SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 11

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) The weather during the past week has been notable for a nasty drizzling The Weather rain, which set in early in and the week, and continued aft the farm. intervals throughout tho period. Tho rain, which was from tho south-cast, was accompanied by a low temperature, the result being that conditions were most disagreeable for those. who had perforce to bo out of doors. Tho main arterial roads as a consequence havebecome very slushy, and tho branch thoroughfares, where there has been much traffic, have becomo badly cut up. Breaks of turnips being fed off and gateways through which stock pass are now very stodgy. Measured by inches, tho quantity of rain which fell on tho coast could not be considered excessive, but tho condition of tho four principal rivers—tho Mataura, tho Oreti, tho Aparima, and the Waiau—< indicated that a larger quantity must hav« fallen up country. Ploughing has been interfered with considerably—o 3 a matted of fact, many teams have been idle durtng tho week. Turnips are going to be a drug in the market if present indications are to bo relied on. fortunately, tho overplus will consist principally of swedes, a larger proportion than usual having been grown this season, and these always command a price. Tho figure being paid to growers •is 20s per load delivered in Invercargill; but this price is not likely to be main. tained for any lengthened period. A good quantity of grain continues to be conveyed over tho railways, 606,847 sacks having boon carried up to the 17th inst., as compared with 425,107 up to the corresponding date last year. Business in all classes of stock continues good, most lines showing a Live Stock fairly substantial advance in Markets, price as compared with values ruling two weeks ago. A good many buyers for wellgrown bullocks have "been operating, and their purchases have been extensive. A lino of 53 Hereford-Shorthorn cross bullocks belonging to a well-known Eastern District farmer changed hands at £23 and £26 per head. Not only have Taieri buyers been on the market, but three or four from South Canterbury have been operating successfully. Naturally this has hardened tho market, and freezing buyers, who aro specially keen, are finding some difficulty in keeping up their supplies at present limits. Prime ox beef is quoted at 42s _6d, and it is reasonable to assume that price* will advance as time goes on. Prime heifer beef forward at last WallaCQtown salo brought up to 41s 6d, one individual bring. ing £l6 ss. Some fairly large lines of store sheep are also changing hands at present, South Canterbury buyers operating freely. Four-tooth ewes are quoted at 28s to 295, other ages proportionately high. Four and six tooth store wethers are selling at from 27s to 27s 6d. Fat sheex> are also in keen demand, two pen 3 of wethers from Limestone Plains realising 34s 6d. Fat lambs are etill sought after, up to por lb being paid by private buyers for export. •One farmer in the Waikaka Valley district disposed of a draft of 200 which averaged 25s 3d, a figure which would have been considered fabulous a matter of three years ago. Tho store cattle pens wero only sparcoly tenanted at last Wallacetown sale. although the entry was larger than it had been for the two weeks previously Tho quality of tho stock entered in this section was not up to the average, but prices wero firm. Tho market for dairy cattle was slightly easier.

With prospects of cheese being worth 83 per lb next season, it J 3 Dairy -only natural that there should Matters. be considerable interest taken in the industry. At 8d dairy factories will be ablo to pay from Is 5d to Is 6d per lb butter-fat. It ia generally thought that the forthcoming season will be a record one as far as vaiua of exports of cheese from Southland are concerned; but in this connection it has to bo remembered that the 1915-16 was a record one as far as volume and value of cheese exports was concerned. This was due to two principal causes —good prices and an exceptionally favourable season from a climatic point of view. A meeting of delegates under the auspices of the South Island Dairy Association will be held in Invercarglll on July 5, the business set down for discussion being—(l) to appoint representatives to meet the representatives of the Managers' Union at a conference to be held the following day to discuss tho demands of the workers; (2) to confirm a resolution passed at tho last annual meeting of the association that tho financial year of tho association be altered to May 31 from April 30. It is expected in some quarters that tho directors of tho association will take tho delegates into their confidence regarding what transpired at the recent conference with tho Prime Minister in Wellington. Tho general opinion is that no dcfinit3 decision was arrived at regarding the basis of purchase, but that there- will bo no diffi-

culty in arranging for payment on cool store warrants, instead of ships' documents, as was the case last year. That the Government will commandeer the whole of the output is assured; but the price and basis of payment has yet to be arranged. Probably an expression of opinion as to the price to be paid will be asked from the delegates; but as the proceedings arc likely to be closed to the press no information is likely to be available for publication. At the usual monthly meeting of the Southland A,, and P. AssoMiscellaneous. ciation, held on Friday last, x it was decided that the now show grounds be named An/.ae Park. The secretary reported that ho had received only four entries for the farmers' bay competition at the 1917 Winter Show, entries for which were due to close on the 30th inst. It was generally agreed that the. labour problem had some bearing on the question, and it was very doubtful if the class could appear in fcho catalogue for the next show. It; was decided to extend the time- for receiving entries to 31st July. Messrs James Fleming, A. S. Holms, and W. D. Hunt were appointed delegates to tho Dominion Conference, to be held in Wellington next month. The balance sheet of tho 1916 Winter Show showed a not loss of £'ls. —What may possibly be a record deal in sheep was made last week when Mr W. Baird, jun., of Invcrcargill, who has a farm in tho Otaraia district, sob] 600 fat wethers at 35s per head to a Duncdin firm. — An important lousiness change is shortly to be effected bv the amalgamation of tho Dunedin and Invcrcargill firm of Wright. Stephenson, and Co. (Ltd.) with W. and fl. Tumbull and Co. (Ltd.), of Wellington. Both firms have branches in various parts of tho Dominion. The business will be carried on under the stylo of Wright, Stephenson, and Co. (Ltd.). Mr W. D. Hunt, mnnapiSn.a' director (Invcrcargill), is at present in Wellington in connection with the amalgamation.—Tho Wimmora, which loaded at, Bluff last week for Australia, took on board a particularly nice line of stud sheep from the well-known Border Leicester flock of Mr John M'Kerehar, of Fleminn:ton Estate, Woodlands. The consignment consisted of 12 ewes in lamb, five ram lambs, and 30 flock ram lambs. They were consigned to the well-known flock master Mr David Aitken, of Wecribee. Victoria.—

Two hundred ram lambs have been purabased in tho Gore district for shipment

to Sydney. Tho principal breeders in that district were the vendors.