STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3314, 19 September 1917, Page 9

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Stock Sales. Monthly (continued). Burnside, Wednesdays Matatlla & Wa i kou aiti, Ashburton, Tuesdays 2nfl x^m-Baay Addington, Wednesdays Eiverton Brd Thursaay Waiareka Railway Juno- Wyndha , last Thurs J . tion, Tuesdays da Fortnightly. Balfour & Thornbury, Clinton, Thursdays Ist Friday Balclutha, Fridays Duntroon & Otautau, Gore, Tuesdays 2nd Friday Oamaru, Tuesdays Riversdale, 3rd Friday Wallacetown, Tuesdays Waikaka, last Friday Heriot Monthly. Periodically. Palmerston, Ist Monday Waipiata, Lumsden, Ngapara & Wiuton, Ist Mossburn, Orepuki, Thursday J Clifden OTAGO.

A fine, cold week was experienced in Otago, and, except in the most sheltered places, tho growth of vegetation has not been very material. Under the oircumstances- stock transactions are inclined to be quiet. Nothing as yet has been definitely arranged in regard to prices for cheese or butter. Probably last season's rate for cheese will not be bettered, and, as to butter, it is of some interest to know that Britain ha 3 accepted the Federal Government's offer of 10,000 tons of surplus butter at £7 9s 4d per cwt.

Clydesdale stallions competing for the Clydesdale Horse Society's Wright, Stephenson Challenge Cup at trie Otago A. and P. Horse Show will be examined at the Otago Farmers' Co-operative Association by the Government veterinarians next Wednesday, the 26th. BURNSIDE MARKET. At the Burnside market the fat stock sections were fairly well filled. Quality in the sheep section was not too pronounced; but it was there, only that a considerable proportion consisted of sheep suited for only graziers. There was a good sale, and best sheep were every bit as dear as at the previous sale, and the later sales were made at Is a head in advance', of the opening rates._ Tho few hoggets penned were only of fair quality, and made late rates. Fat cattle comprised all sorts, with a number of the entry just good, forward animals, which were taken by graziers for the most part at lower rates than similar animals could be secured from the store pons. Just about 260 cattle would seem a big yarding, and prices appeared to be easier by £1 a head in the earlier stages, and some good beef was secured at 50s per 1001 b. Later on values were, however, close up to last sale's —say, best 50s to 54s per 1001 b. About 100 mixed store cattle were yarded, including some fairish sorts. Anything showing breeding wore firmer, and there were plenty of buyers about for this class. A yard of three to four-year-old steers made £l4^los; three-year-olds, £l2 17s 6d; poley breeding cows, £9 10s; young crossbred breeding cows, £8 7s; black yearling heifers to year and a-half, with 20 per cent, of steers, £6 63. Dairy cows were but moderate quality, and evoked fair bidding at unchanged rates. Some 30 fats and 50 small and store pigs sold freely at late high rates. ADDINGTON YARDS. Probably as ono result of the rough Weather all stock sections at Addington were inadequately supplied. The attendance was small, but values appreciated sharply, and all round prices were higher than at tho previous sale. Fat sheep made some shillings more per head, and the trade would require to eke out their purchases with frozen mutton. Under 20 spring lambs were penned; but owners failed to secure the money they expected, and most of them were nassed. Half a dozen made 24s 3d to 28s. There was but a small entry of store sheep, chiefly hoggets, which made od per head more than at the last sale, while wethers made quite Is 6cl more than was anticipated. A small entrv of fat cattle, including some lots from Ota<ro and Southland (Hereford sorts), made hot prices, and beef- in places touched 60 per 100!b; but generally 555. the same as last wcok, was the ruling price. Ohlr-fly young store cattle were penned, and, although not all wore sold at auction, a very fair demand sufficed to make anv affective clearance for all good sorts. Dairy cows were sold at £7 to £3. Fat pigs sold at very firm lato best rates; stores about the same. RALCLUTJTA AND CLINTON. Small entries of stock ruled on Friday at the Batelutha sale, and the attendance was only fair. Fat sheep sold very well, and some 250 were taken at rates high or than last Bnrnside's values. All counted, about, 1000 shoop were yarded. Some specially good ewe hoprsets made 43s 3d. and tho wethers out of this line 39s 3d; pood mixed sexes. 31s to 33s 9d; small from 25s up to 27s 6d; some Forward pens of wethers. 35s to 37s 6d, and a nice lot of four, six, and eight tooth in-lamb Corrfe-

dale ewes, 36s 4d, which, if rightly placed, should make another 2s per head. About 250 cattle came forward. Beef, as at Burnside, came back 20s to 30s per head. Very few of the store cattle were sold. Inferior to ordinary dairy cows, £8 to £lO 10s; inferior thm yearlings were passed at £4- 16s to £5 ss; three-year-old bullocks, £l7; medium three-year-olds, £l7 10s. At Clinton the preceding day 1000 sheep and 80 head of cattle were penned. Feed here, too, affecting entries and prices. Hoggets, wethers, and a few pens of ewes comprised the entry. Some prices secured were:—Opcn-woolled wethers hoggets to 34s lOd; others (mixed) to 31s; fair ewe hoggets to 30s; small mixed, 24s to 265; forward wethers (open-woolled) to 38s; fine wools, 33s to 35s 6d; sound-mouth. ewes, to 335. Dairy cows sold from £8 to £ls 2s 6d. Yearlings—a good cross Shorthorn lot of mixed sexes of 60—were surely cheap enough at £5 3s to £5 Bs.

NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUES. Some idea of stock values in the North Island is indicated in tho prices undernoted as per latest reports. In the South Auckland distriot prime beef is selling at up to 53s 6d: fat hoggets, 34s to 36s 6d; good ewe hoggets to 31s 9d; wether hoggets, 23s to 29s 6d. Tn the Wairarapa district, hoggets 25s to 27s 6d; small, 18s. In the Manawatu district sheep sell freely. Hoggets (mixed) 24s to 29s 6d; yearling steers, £5 5s to £6 17s; two and a-half steers, £ll 10s; three-year-olds, £l4 lis. In the Wan-ganui-Feilding areas, mixed hoggets to 31s: others, 17s to 25a 6d; two-year steers, £9 15s to £11; three-year-olds, £l3 17s 6d; extra good crosses, £ls 6s. In Poverty Bay transactions are slow. Best hoggets, 27s to 30s 9d; mixed sexes, 23s to 26s 9d; culls, 14s 9d to 17s; in-calf station cows to £l3; cowes with calves, £ls; yearling steers to £7; dairy heifers and cows round about £9 10s. In Hawke's Bay mixed hoggets were sold at 21s to 265; culls from iss; weaner steers, £3 15s; year, and a-half steers, £7 10s to £9; two and a-half-year-olds, :*11; dairy herd averages about £9 to £l4. In Taranaki values are unchanged, sheep, in demand, making to 3ls 6d; fresh cows to £ll ss; stores, £8; weaner steers, £3 5s to £5; in-calf heifers, £8 10s to £ll. STOCK NOTES. One of the largest sales of dairy cattle held in the Illawarra district was that of the Shorthorn herd of Mr R. O. Dunster, Oak Flats, Albion Park (says an Australian paper). The dislocation of the train service did not prevent buyers from attending from all parts of the district. Record prices were realised. The highest price was 60gs for a young heifer. One cow brought £SO, and two others £45 each. Other prices realised were £27, £26, £25, £l9, £lB 10s, and £l7, the lowest being £lo ss. The herd averaged a fraction less than £2O per head, and tho total sales amounted to £1314 ss. Everything was sold. The Legislative Council, Tasmania, has passed the amended Registration of Stallions Act, the main alteration in which was to prevent the use of rejected stallions except on mares belonging to the owner of th'» stallions. The uncertificated stallion will shortly in that State evidently disappear. A meeting of Hereford breeders > was held in Brisbane on August 16, when it was decided to rescuscitate the Australian Hereford Herd Book Sooiety, which was formed in 1889. It was thought better for _ Hereford breeders to have an association of their own, rather than bo connected with the Stockbreeders' Association formed in Sydney, whloh embraced all breeds. Articles of association and rules and conditions of entry are in preparation. Lambing is progressing favourably throughout Tasmania, and good percentages should be recorded. Some pastor alists. however, report that the sheep are not in as strong condition as was expected. At tho June meeting of tho Clydesdale Horse Society of the United Kingdom and Ireland, held in Glasgow, it was agreed that tho presentation of tho society's gold medals in Australia should be made through the Clydesdale Horse Society of Australia, the headquarters of which are in Sydney. At the annual meeting of the Ayrshire Cattle Society of Queensland, during Brisbane Show Week, the president mentioned that a cow (Pretty Maid of Harlemar), owned bv Mr F. A. Stimpson, a member, had given a butter yield of 8911 b, in 247 days, under an official test by the Queensland Department of Agriculture. This performance is claimed as a record for any cow officially tested in Australia. IN AUSTRALIA. "More very heavy \ rains characterised August in south-east and south-west Australia, and much country is absolutely waterlogged, while floods have been fre quent" (saye the Pastoral South Wales the southern portions have had more than enough rain, excepting, perhaps, the southern tablelands; but m iho north and north-west there has been less than enough. Stock have suffered, especially lambmg ewes and young lambs, and tho 'mortality has been considerable Elso wlierc there is abundance of feed, stock are doing well, and the lambing has been good. Victoria has suffered from continuous rains and heavy floods, and cultivation is backward. Conditions generally, however, are good, and prospects bright. Lambing averages have been good and, so far, losses small. In Central and Northern Queensland the month has been seasonable—that is. without rain to speak of. There is

plenty of dry feed, however, no shortage of water, and stock are in good condition, excepting lambing ewes in parts of the Central Division. Grasa fires have been frequent in the north. South Australia haa experienced heavy rains and floods, but the season is being well maintained, and in some respects is even better than last year, which was regarded as ideal for all the producing interests. Tasmania, in common with the other southern States, has had a very wet month, and agricultural work has been impossible. Pastures have made an early start, and lambing is proceeding satisfactorily in many districts. In Western Australia, praotically right through the southern portion of the State, continuous rains have been experienced, with, in many places, serious floods and loss of life. A good season is being experienced on the Murchison, Ashburton, and Gascoyno, and lambing reports from all districts indicate excellent percentages. "Owing to the vagaries of the weather, the scarcity of farm labourers, high prices, and small returns, it is not surprising to hear that the area sown with wheat is likely to be a good deal smaller than in 1910. The Victorian Government Statist has issued a- preliminary estimate for his State, in which he puts the total down at 2,933,600 acres, of which 2,683,600 will bo. reserved for r-ain. The grain area last harvest was .125,700 acres, eo the estimated reduction works out at 14 per cent. Official estimates for the other States aro not yet available, but it may be taken for granted that the decrease will be quite as pronounced as in Victoria. According to all accounts the falling off in New South Wales may be up to 25 per cent." Referring to the result of the "wool" pool in Australia, the Pastoral Review says i—" Briefly, 1,128,288 bales, 8869 butts, and 120,397 bags- of wool were appraised in Australia on behalf of the Imperial Government, of which 982,376 bales, 8682 butts, and 119,413 bags were offered 'in the grease,' and 187 butts, and 984- bags -were of scoured. In all, 297,160 lots passed through appraisers' hands. The averago of all the greasy wool offered was 14.72 a per lb, and of the scoured 22.86 d, which latter, when reduced to the equivalent of greasy wool (on the basis that it took 21b of greasy wool to make lib of scoured), make 3 the average of the whole pool 14.15 d per lb, or 9£ per cent, below the prescribed average of 15£d. The most satisfactory feature of the situation thus disclosed is that the appraised value of the clip, when compared with the flat rate, shows a balance of £2,205,932 6s 5d in favour of the pool, this representing the difference between 14.15 d per lb at which the actual appraisement worked out and the flat rate —viz., 15id. This amount, plus 10 per cent, of the net proceeds retained (£2,313,460 17s 2d), leaves £4,515,393 3s Id to be disbursed in ratio to those participating in the pool. Thus an owner whose wool has been appraised at 20d per lb, and who has so far received only 18d in cash, will bo paid not only the 2d per lb which was retained for adjustment purposes, but will receive almost another id as well, so that, in point of faot, his ultimate price will actually be nearly 22d, instead of the 20d which appears in his prioe catalogue, and so on in proportion with all the wool which has been appraised. The total purchase monev involved in the acquisition of the 1,128, % 288 bales, 8869 butts, and 120, 397 bags is £25,340,540 18s 7d."

Tho last 12 months have been a very busy, and, in many respects (says the Adelaide Observer), harassing timo x'oi the representatives of the various organisations in Australia which look after the interests of tho pastoralists and stock-owners. For example, the president of the Stock-owners' Association of South Australia (Mr B. H. Bakewcll) ha 3 been obliged to make six trips to the eastern States, including one to Queensland, and altogether he has spent about 13 weeks on the other side of the border on business connected with tho Pastoralists and Stock-owners' Associations. On Thursday morning he returned to Adelaide from Melbourne, where he had attended important meetings of- tho Advisory Commitce—a permanent body,—consisting of half a dozen members, one from each of the associations in South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland, and three from the three organisations which, together, embrace the whole _ of New South Wales. '' (Shearing," continued Mr Bakewell, "is proceeding in a large number of sheds in Queensland and New South Wales at the Arbitration Court award rates, and the probabilities arc that the operations will be carried on now without any further difficulty. A few sheds are shearing on tho Lower Darling, in the Wontworth district, and in the outlying parts of South Australia, where everything _so far has gone along in a thoroughly satisfactory and busi-ness-like way." Questioned concerning tho wool prospects and the lambing, Mr Bakewell said: " The wool clip promises to be satisfactory throughout Australia although in some parts of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland tho weather has been unusually dry for several months. Generally speaking, the lambing also has been very pleasing, although in this connection, again, in some localities percentages have been rather low owing to adverse local conditions."