STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3216, 3 November 1915, Page 11

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Slock Sales. Burnside, Wednesdays Ashburton, Tuesdays Addington, Wednesdays Wsiareka Bailvray Junction, Tuesdays. Fortnightly.Clinton, Thursdays Balclutha, Fridays Gore, Tuesdays Camara, Tuesdays Wallaoetowu, Tuesdays.

Uataura & Waikoualtl 2nd Thursday Riverton, 3rd Thursday Wyndham, last Thursday Balfour & Thornbury. Ist Friday Duntroon & Otautan. 2nd Friday Hiversdale, 3rd Friday Waikaka last Friday. Periodically. Herlot, Keiso, Waipiata, Lumsden, klossburiu (Jrepukl, Clifden.

Bsnttiiy. Palmerston, Ist Monday Ngapara & Winton, Ist Thursday

BURNSIDE MARKET. There were 2112 iat sneep yarded on Wednesday at Burnside, comprised mainly of i good sheep with some MO fair shorn wethers. The sale was erratis, prices being at the opemng much the same as the previous week; out towards the close of the sale values were easier by quite 2s per head. Quotations: .Prime heavy wetners 46s to 505,-lair 33s to 365, light isos to 28s, prime heavy ewes to 38s, lair 28s, unnn.shed to 225, siiorn wethers 25s 6d to 2bs 6d. The 37 iat lambs penned sold freely at from 18s 9d to 255. The yarding or 250 fat cattle was considerably above tne average in number. Following upon the previous week's record prices beef probably appeared cheap; but although pcrnaps £2 per head easier at the opening, values hardened, and a good sale resulted. I he yarding, on the whole, was of fair quality, with a number of unfinished sorts. Beef per 1001 b ranged up to 545; best bullocks to £23 10s, seconds to £lB 10s, light to £l4, best heifers to £l6, others £9 to £ll, extra bullocks to £27., There were 500 store cattle offered, which met with a good demand. A line of 34 well-grown lour and five year old bullocks, forward, made £l4 two-year-olds £7, one and a-half «£3 17s 6d, yearlings £2 18s. Some liry cows were yarded. The quality was very medium, and the demand good. Sales ranged from £6 5s to £lO 17s 6d for cows, whde heifers sold at up to £8 per head. The demand for the 50 calves was free at* values ranging from 13s to 475. There were 80 porkers and baconers and 100 store animals offered. The demand was good for all sorts, except, perhaps, medium suckers, and there was little apparent difference to prices ruling the previous week. ADDINGTON YARDS. The yarding of fat sheep at Addington was fairly large, a considerable ■ number being shorn, while the quality was very fair throughout. Values were easier than at the previous sale by 2s per head, woolly sneep perhaps declining more than shorn stock. Prime wethers to 40s 6d, others to 30s down to as low as 19s 6d, shorn wethers 20s. to 355, prime ewes to 355, others 28s down to 17s, shorn ewes 21s to 40s, hoggets to 21s 3d, shorn to 18s 9d. There was a big yarding of store sheep, which sold freely at values much on a par with the previous week’s rates. Very good wether hoggets to 24s 4d, medium to 18s 9d, ewe hoggets to 23s Bd, sHftrn wether hoggets to 15s lOd, shorn culls 11s to 13s. An uneven lot of 110 fat lambs were penned, and sold at from 15s 9d to 24s 6d. A third more fat cattle came forward than last week, and prices eased up slightly, although beef sold at a wide range per 1001 b, making for choice up to 60s, and secondary grades 30s to 54s per 1001 b, There was a largo yarding of store cattle, mostly in poor condition. For the best sorts the demand was good, although pens of three and four year old heifers were passed at £ll ss, and four and five year old steers passed at £l2 ss. Best dairy cows sold freely at up to £l3, average sorts to £9 5s down to a minimum of £3 10s for ill-conditioned animals. Fat pigs were m fair supply, and sold freely at a shade lower values, while store sorts, which were forward in moderate numbers, sold very freely. Best stores to 40s, seconds to 30s, others to 20s, weaners to 16s 6d. BALCLUTHA AND CLINTON. At Balclutha, on the 29th inst., there was a large yarding of cattle. The_ quality was very fair indeed, comprising in the main well-grown cattle, and the absence of the usual young sorts of recent sales was marked. Practically all fat cattle were sold at values equivalent to Burnside rates. A pen of yearlings (mixed sexes) rod polled cross made £4 18s, one and a-half to two-year-old heifers £4, threc-year-old steers £lO to £ll 10s. Sheep sold well up to values of the previous sale, some specially good ewe hoggets/ making 275, mixed sexes 19s lOd, broken-mouth crossbred ewes with lambs (100 /per cent.) 13s lOd—all counted. At Clinton the preceding day the offering of sheep was of moderate proportions. The demand was fair for all classes. Quotations: Wether hoggets 17s to 20s, mixed sexes 21s, store crossbred wethers 24s to 275, small halfbreds 16s to 18s. The demand further south for stock of all classes

is keen, and values of stores apparently : have not yet reached their limit. Some i values may be given as ruling at the ' moment practically in all southern markets : i Ewe hoggets (very fair) 22s to 23s sd, i mixed sexes 20s to 21s. wethers 18s 6d to i 20s, mixed store wethers 25s to 265. Yeari ling steers £3 5s to £4 ss, one and a-half ! years £4 to £5 10s, two and a-half-year-old £7 10s to £8 10s, three-year-olds £9 10s to £l2, values of cattle range considerably on account of the moderate condition of a large number of the yardings. NORTH ISLAND STOCK SALES. Good growing weather has been experienced south of Auckland, and sales made at selected areas in the North Island for stock ranged as follows: —At Cambridge: Mixed yearlings to £3 ss, two-year-old heifers to £4 4s, idairy cows (near profit) £lO to £l3, cho’ico yearling Shorthorn bulls 14gs to 20jg3, inferior to llggs, two-year-old Shorthorn _ bulls 13gs to 20gs, yearling Holstein bulls lOgs to 20gs, yearling Jersey bulls sgs to Bgs, pedigree Jersey bulls, 15ggs. At To Kuiti: Two-year-old steers £5 12s to £6 4s, one and a-half-year-olds to £4 11s, mixed sorts to £3, three and four year old steers to £l3 17s 6d, yearling steers to £4 2s. In the Wairarapa' sheep were offered in fair numbers. At Masterton: FuJl-mouth ewes and lambs 32s 6d to 34s sd, fat shorn wethers 20s 9d to 225, fat woolly wethers 31s 6d to 335, springing cows £7 15s to £7 17s 6d. At Pahiatua: Woolly ewes 30s ; dairy cows £9 to £9 'ss, empty cows £3 17s 6d to £5. At Carterton : Fat wethers 31s to 325, two-tooth wethers 17s 5d to 18s 3d; dairy cov. r s £7 2s 6d to £8 5s 6d, yearling heifers £1 7s 6d to £2 ss, dairy heifers £lO _to £lO 15s. At Wanganui-Feilding: Yearling heifers brought £2 2s, steers £4, one and e-half year-old steers £4 13s, springing heifers £5 to £7 10s. Jersey cross 18-month heifers £3 ss. Good rains have fallen in Poverty Bay and at Matawhero, some 4000 sheep and 550 head of cattle w'ore offered. Bidding was not brisk. Values ruled as followWether hoggets 225, four-tooth wethers 30s 6d, 50 ewes with 50 lambs 33s 6d, 151 ewes with 141 lambs 21s 6d,. 97 ewes with 89 lambs 30s, 630 mixed hoggets 20s, 150 good wether hoggets 25s 3d, 365 mixed at 245. Among the sales of store cattle were 45 bullocks £7 14s, 14 cows £6 13s 6d, 36 heifers £4, smaller at £3 3s, 20 at £3 12s 6d, steers £4 to £5 Is. NEW ZEALAND MEAT. At the-meeting of the North Canterbury Branch of the Farmers’ Union on Wednesday last the question of the disposal of frozen meat in Great Britain not required for military purposes was brought up in a letter from the Prime Minister, in reply to a letter from the branch asking for information on the subject. Mr Massey stated that ho was in communication with the Imperial Board of Trade, and when any information of interest came to hand he would be glad to make it public. At present the Board of Trade did not see its way to make any statement as to 1 how long the present arrangement would continue, and, such being the case, it was scarcely necessary for him to point out that, if the arrangement under which the Board of Trade had taken over the insulated space on ships trading to Australia and New, Zealand came to an end, very serious consequences would probably ensue to the exporters from this country. Mr C. H. Ensor said it was a pity the matter had not been made public before. There was certainly a great difference in the price paid in New Zealand and the soiling price in Britain. He had been informed by the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company that the whole of the meat was sold in Groat Britain on a 2 per cent, commission, and whatever profits there were went to the British Government. If such were the case he felt sure that every farmer in New Zealand would feel satisfied. As long as the British Government was commandeering meat it could be taken for granted that shipping would be available in New Zealand. He felt sure that the position was as he had stated, and he had no reason to doubt the accuracy of his information. Mr R. Evans moved—- “ That the Prime Minister should bo asked whether all surplus meat from New Zealand sold in Great Britain was sold on commission by the British Government.” The motion was carried unanimously. Matters in connection with commandeered meat and New Zealand shipping facilities were referred to, and further consideration postponed until next meeting. CLYDESDALES, Mr W. R. Gawn, Crosshill, North Taieri, has sold to Mr Martin Geary, of Portobello, the Clydesdale mare Sweet Nell (182, C. 5.8.), sire Captain Stewart (imp.; 12076 and 161); first dam Bess, by Glcnkenich (222), second dam by Baron Salisbury. The Minister of Lands for Now South Wales stated recently that the Government intended shortly to establish a Clydesdale stud farm in the Canowindra district, and that it had practically concluded the purchase from Mr A. H. Conroy of his North Bangaroo property of about 5000 acres for the purpose. The purchase money was £45,000, and the nucleus of the breeding establishment would be the 17 mares recently imported from Scotland l . FARMERS’ WOOL. An Australian paper, in recounting an interview with a leading wool expert who had just spent a trying time valuing vari-

ous lots of farmers’ wools, sounds a word of warning as to the need of the careful get-up of even small lots of farmers’ wool; and New Zealand should take note. He says, inter alia: “I am both astonished and extremely disappointed with the get-up of many of the clips this season. To-day, for example, I have been valuing mostly farmers’ and the smaller lots of wool, and the slovenly manner in which many brands have been marketed unquestionably calls for severe censure. A considerable number of the clips are quite unskirted. Even the stains and dags have been left on most attractive, well-grown fleeces, and in some cases the bellies, with stains attached, have been rolled up inside the unskirted fleeces. The fleece trade and the bellies and pieces trade are two distinct branches, and many buyers simply pass by the unskirted lots as unsuitable. The fleeoeman does not want the oddments, and the oddment buyers does not want the fleece, except at, say, a fair pieces price. It positively makes one sad to see a really nice, decenfly-bred clip slung in anyhow. This year, with its wealth of green feed, is a year for dags, and the clips show these up very prominently. In an abnormal season like this, where good wools are realising fine prices and shabby or faulty wools are very nard to sell, it behoves the wool-grower to give intelligent attention to his clip. My advice to the farmer may be summed up as follows: If the fleece is free of burr, trim the edges off, and be careful to remove the swerty armpits and stained wool. If slightly burry (and we haven’t seen anything yet more than burry on the edges) skirt off the burry portion. Take the stains out of the belly, and if there is only a bale or two of this class put them together, Brand every bale clearly on the top and on the front side. With America and Italy the chief support of the market—and they are very particular about what they buy, —I think you will agree with me that my remarks on the question are not out of place. Bradford topmakers were the principal buyers of these inferior and badly prepared wools; but topmakers are not doing anything now. A topmaker buys the raw material, has the wool combed by a commission comber, and sells the tops. As all commission combers are full for all combing six months ahead, the topmaker is at present not on the map, because he has no store. He cannot afford to buy and store for six months or a year at what are, he considers, high prices in these precarious times. His successors are much more particular than our good friend the topmaker, who we hope to welcome back when times are more suitable to him and his very useful trade.” OTAGO AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL SOCIETY. The schedule of the prizes and programme of the Otago A. and P. Society has been issued. The thirty-ninth annual Summer Show “will be held at Tabuna Park on Wednesday and Thursday, the 24th and 25th of this month. Entries close on. the 13th inst. The usual handsome special prizes have been donated by well-wishers of the agricultural and pastoral interests, and, in addition, Messrs M'Dougall Bros. (Ltd.), Manchester, through their agents, the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile* Agency Company (Ltd.), offer a trophy valued £4 4s to the exhibitor gaining most points in Border Loicesters. The New Zealand Sheep-breeders’ Association, South Island, offers a silver cup for the best Border Leicester ram over 18 months and under 28 months; all sheep competing for the oup to be from registered flocks. The New Zealand Sheep-breeders’ Association, South Island, offers a silver cup for the best Romney Marsh ewe under 18 months; all sheep competing for the cup to be from registered flocks. The classification and prizes are much the same as formerly. There are 20 classes for fat stock. Competitions will be held on both days of the show; no post entries. Over £135 is allotted for jumping competitions. Woolclassing competitions are available for both senior and junior members who have attended classes held under the jurisdiction of the Education Department. Glasses will be added to the Winter Show schedule for fleece wool, and sheep farmers are requested to reserve a few fleeces from their clip for competition. Schedules are obtainable at the secretary’s office, Crawford street, Dunedin. SUMMARY OF THE AUSTRALIAN SEASON. The season throughout all the States, excepting Queensland, taken on a whole, is now excellent. There are parts, however, where rain is badly wanted, such as the Hunter River and north coast district in Now South Wales, the central-western plains, north-western plains, and_ northeast portions of the Rivcrina in the same State. Parts of the outlying pastoral districts of South Australia could do with rain; also Tasmania has had, if anything, too much wet in the north, but the season is excellent in the southern part of the island. Even in Queensland matters have improved. Good rains have fallen over the greater part of the central and southern divisions of the north, a number of stations reporting up to 3in; however, it was patchy, many getting under I lin. The central division also, and a large 1 portion of the southern district, particii pated, the far west around Windorah got- : ting the best fall for the last two years. The southern Maranoa, the Warrego district, and most of the Darling Downs, however, missed the rain, and, like the northern

Queensland coast, ere suffering from intense and prolonged drought. Western Australia reports the bast season on record. Referring more particularly to the New South Wales State, the Pastoral Review says, in regard to the pastoral situation, that the season is an extraordinary one, the present month fifing introduced with hot, strong westerly winds, which had a disastrous effect on a number of crops. The warm spell was followed by a cold snap with more heavy wind, this time from the south, and at the time of writing it is still very cold. The danger is that when the wind drops a frost may occur, which, with the crops so far advanced, would have disastrous consequences. One or two places have, in fact, reported frosts this week, and considerable damage has been done. The imaginative estimates of a 60-million bushel harvest are nonsensical at this stage; the wheat is a long way yet from being assured, as one or two examples will show. From Scone, in the Upper Hunter, it is reported that most of the wheat in the district will have to bo cut for hay. From Molong, on the central western slopes, a report states that the ground is very dry, and good rain is needed for early crops, many of which are out in ear. Much anxiety is felt at the likelihood of frosty. Again, around Dandaloo, on the Central Western Plains and farther west, the rainfall has been much below the average, one owner reporting that the season is the worst for 13 years, and that apart from those crops put in on fallowed land, there will be little chance of a grain yield. On the Government wheat area at Woodlands the crop is in a precarious condition, and while the early-sown areas are beyond redemption, it is stated locally that nothing short of 2in of rain at once will save the late crops. These are a few instances to show that all is not couleur de rose, but still it is tolerably certain that there will be a good harvest, as the greater part of the area under crop is in good order. The driest . parts of the country are the central l western plains, north-western plains, and, worst of all, the north coast, where stock losses are heavy, water courses dry, and farming operations at a standstill. Elsew'here good rains have continued, particularly in Riverina, the western division (except in the north-east portions), and southern areas, and pastoral prospects are becoming satisfactory for the summer. More rain is needed on the Hunter, where the September deficiency was heavy, but, generally speaking, the prospects both from a pastoral and agricultural point of view are fairly satisfactory. Shearing has progressed, with a /good deal of broken time, however, owing to showery weather. The quality of the clip seems to be fairly satisfactory, although, of course, much of it shows the effects of the drought in the earlier stages of its growth. THE AUSTRALIAN WAY. The Minister of Customs (Mr Tudor) on October 16 received a communication from the Victorian Ministry intimating that there was an exportable surplus of mutton and iamb in this State. He stated, however, that he did not intend to grant any permits for the export of meat from Victoria until he received specific information as to the amount available for export over and above the needs for local consumption, and a guarantee that meat would be made available to the Australian butchers at the same price as it was put free on board. “The Federal Ministry,” eaid Mr Tudor, “has placed no obstacles in the way of the export of meat which the Imperial authorities desired for the use of the army; but when we learned in June last that some of this meat was being sold on civilian account, we took up the stand that the civilians of this country were entitled to first consideration. We are not anxious to stand in the_ way of the primary producer in getting his stuff away, but we say that the needs of Australia must bo met first. WHEAT ASPECTS. Instructions have been issued by the Prime Minister to the Government Statistician that a census of wheat and flour in New Zealand shall be taken, and the work will be carried out immediately, all supplies in hand on Sunday next being subject to the enumeration. This is being done at the request of the flourmillers_ and merchants, and the Prime Minister is of opinion that there will be difficulty in getting the information, as the bulk of the wheat and flour is held in Canterbury and Otago. At the executive meeting of the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union recently the following motion was carried; — “That the Government bo requested to remove the present embargo from wheat, and that merchants and all others should be allowed to buy in the best markets possible.” Wheat-growers will bear in mind (says Town and Country) that New South Wales and Victoria are likely to have enormous yields of wheat. Some of the Sydney travelling buyers think New South Wales, with a record acreage under wheat, is now safe to harvest a record crop. Optimistic prophets estimate the Victorian yield as likely to be 50,000,000 bushels, or even 60,000,000, though the Victorian record to date is 34,000,000. The Victorian acreage this summer is 4,160,000 acres, but these estimates of a colossal crop may be inspired by buyers anxious to make largo (forward) deals. " South Australian farmers may garner an exceptionally largo yield (for grain) over a wide area, and a moderate yield elsewhere. West Australia, if the weather is favourable from now on, may have a slight excess over local requirements, both of

wheat and wheaten hay. All the Australian States, and Tasmania, will bo able to harvest for grain in some areas where the farmers had begun, to think they would have to bo content with saving hay only. This is particularly the case'in New' South Wales. Russia, ever a mystery in agriculture as in war, is especially “a'dark horse” for the coming European winter, of which a sharp foretaste has already been experienced in Odessa, and several' outlying parts of Siberia. The fact that nearly 5.000,000 Government-bought scythes were to help to reap the Russian crop is a broad hint that Russia will continue to be a big exporter as freights offer, war exigencies permitting. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS. It is not often that a owe gives birth t' a quintet ot lambs, but such a record goes down to the credit of a ewe on Mr A Hendersons farm at Isla Bank (says the Otautau Standard). The mother is an ordi- » nary crossbred flock ewe. hour oi the lambs were born alive; the fifth was still-born. Three of the quintet are now thriving well; the fourth, a weakly lamb, was knocked on the head. Mr Charles Milne, a successful breeder of Clydesdales, referring to the loss of weight in the modern draught, suggested at a meeting of the Wyndharn A. and Jf. Association that horses should be yoked to a given load, and the animal which could get away with the burden should be the best. As in the case of the dairy cow, preference being given to the tested animal which gave tho result, saving feed by the reduced number necessary to keep, so with the draught horse. The class of horse that would do an amount of work that would reduce tho number of horses to be fed was to be preferred. The proposal of tho Tasmanian Dairymen’s Association, that the Government should erect silos for farmers in the deferred payment, has been favourably received by tile Minister of Agriculture. He informed tho association that he would consult with tho exports of the department, and if there was any reasonable chance of people going in for them he saw no objection to the request. The Government was loaning money for seed purposes, and there was no reason why it should not extend the principle for the erection of silos. It was a sound one, and he would be glad to co-operate with the farmers. It was simply a question of finance, and if ho could get the money this year ho w'ould build 10 to 20 silos throughout tho State. It is understood ‘ that shire councils troughout the State of Victoria arc to abandon all contract work during tho harvest months.— This will release both men and horses for harvest work. A factor which has largely hindered impoverished farmers from replacing the horses lost during tho drought is the excessive freight charge on the railways. On declaration that they are required for harvest work, and by giving a promisory note for tho amount, horses are carried on the railways without any payment being made until demanded later. The Brazilian Government gives free transport for all sires over all their lines, and by subventioned lines of river steamers, and the private companies have followed suit. Seed is carried free, and _ all agricultural implements at next to nothing. This refers to all lines. ; This is an object-lesson for other countries. “I have had some experience in calf-feed-ing that might be interesting to some of your readers’'’ (writes “13. F.” in Wallace’s Farmer), “and if someone else has had tho same trouble, I would like to hear from him. When I first got my hand separator, I fed the milk to the calves without taking the foam off; it would be two or three inches deep in each pail. I had three calves die with bloat. They would commence to bloat as soon as they drank the milk, and died in from two to three hours. As soon as I made up my mind that it was the foam that killed them, I skimmed the foam oft'. Then I had no more calves die for about three months, when one of the boys got careless and went out one evening and ted one calf without taking oft the foam ; next morning it lay dead where he had fed it. all bloated. Since that we are very careful to take_ tho foam off, as I feel very certain that it is the foam that kills them. I have _IC lino calves, a year old last autumn, raised on separator milk, and 10 more three or four months old, that are doing fine. A year ago last autumn I let one calf suck the cow all winter to see how it would compare with the once that had the separated milk, but I could see no difference.” New Zealand farmers who have adopted herd-testing methods will be interested to learn fhat the system of records has enabled the Friesland farmer to breed a cow which gives more milk than any other cow in the world. A cow seldom gives less than 700 gallons of milk per annum. Tho average is nearly 900, and a number of records run up to 1000. Shearing is now fairly general at C'ulverden, and some sheds have completed their work already, and have sent tho wool forward in readiness for the first wool sale. On a farm at Drummond a lambing percentage of 150 per cent, has been recorded. The first load of wool of tho season was landed at the Carterton railway station on the 22nd ult. It was brought in by motor lorry from Glenside Station. Other small consignments arrived during the day. From an acre of ground on a farm at Alford Forest road, Ashburton, about two tons and a-half of lucerne has just been out (says the Guardian). Part of the crop wa a sown on inoculated soil and part on ground given no artificial aid, and tho growth on

the ground inoculated was much more luxuriant than on the part not inoculated. Last year four crops _ were cut from this particular patch, and it is hoped this year to take five crops from it. Of wool, 1,492,071 bales, valued at £382,016, wore exported in August of this year, as against 3,836,062 bales, valued at £168,577, exported in August, 1914. For

the first eight months of this year the export of wool totalled 164,069,194 bales, valued at £8,335,242, as compared, with 178,693,040 bales, valued at £7,449,402, exported in the corresponding period of last year. The number of bales exported this year so far is rather loss than in 1914, but the value is nearly a million sterling greater.

Tho number of sheep in the dominion this year is estimated to bo 24,901,421, as compared with 24,798,763 for 1914.

The area' in rye grass for 1914 is only 50,533 acres, as compared with 55,936 acres for 1913-14, tho yield per acre 21.03 bushels as compared with 19.64, and the total yield 1,062,810 bushels as against 1.098,835 for the previous year. Only 17,551 acres are in

cocksfoot this year as against 25,935 acres last year, the yield per acre is only 135.501 b, as against 191.111 b, and the total yield only 2,378,1601 b, as against 4,956,4381 b last year. In potatoes, also, there is a falling off, the acreage in potatoes this year being only 21,887 acres' as against 29,164 last year, the yield pev acre 6.06 tons as against 5.39 tons and the total yield 132,635 tons, as against 157,194 tons last year.

Representatives of the South Canterbury Farmers’ Union, Agricultural and Pastoral Association, and the Technical School visited the shearing class at Smithfield_ on Tuesday (says the Herald). All the visitors expressed their satisfaction at the work being accomplished by the pupils, who are averaging about 600 sheep per day.