HOMELAND AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3276, 27 December 1916, Page 11

HOMELAND AGRICULTURAL TOPICS.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) GLASGOW, October 31. Ever since the union of England and Scotland—and before it—the . northern nationality has shown its supremacy in matters commercial as weil as military. At the present moment, when the Empire is in grips with those who represent the tyranny of Central Europe, Scotland is not only foremost in the hght for freedom by givmg the best of her young mannood to the battle line, but she is maintaining her proud position in those other material affairs Which go to strengthen the heart of the nation. Ihe past few weeks has shown that not only have the agriculturists of the country been able to go on as before but that progress can bo made in the face of all the adverse circumstances which have arisen in connection with the world war. I have already explained in these columns how the fiockmastcrs have continued to build up the sheep stock of the country upon the most desirable lines, and now we have new records established at our autumn sales of pedigree cattle, and the horse trade of the cpuntry continues to be carried on upon the most remunerative lines, all going to prove that our financial position has not shown any signs of weakness after all the sacrifices we have been making. The agriculturists of Scotland have lost many of their beet and bravest •young men—the peer as well as the peasant,—but the cause in which they have fallen is the most holy which the world has ever known, ar.d we are so confident of the completeness of the .final victory that we know their loss will be atoned for and that their names will be written on the most famous roll of honour v in the history of nations.

It is something to be proud of that in the coarse of some four days one firm of auctioneers should realise for the Shorthorn breeders of the North of Scotland the handsome sum of £46,386 18s, or an average of £132 10s 8d for . 7 50 bead.

All previous records were eclipsed by the Collynie sale this year. Mr William Duthie had an avcrnge of £616 16s Id for 23 bull calves, and the 15 heifer calves sold averaged £177 10s sd, giving an overhead average of £443 2s for 38 head. The previous best average for bull calves was £409 16s 7d for 17 in 1907, and the previous best price was £2loo_ paid in 1912. The Collynie sale started right away with 850 gs given for a January calf, and this was followed with 620 gs for another of about the same ago. A handsome Febru-

ary red roan calf was cheap at 550 gs. The Edgecote Shorthorn. Company got another

beauty in a red Clara by the old bull I Knight of Collynie out of Danesfield Storm King mother at 720 gs. A very handsome red calf by Lothian Augustus, and a full brother to the stock bull now at Dalmeny, was considered cheap at 650 gs, the buyer being Colonel Fenwick. At 50gs less Mr J. J. Moubray, of Naemoor, got the red Duke of Lancaster, by E-mond, his dam being the Royal Leader cow which produced the 1000g_s Uppcrmill bull calf of last year. Mr Jos. Shepherd, of London, who'is an extensive exporter to the Argentine, got a grand lavender by Max of Cluny at 850 gs. A white Josephine oalf by Knight of Collynie—an exceedingly nice one—went to Mr Alfred H. Rcid, of Hillhead, at 520 gs. A Golden Drop from a Storm King dam, a rich red in colour, was the first one to pass into four figures. The Edgecote Company gave IOBOgs for him. Th n same company naid 1400. gs for Collynie Bold Knight, by Knight of Collynie out of a Bessie mother. A great favourite was Collynie Baronet, a loveiy red, by Masterstroke out of a Whiteside Beauty cow, by Bapton Sceptre, a winner at the show of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. Mr James Durno, thf new tenant of Uppcrmill, took him out 950 gs. Then followed the great recordbreaking Clipper King, an April-born dark roan of the Sanquhar line of Clippers, and by Masterstroke out of a mother by Adbolton Rosy King. The first bid for him was sCogs, and he was to IPOOgs in a minute or so, and at 2000 gs Mr Matthew Marshall, Bridgehank, Stranraer, and the representative of the Earl of Moray were left to fight to a finish. Mr Marshall triumphed at 2200 gs amid a round of applause _ from the ringside audience. The Collynie heifer calves sold at prices ranging up to 400 gs, They were of phr nomenally fine colours, and the most fashionable breeding. But it need hardly b<s said, Mr Duthie never puts anything but the best on the market. Mr James Durno. the new tenant of

Upperrnill, had already attained to distinction at Jackstown, but his first exper! ttneo at the former must have been very gratifying 1 . The 13 bull calves sold hv !>«'«>

made the good average of £l6O 16s 3d, and his eight heifer calves did bettor by making an average of £l7O 4s 7d. Throe of his bull calves exceeded the 400 gs mark—. Royal Plate, a dark roan by Breastplate, selling for 420 gs; Chief Goods, a roan by Collynie Chief, for 480 gs; and Golden Treasure, a red by Collynie Chief, for 450 gs. The best price for an Uppermill heifer calf was 3Oogs, this being paid for a Nonpareil by Count Cedric.

It is worth while noting the averages made by tiie progeny of the various bulls represented in the sale of Mr Duthie's bull calves. They are as follow: —Masterstroke (5), £991 4s; Knight of Collynie (8). £569 12s 6d; Lothian Augustus (2), £525; Max of Cluny (2), £630; C'ipper Star (4), £286 2s 6d; Esmond (1), £630; and Boquhar Stamp (1), £577 10s. - Most of the company of home, colonial, and foreign buyers who were at Collynie and. Uppernull on Tuesday attended the joint sale at Aberdeen on Wednesday. Again the fashionable families of females were in request, and high prices were obtained wherever there was blood with individual merit. The trade is well reflected in the averages obtained. Four two-year-old heifers averaged £SO 8s each; 43 yearling heifers, £sl 9s 2d; 108 heifer calves, £lOl Os lOd; six bulls and bull calves, £BS lis 6d; and six cows, £66 13s 6d; the overhead average for 167 Shorthorns being £35 3s Id. The top price of the day was £3Ol paid for an Auchnacree heifer. At the dispersion of Major A. T. Gordon's herd there was an average of £159 10s 8d foe 49 Shorthorns. In this case the top price was oOQgs given for the noted red cow Charity XI. At the recent sales m England, too, the prices for Shorthorns with good Scotch blood in their veins were quite remarkable. There is not much movement in the Clydesdale horse trade just now. About a score have lately been shipped to Canada, and one or two to the United States. All the same, prices remain at extreme rates for animals of the right breeding and quality. _ The sales at Lanark covered four days this year. There were lots of good useful stock forward, but very few of the toppers. Generally speaking, averages were up,_ as there was a keen demand for work animals.