SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3212, 6 October 1915, Page 19

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(Fbom Oub Own Cobbssfondent.) Remarkably fine weather has been recorded

The Weather anti The Farm.

all over Southland during: the past week. Generally speaking, there is still an. insufficiency of moisture, and

agriculturists are .apprehensive as to the climatic conditions lately to prevail between now and the end of the year. What is feared is that the dry spell vve are experiencing will be continued. This, after all, is rather a pessimistic view to take of the situation, as the general experience in Southland is that the tiueo last months of the year are almost invariably the wettest of the 12. Spring work is unusually well advanced, and in some cases one secs preparations being made for potato-plant.ng. Autumn-sown crops are looking well, and present indications favour a vigorous growth. It is, of course, much too early to predict; but one thing is quite certain, and that is that an exceptionally large area has been sown in cereals this season. Land which has hitherto been unsuitable for grain-growing purposes has been utilised for the production of cereals this season. Prices, of course, are an important factor in graingrowing, and there is every reason to believe that values will be good during the forthcoming season. The drought which at present prevails in South Canterbury and North Otago means that crops there will be, comparatively speaking, a failure, even although good and adequate rains should fall immediaely, of which there is no prospect at present. It practically amounts to this—that South Otago and Southland will be depended upon to furnish the bulk of the cereals for the Dominion this season. As far as Australia is concerned, it is yet too early to offer a prediction; but so far there is every reason to believe that the grain crops there will be good. It is true that dry weather has been experienced in some of the inland districts of the Commonwealth; but the parts where the bulk of the cereals are grown have not been adversely affected. In any case, export to Australia need scarcely be looked for in view of present circumstances, so that the condition of affairs there will have little bearing on the market in New Zealand.

Business continues fairly good in the different kinds of stock, though Live Stock the quantity passing is not Market. so great as is usual at this time of the year. The principal business doing at present is in fat stock, the demand for which is keen. Freezing buyers are still operating, and it is fully expected that prices will remain firm, as it is anticipated that contracts with the War Office will be out shortly. Young store cattle are slightly steadier than they wore a few weeks ago. The-keenest demand in the store cattle line is for wellgrown, forward bullocks suitable for fattening off on grass. Fat sheep still remain in good demand; hut it is anticipated that values will ease off slightly when shearing commences in real earnest, as the clipping of the wool generally reveals fat and for-ward-conditioned barren ewes, or matrons which have missed. As regards store sheep, the demand which usually sets in at this time of the year is not yet apparent. A number of graziers who fill up at this time with hoggets and wethers are hanging off in anticipation of Canterbury stuff -being forced on the market as the result of the drought there. The favourable climatic conditions are forcing the grass away, and it will not be long before local graziers will be compelled to buy in. Most farmers, by the way, are understocked, and the rush of feed will offer a very strong inducement to them to stoek up. so that a hardening of values may be looked for unless Canterbury flock-owners should be heavy sellci-s on the local markets.

The produce markets are quiet, and are likely to remain so for some Produce time to come. Tho market. Pdarkets. for oats is slack, there being little offering, which points to the fact that growers are not largo

holders. Buyers from the North Island are not operating to any extent, and are evidently inclined to the belief that values will recede. Local merchants, on the other hand, gauge the position differently, and are disposed to hold. The Australian market is now quite lost to us through the action ot the Dominion Government in placing an embargo on the export of grain. At present both the Sydney and Melbourne markets are glutted with oats from Chile, India, and Japan. A shipment of 60,000 sacks of Chilian oats arrived in Melbourne last week, and a largo shipment is duo in Sydney shortly. The result is that A grade Gartons intended for the Australian market would not bo worth more than 3s to 3s 3d, f.0.b., New Zealand ports. As far as next season is concerned, it looks as if Australia will be an exporter instead of an importer of oats, and probably wheat. Melbourne merchants are offering to sell Algerians for delivery' in _ 1916 at 2s 3d, f.0.b., Melbourne. The price of wheat has fallen, and 5s is now the outside price for milling wheat, o.t. There appears to be an overplus of wheat in the Dominion at present, and speculators are looking for a market in Australia, where the product is worth 8s per bushel; but the Government embargo precludes business being done.

From a remunerative point of view the success of the dairying inDalrying. dustry—now an important one in Southland—is assured. The demand for cheese, which has be.n keen for some months, was accentuated when it became known that the War Office required 10D0 tons per month from October to March, inclusive. Cheese-buyers have been particularly active in Southland during the past few weeks, and the bulk of the factories have sold their season’s output. A notable feature in connection with cheese operations this season is that several London firms, which have been in the forefront for several seasons as buyers of New Zealand cheese, have “ pulled out” on this occasion, preferring not to follow the market on its upward flight, but will apparently bo content to take their chance on the open market in London, with cheese sent Homo on open consignment. As far as the Dominion is concerned, very little cheese will be dis posed of on this system; but it is probable that Canadian chscso will bo sold on open consignment. Agents for London speculators were operating very keenly in New Zealand, and from to 7|d, 0.t., was the basis of operations. Given an average season, the increased return to Southland dairymen is considerable, and wdll mean from £50,000 to £60,000 more money in circulation among them. The cheese cheque for Southland is expected to exceed £400.000; and if a good season as far as feed is concerned should bo experienced, the value will probably approach half a million sterling.