STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 10

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly stock Sales. fJuruside, Wednesdays Ashburton, Tuisdwya Addington, Wednesdays " aiareka hallway' Junction, Tuesdays. Fortnightly, ■/liutou, Thursdays dalolutha, Fridays here, Tuesdays Uamaru, 'Tuesdays allacetown, TuesdaysMonthly. Palmerston, Ist ilouday, gapara oit W intou, Ist liiarsday

ilataura & Waikouaitl 2nd Thursday Hivorton, 3rd Thursday Wyndham, last Thursday Kalfour <t Tbornhury, Ist Friday Dnntroon & Otautau, 2nd Friday hiversdale, 3rd Friday Walkaka. last Friday. Periodically. Heriot, Kelso, Waipiata. Lumsden, iloss’ouiE, Orepuki, (Jlildea.

BURNSIDE MARKET,

There wore 4257 fat sheep yarded at Burnside last Wednesday, mainly of medium quality. Exporters secured a number of pens, while the operations of a fortunate northern man, who evidently had secured some space, tended to keep values at about equal to the previous week’s quotations, with the execution of medium ewes, which were in over supply, and sold at lower values. Quotations: Heavy wethers, 24s to 26s bd ; average weight, 20s to 225; heavy ewes, 20s to 225; good, 17s 6d to 19s: fair sorts, 14s to 16s. There were 3400 fat lambs penned, mainly medium sorts. The limited space at the freezing works was soon catered for, and the values of the previous wcciv declined 2s 6d per head. Quotations: Average sorts, 15s 6d to 17s 6d; extra to 22s (id unfinished, 12s 6d to 13s 9d. The competition for the 167 fat cattle yarded was fairly good, and beef firmed quite 2s per 1001 b compared with the previous week, making from 30s to 39s 6d per 1001 b. Quotations: Average bullocks, £l4 to £ls; fair, £l2 to £l3; average, heifers, £9 to £ll 10s; others, £6 to £B. About 100 head of store cattle were offered, but values showed little or no change on recent quotations, and sales were made with difficulty. Some 60 head of mixed dairy sorts were offered. Good sorts were far from profit, and were comparatively cheat), values ranging from £4 to £lO 7s 6d. Eighty pigs were penned, the half of them small and store sorts. Values remained firm for good baconcrs, but others were sold at easing rates compared wita the previous week. ADDINGTON YARDS. A very largo entry of fat sheep were forward at Addington—mainly ewes, with a fair proportion of prime wethers. ■ Values at the opening were weak, particularly for medium sheep, but the market firmed, and rates ruling at the previous _ sale wore obtained, excepting for unfinished stock. Quotations: Prime wethers, 19s 6d to 245; others, 17s 6d to 19s; prime ewes, 17s to 23s 6d; others, 14s to 15s; extra heavy sheep realising 2s per head higher. Fat lambs were offered to the number of 4558, half of them being of prime quality and others medium and light. Although values fluctuated somewhat, a fair sale resulted at the previous week’s bates. Quotations; Prime lambs 18s to 23s 3d; medium, 15s to 17s 6d; others, 12s to 14s 6cl. The yarding of store sheep was small and principally homets were offered, with a few pens of wethers. A free sale resulted at improved prices. Ewe hoggets sold at 13s 4d to 14s; medium hoggets, 10s 6d to 12s lOd ; forward wethers to 20s; others, 14s to 15s 6d. There were 358 fat cattle penned, comprising a fair number of well-finished animals and the usual proportion of light, unfinished sorts Values throughout the sale were relatively equal to the previous week’s rates, beef making from 23s to 37s 6d per lOOlb, and choice to 40s. A better lot of store cattle wore offered than customary at recent sales, and although mainly two and two-and-a-half-vear-olds the better class sold freolv while indifferent animals were neglected. Values for dairy cattle ranged from £5 10s to £l2 15s. There "w as a medium lot of baconers penned, the previous week’s rates were barely maintained. A fair number of store pigs were offered, and a good sale resulted for all classes.

WAIRARAPA SALES. The demand for stock in the Wairarapa district lately showed some improvement. Rates ruled, as follows at the various centres : —Master ton': Forward ewes, 15s od; fat ewes, 19s 5d to 20s 6d; store ewes, 10s to 11s; sound-mouth ewes. 12s; fat wethers, 24s 6d to 265; four-tooth wethers, 18s 8d to 18s lOd; two-tcoth wethers, 15s 6d to 16s; lambs, 11s 9d to 12s; two-and-a-half-year-oid steers, £6 15s 6d to £6 17s 6d; throe-year-old steers, £7 to £7 2s 6d; fat cows, £6 15s to £8 11s; store cows. £2 8s to £3; springing cows, £7 to £7 10s: fat Bullocks, £l2 to £l4 10s. Pahiatua: Ewes-in lamb. 12s Id to 12s scl; f.m. owes, 6s 9d to 9s Id; wethers, 17s Id to 17s 7d: fat wethers, 22s .to 235; lambs, lls lOd to 15s. Carterton: Fat wethers, 19s; sound mouth ewes, lls 3d; small two-tooth wethers, 8s to 8s 4d; spring ing heifers, £6 6s to £6 Bs. WAIKATO SALE. At the monthly sale at Ngaruawahia there wore yarded 1100 head of cattle and 5000 sheep. Every animal was sold. Fbur-year-old bullocks made £lO 18s; three-year-olds to £7 15s; two-a-half-year-old steers to £6; two-year-old steers .to £4 18s; fresh cows to £5 10s; fat cows to £11; store cows to £4 15s; yearling steers to £3 9s; calves to 38s; four. six. and eight-tooth store wethers 19s Id; full-mouthed ewes in lamb to 18s; cull ewes in lamb to lls; shorn lambs to 12s 6d; woolly lambs to lls Id; cull lambs, 8s 9d. BURNSIDE FREEZING WORKS. The general manager of the Christchurch Moat Company and the company’s architect la=t week inspected the Burnside works with the view of increasing the storage capacity, and so minimise the possibility of freezing operations being stopped at an important season of the farmers’ harvest. As a result of their recommendations, the directors have decided to extend the storage capacity so that some 100.000 additional carcases of sboop and lambs can bo dealt with. This will bring the total storage capacity up to

200,000 carcases. - It is anticipated that tenders will be called in time to allow of the works being ready for next season. This forward move should mitigate the trouble at present experienced should a shortage of ships to take away meat recur next season, and the company should be able to deal with rabbits as well. THE SEASON’S' PROSPECTS. In a report on the season’s prospects the Australasian Insurance and Banking Record says: “The middle of May has brought a rainfall which has been sufficient to constitute break-up of the drought in New South Wales and Victoria, and. although the cold weather in the southern half of Victoria is unfavourable to the growth of grass, the lambing season is now expected to result much more favourably than was feared a short time ago. It is expected that the annual grass will be comparatively poor, the season as a whole having been detrimental. In Queensland the season is still causing a, great deal of anxiety, though the light rains will undoubtedly bo of benefit. The black soil of Queensland, however, responds better to summer than winter rains. To the wheat-growers in various States the late rainfall has been of the greatest value, as the dry spell since the April rains was causing apprehension. In some districts resowing will probably be necessary, an expensive process at the present cost of seed wheat. From a trading point of view, the change in the weather is highly encouraging, ground being given for looking forward with hopefulness to the outcome of the new season.” SCARE OF POINTS. The Holstein-Friesian breeder, Mr C. A. Hopping, of M-anawatu, has intimated to the secretary of the Holstein-Friesian Association that he will give a challenge cup, valued at 50 guineas, for the cow or h»ifer of any pure breed for best production for 12 months under semi-official conditions, points to count as follows:—One point for every 101 b of milk and 25 points for every point of butter-fat produced. The cup is to be under the control of the New Zealand Hol-stein-Friesian Association, and will be inscribed with the name and"'handed to the , owner of the cow or heifer having the best record for the time Being, who will hold it until such time as the record is beaten. The first to hold the cup will bo Mr J. Donald, of Wanganui, whoso hoifor Ncthcrland Princess IV put up such a splendid record. In this connection the suggested scale of points of the Wisconsin Experiment Station in its last report is of interest. After an exhaustive study of the Wisconsin cow competition for one year it was held that where tests are made of dairy cows tho scale should be as follows: —“On basis of the value for butter production: 25 points for each pound of butter-fat per day; 1 point for each 10 days in milk after first 30 days (limit 10 points). Heifers under two and_ a-half years to receive 30 per cent, additional credit on the total number of points; two and a-half to three years, 24 per cent, additional credit; three to three and a-half years, 18 per cent.; three and a-half to four years, 15 per cent.; four to four and a-half years, 8 per cent.; and four and a-half to five years, 5 per cent; the age to bo reckoned from date of birth to_ date of last calving. If cows producing milk of greatly varying fat contents are competing, 20 points may be allowed per pound of butter-fat, 1 point per pound of milk, and 4 points per pound of solids not fat; or 20 points per pound of fat and 4 points per pound of skim-nrlk that shall be obtained from the milk. On the basis of the value for cheese production, or for production of milk for direct consumption: 10 points for each pound of butter-fat, 10 points for each i pound of casein, 2 points for each pound of , other milk solids.” . HERD-TESTING. In Queensland the work of herd-testing is i cax-ried out free of charge by officers of the i Department of Agriculture. Mr Gralxarn, < the Chief Dairy Expert, says he does not i know of any other State or country in : which such a service was cax-ried out with- - out payment. Ho points out that some cows 1 in every herd were valueless as produeex-s i of butter-fat, and it was not remunerative i to keep such oows for dairying purposes, i when good butter-fat producers could be i kept just as cheaply. He quotes an instance ] in which the most productive herd yielded ] three times the value of tho least px-oduo-five, or, in other words, the net value do- < rived from one herd was £750, whereas that i from a similar number of cows in the oilier i herd Was only £250. \ HEREFORDS. E A Hereford breeder, of Gisborne, Vic- ( toria, has sold 10 head of stud heifers and 1 six stud cows to buyers in New South I Wales. Two bulls were also sold for tho 1 same owner at 165 and 145 guineas each, the latter price beincr pakl for a bull calf, i Mr Beattie, the breeder referred to, recently i imported a choice Hereford stud bull from ( England, which was selected regardless of price, and is a typical specimen of the x breed. f c

ARBITRATION COURT. DAIRYMEN’S AWARD. AUCKLAND, June 20. The Court of Arbitration has filed an award in the Auckland dairymen’s dispute. The dairymen have been granted a minimum wage of £2 10s, plus commission when

the value of the milk sold exceeds a certain total. • They are also to receive commission when required to collect accounts other than their own accounts. Dairymen are to receive overtime under certain conditions, seven days’ holiday yearly on full pay, and one quart of milk daily free. Preferexxce to unionists was granted.

\QRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

Our Invercargill correspondent states that owing to the number of farmers’ sons and ploughmen who are fighting in the Dardanelles the committee of the Drummond Ploughing Match Association has decided to abandon the match this year. It is felt that under the circumstances the match would not be a representative oncj and there is a consensus of opinion among members of the association and probable competitors that country matches should be cancelled until the close of the war. The establishment of an up-to-date factory for the manufacture of superphosphate and sulphuric acid is being considered by the executive of the Farmers’ Union (says the New Zealand Times). At a meeting last week a conference took place with an engineer who has inquired very fully into the proposal. The latter pointed out that in Australia, where the facilities were not so good, a similar factory had been paying dividends of 30 per cent., and still was selling at lower rates than those which the Farmers were paying in New Zealand. Options have been obtained over sites and sources of supply of phosphate rock. Evidence accumulates that the farmer she dairy farmer at any rate—is in for a aard winter (.says the Dannevirke corrcs>ondont of the Hawke’s Bay Herald). Severe,, frosts throughout the district have •ctarded the growth of the grass, and uness farmers have made provision to supply his shortage by cropping mortality of stock s expected to be high. Cows went out to p-ass in poor condition, and if the winter s severe many will not be able to stand he strain. The lack of foresight by many lairy farmers is -appalling. They will, so 0 speak, “ milk tho tails ” off their cows, mt do not take the trouble to plant proper Tops to keep the beasts going as long i s )ossiblo as well as conserving their conlition. Another thing that looms on die rorizort of spring is that when those who uffered winter losses want to make them food by purchasing they will have to pay ugh and unprofitable prices as there is exacted to be a decided shortage after tho [rain made on herds during the last few lionths. The high prices of fodder and tho saroity ot grass in Australia rendered it npossiblo for a number of owners to keep leir animals; a large number have console ently boon sent to tho Zoo or the abaters boiling-down establishment. The r orks have been kept going steadily, partly y horses presented to the board for boilig down. The average was between 70 nd 80 a week. Horses and other stock ealt with at the boiling-down works are inverted into a source of revenue. The food, flesh, bones, eto., are all put into the ;oam digester, and then crushed to form manure, for which there is a ready sale. 'he fat —what little there is—is saved and )ld as third-grade tallow, the hides are isposed of in the market, and the hoofs ;id horse-hair are utilised, so that little of ay animal is wasted. . The new form of contract drawn up by 10 Calcutta Jute Shippers’ Association, and le report of the Sydney sub-committee, mtinucs to be discussed by merchants in- : : rested in jute fabrics. A large business I being done in Sydney in cornsacks, both ~ ith the New South Wales country disicts, .and with Melbourne.' Tasmania is iquiring in Sydney for cornsacks. Some . vdney operators arc inclined to mark time 11 after June 9, on tho chance of competion arising between Calcutta houses - lodged (up to that date) to support tho i iol. . The Ashburton A. and P. Association is i insidering a proposal to restrict the fat ] loep classes at its show to two-shears and i -ider, and to enforce tho weight coudions. Further importations of pedigree live i ock for the Northern Wairoa are in transit i ays an exchange), and include prize short- < irns for Mr B. Coleman, and some par- j rularlv high grades of Berkshire pigs for i ; Fr Eady, of Iloanga. j The buying of meat supplies in Tasmania i r Victoria has caused a rise in the prices i that, State, and further advances may bo i :pectod. " ] Australian butter, after travelling half- ! i ay round the # world, is being reimported i the Commonwealth, and is faced with a j ] itv of 3d per lb. • i Mortality among stock continues at j ] lerino, horses being the principal sufferers. | 1 the majority of eases death has been due I e .sand in the stomach. I < Even an occasional arrival of butter from i merica is welcomed by the Sydney grocers j such a time as this. This butter is of ■ iod uniform colour and of excellent keep- i g quality. Technically the texture has a |

i good reputation in Tooloy street, London, i Last week’s shipments -from the United i States to Sydney and Melbourne were - cleared instanter. , A division of opinion exists, apparently, 1 as to whether sparrows and staiTngs do any > good—at least, in the Geelong district. At the annual fanners’ convention this year Mr Willis said that unles.s something were done to eradicate the posts, farmers and orchardists would not bo able to exist soon. Grain left for a moment at seeding time was seized by thousands of the birds which followed the drills. Mr Guthrie stated that the pastoralists’ associations were giving every encouragement to the spread of the starlings throughout Australia, as it had been prove 4 that the birds kept down the blowfly pest. It had been estimated that fully £1,000,000 a year was saved to Australia by the spread of starlings in the great sheep districts. Mr Wilton eaid that tao birds were a greater pest to orchardists than the codlin moth or bitter pit. If something were not done, fruit-grow-ing in the district would soon be put a stop to. A record for the Argentine, and perhaps for the world (says the Buenos Aires Herald), was put up recently at the Liniers market, when Mr Juan Lalor sold 9100 steers and 400 cows to the La Blanca Company at l&Odol and 120dol respectively. The animals were from the estancia of Sr Pedro Estanguet, in Southern Cordoba, and were in magnificent condition. The previous record was all so held by Sr Eatanguot, -.who last year sold 8200 steers at 175d01. Idiero are indications of a good Australian demand for New Zealand draught horses for farmers’ purposes consequent on the break of the drought. Horseflesh ■was depleted by starvation or slaughter to save feeding. Now, succeeding the beneficial rain before winter, great areas of land will be brought into cultivation, and New Zealand horses will fill the requirement. Arrangements arc now being made by the Timaru A. and P. Association for its Jubilee Sho v, to be held in October next. The president (Mr Thomas I'escttemaiier) has given a 20-guinca cup for sheep, the cup to bo won straight cut, and the vicepresident (Mr G. A. M MacDonald) has given a 15-guinea cup for draught horses. Over three million acres of wheat have already been sown in Victoria, or half a million acres more than in 1913, when there was a record crop. ‘T’ve got the orders, but the trouble is to get the men,” said the manager of the local Labour Bureau to an Ashburton Guardian reporter, who was inquiring as to the state of the labour market on Saturdaymorning. The speaker was then surrounded by several farmers, who had called upon him in reference to the same matter. “There are any amount of safe, permanent jobs open for men who are willing and capable of talking them,” ho continued, and the assemblage gloomily endorsed bis statements. “Yes,” he said, “there is no -need for any farm labourer worthy of the name to be out of a job at the present time.” The farmers are busy ploughing, with the exception of a few, who still have their harvest out (says the Waikoikoi correspondent of the Mataura Ensign). Thero are still one or two paddocks on the Landslip with crops in the stock. The district is well stocked- with fat sheep, and very few lambs have left the district. It is reported that_ one of the Hawke’s Bay freezing companies is dispensing with all single men and taking on, in preference, married men. The Featherston Dairy Company will payout a further sum of 3d per lb butter-fat, making a total of 17d for the season. Ploughing operations are already- proceeding in the Masterton district. Farmers in the Kaiapoi, Swannanoa, and Oxford districts are taking a keen interest in the matter of having the proposed North Canterbury Freezing Works erected at Kaiapoi. An active can vass_ for shareholders is being carried out, and it is probable that a public meeting will be held in Kaiapoi in furtherance of the proposal. , The matter of horse feed for country ; Teams has been proving an expensive one for local bodies in this district (says the Pahiatua Herald). The liangitikei County Council, recently recognising that horse f ed had increased tremendously in price, made the substantial advance of 5s per day to tho owners of the grading teams employed by the council. Other councils are also finding tho horse feed a disturbing question, particularly if anything like a larg>. number of horses are employed in carrying out necessary works. i The Hawora Star states that Mr H. D. , MacDonald has patented an apparatus for • tho weighing and sampling of milk from i machine-milked cows. Mr MacDonald 1 claims that his machine will weigh auto- 1 matically and correctly each cow’s milk, and simultaneously extract a true sample f for testing purposes. At present the greatest - drawback to machine milking is that most - farmers in a great measure are working in the dark as regards their best cows; but, if i by a single attachment to tho present milk- < ing machines tho apparatus can automati- 1 ally do what is claimed for it by Mr i MacDonald, it will be of inestimable value . to the dairy industry of the whole of Tara- 1 nald. . | 1 Though stock never looked better at this i season of the year—due to tho long stretch 1 of fine weather—the outlook for the future 1 is not of the rosiest hue (says the Waimate 1 Advertiser). Tho position is that the feed, I •which, under normal conditions would be 1 conserved for the sustenance of the main i flocks, Including the breeding ewes, is being i

rapidly consumed by the fats, owing to th< inability to got this class of stock away i If the fats could bo removed to other dis tvicts, and the feed that still remains b( kept to feed the main flocks with," the posi tion would bo very satisfactory. As it is a good deal of expense is entailed in keep ing the fats ixx condition against the arriva of those promised ships. Several f irmers in the Drummond district had a return of 100 bushels to the acre this year, and were lucky in dispos ing of tho yields when tho oat market was at its height of 4s per bushel (says the Otautau Standard). A simple aritheintical calculation shows such a return as £2O pox acre, more than tho present max-ket value of the land. The Mangarama Cheese Company has disposed of several tons of cheese at tho excellent price of B|d per lb (states the Pahiatua correspondent of the Dominion). The Masterton A. and P. Association has decided that, with the object of improving tho stamina of the blood horses of New Zealand, tho Agricultural Conference urges tho Government to x-efuse the issue of totalisator permits to clubs unless tho programmes (especially those of couxxtry clubs) contain a greater number of long-distance races than at px-esont. A meeting of suppliers of Bunnythorpe Dairy Coxxxpany was hold recently to consider a proposal to install a cheese-making plant (states a Palmerston exchange). After the question had been thoroughly considored the proposal was abandoned, and it was decided to confine operations to the manufacture of casein and butter.