4s 6tK'-to £1 5s 6d. Of fat lambs of medium quality 1307 were forward. Freezing buyers having a little space available bid briskly, and prices were better by 2s 6d per head compared with the previous week’s rates, prime lambs bringing 17s to £1 Is 3d, others 13s 3d to 16s 3d. An average yarding of store sheep was offered, and sold at somewhat improved values compared with the previous sale, good ewes particularly. Quotations: Good ewe lambs to 15s; wether lambs, 8s to 9s 6d; wethers (four-tooth), 13s to 16s; ewes (forward), 11s 6d; mixed lambs, 10s to lls 6cl. The small number of average fat cattle yarded sold at fluctuating values, beef making from £1 3s to £1 17s 6d per ICOlb; extra choice to £2 0s 3d. The inferior store cattle penned were not sought after, and sales were made with difficulty. Quotations : Yearlings to £1 9s; two-year-old steers to £5; dry cows, £1 9s to £5. The dairy cows penned were rather mixed. For best sorts a free demand was experienced, and good-quality animals sold from £l3 10s to £lB 15s, common sorts from £5 to £6. Values for pigs were practically the same as last week. WAIRARAPA SALES. The demand- for stock has been dull, and values have fallen away considerably since the previous sales. Rates ruled as follovf at the various centres: —Masterton: Fat wethers, £1 to £1 2s 2d; forward wethers. 18s; two-tooth wethers, 14s to 14s 3d; fat ewes, 18s 9d to 19s; forward ewes, 18s sdj store ewes, 13s to 13s sd; woolly lambs, iOs; fat lambs, 14s; cows in calf, £3 18s; heifers

in calf, £3 16s; fat heifers, £5 Is; dairy cow's, £4 to £5: fat bullocks, £9; iat cows, £5 10s. Pahiatiia: Aged owes, 14s 6.1; twotooth wethers, ISs; fat wethers, £1; woolly lambs, 11s lOd to 12s 6,1; 18-month heifers, £1 15s to £8; 18-month steers, £2; empty cows, £2 Is to £2 8s; iat bullocks, £/ ; fat cows, £5. Carterton: Fat ewes, £1 to £1 2s; fat wethers, £1 5s to £1 6s: forward wethers, 18s 6.1; forward ewes, 16s Id to 17s; store ewes, 12s lOd to 13s 6d; tat lambs, 14s to 14s Id; heifers. £4 Is to £4 ss; 18-month steers. £3 17s 6d; store cows, £2 19s to £3 11s; dairy cows, £4 16s to £6. THE SEASON IN AUSTRALIA. The Pastoral Review’s analysis of the rain wh ch fell in many parts of Australia revea s the fact that in most of South Australia and in those districts of Victoria which lie to the south of the Divide, the break in the season was more or less complete, r lo the north of that, however, in the important Central, Winimera-, and Malice districts of Victoria, the rain thinned, averaging something less than an inch, when three or four inches were urgently needed, whilst to the north of that again it gradually petered out to be lost in what is fast becoming the River'na Desert. The coastal districts and north-west plains of New South Wales were more favoured. One of the mo.t serious features of the time Is the fact of the drought spreading to Queensland, where hitherto the seasm has been fairly good, though a nine patchy. Now, however, stock are beginning to die in great numbers in some districts of that State, and the outlook is the more gloomy now that the rainy season in Queensland is past, and the long dry northern winter has to be faced. The worst of the whole business, alas! is yet to come. The lambing is about to begin on a largo scale; and what this means, with weak and starved ewes, only pastoralists who have been through the bitter experience know. The mortality among the flocks of Australia has only just begun—hundreds of thousands of ewes must die at lambing-time, and the losses do not stop here, as on most stations in the drought area the lambs will be knocked on the head as they are born m an endeavour to save the ewes. One has to pause and reflect what all this means. The fact that in oven really good years the everincreasing demands of freezing companies account for almost the whole of the natural increase in our flocks, gives every ewe and owe lamb in the country a great potential value. The millions of these breeding factors which arc being lost in this drought is a disaster to the community not for this year only, but in perpetuity. We lost practically 10,000,000 sheep in the short, sharp drought of 1912, and when this calamitous season came upon us we had not recovered onethird of this loss. It is impossible to estimate what Australian sheen figures will have declined to by the end of the current year. SCOTTISH CLYDESDALES. Captain C. J. Saunderson, M.R.C.V.S., who judged the active farm horses at the recent Sydney Royal Show, said: “Wo arc 30 years behind Scotland in the improvement of the draught horse. There they have improved the draught horse in the direction, of quality of bone and feet activity and true action. They have not altogether neglected weight for those considerations, and have produced a horse with the greatest weight' compatible with the greatest activity. Some of these horses arc capable of walking six miles an hour; Scotsmen, in securing this development, have neglected nothing from an anatomical or mechanical point of view. If a horse, for instance, has developed a big thigh muscle, running right down to the hock, they will not have it. It is wrong anatomically. • At the same time, they will insist on having a horse whose hocks come close together, because they find that the greatest strength is developed with close action. The Scotsman wants a horse whose quality of legs will wear, and the result is that one frequently finds working horses 16, 18, or 19 years of age with legs unimpaired. Such troubles as sidebono and ringbone have been practically eliminated from the modern Scottish Clydesdale, on account of the improvement in the quality of the bone. The elimination of sidebone is duo to the fact of the enormously largo hoof head of Scottish horses which permits the pastern bones to work with great freedom inside the horny box.” THE NEW CHAMPION COW. The ink of the issue announcing Murno Cowan, a Guernsey, as champion dairy cow of the world was scarcely dry before we (says Hoard’s Dairyman) are informed that a Holstein had exceeded her record. The new champion hails from New Jersey, and she is owned by the Somerset Holstein Breeders’ Company. It is nothing short of miraculous when a cow in one year produces 1116.051 b of fat from which could be made 15021 b of good commercial butter. Records of this kind not only show what breeding and feeding will do, but also indicate the opportunity of improving our dairy breeds of cattle. In other words, we have not reached the height of perfection in the breeding of dairy cattle. Finderne Holingon Fayne is not a mature cow. She stepped out of her class to beat the world’s record, which makes this feat of hers all the more wonderful and praiseworthy. The cow and the men back of her are to bo congratulated for the talent and ability they have displayed in the production of a new world’s record. It is a proud day for tho black-a ud-whites. GOOD PRICES FOR PONIES. Recently the stud of nolo ponies, tho property of the late Sir John Barker, was sold at The Grange, Bishops Stortford, Herts. It was founded in 1898, and has had a successful career in tho show yard. There was a largo company, and in the prevailing circumstances a good sale resulted. Riding ponies were first offered. The top price was 220 gs. Eleven in this section averaged £B2 15s. Of the throe-year-olds, Marconi, a gelding, first in London this year, went for HOgs, and another at 81gs, and a two-year-old at 72gs. She was second in London this year, and a yearling, first at the ' same show, was knocked down at 71gs. A 13-yoar-old stallion fell to a bid of 105 gs, and a seven-yoar-old for 82gs, while 81gs was paid for another, 90gs for a mare and foal, and 73gs for another brood mare, which was first in London this year. Sixty-four head realised a total of £3418 16s, an average of £53 8s 4d. Advices from the seat of, war state that horses showing Highland blood are outlasting the other varieties just as they did in the Boer war. T he conditions of tho present war are particularly hard on the horses. The thoroughbred, although possessed of many excellent, qualifications in aDh’ : t and flectncss, is being

found too soft in the skin, and with galls and sores is more than often out of action. Tho French cavalry, who have a strong infusion of Percncron blood in them, although tough enough in the sk n, arc deficient in limb qualifications. Horses showing a cress between the Highland pony and the thoroughbred mare are proving to bo tho best adapted to the circumstances, as they provide a good tough skin and good lasting feet and legs, combined with high spirit and flectncss of pace. America has already taken the cue, and is'importing Highland pony stallions to cross on her thoroughbred mutes. THE ARGENTINE. A correspondent from the Argentine writes to the Pastoral Review; “An Australian called on mo yesterday, and said ho had just made a throe months’ trip through our country, and felt ashamed to return to his own country. Ho was particularly delighted with our stock-carrying arrangements, and says the Australian railways, after what ho lias seen here, have not the crudest notion of stock conveyance, or, «ia fact, of up-to-date railway management. The idea of being able to ring a bell in his carriage for anything ho liked, from a cocktail to a cup of tea, quite disillusioned him of any points about his own country’s railways. Argentina, he said, by competitive railways, has walked ahead ot Australia in agriculture, and almost everything else. We growl hero at many things, but after what ho told me of a trip from Sydney to a place called Moree, I growl no more. British-owned railways have made Argentina one of the most progressive nations of the world.” VALUABLE RAM. Messrs W. and M. S. Hawker, of Glare, South Australia, have sold the famous Wanganolla ram Hercules to Mr IT. Austin, of Eli EJwah, New' South Wales, for 1500 gs, delivery November 16, with the right to send 10 ewes free to Hercules for two years. Messrs Hawker Bros, have thus had three seasons’ use of this ram.