STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 11

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES

Weekly Stock Sales. Burnside, Wednesdays Ashburton, Tuesdays Addington, Wednesdays Waiareka Railway Junction, Tuesdays Wallacetown, Tuesdays Fortnightly. Clinton, Thursday! Balclutha, Friday! Gore, Tuesdays Oamaru, Tuesdays Wallacetown. Tuesdays Heriot, Thursdays Monthly. Palmerstou, Ist Monday Winton, Ist Thursday Duutrocn, 2nd Friday

Monthly (continued). Woodlands, 2nd Thursday Wyndham, last Thursday Balfour, 3rd Thursday Thornbury, Ist Friday Duntroon & Otautau, 2nd Friday _ Riversdale, 3rd Friday Waikaka. last Friday Clydevale, last Thursday Periodically as Advertised. Lumsden, Mo?s'inm,Orepuki, Mutaura, Waik.ou.aiti, Eivprton, Ngapara, and Otago Central Sales.

OTAGO. Moderate weather conditions, with a low temperature of an evening, with squalls at times, have prevailed during the week, but not enough to hamper farm operations for any length of -time in Otago. Early "in the week useful rain fell in the northern area with some advantage to the root and cereal crops; but in the south light winds have dealt havoc among fruit trees, and bruised and blackened potato-tops. The Imperial Government, through the Prime Minister, has made an offer for all the exportable whey and dairy butter from the Dominion. The prices are now being considered by the Dairy Associations. Producers' attention is drawn to Senator Russell's (South Australia) statement to the effect that only one-sixth of the British and Allied purchases have so far been shipped, owing to inability to provide shipping, and that the interest charges incurred by Great Britain in this connection exceed £1,000,000. The Imperial authorities purchased and paid for some 3,700,000 tons of wheat, and there is now on hand the incoming harvest, to say nothing of the wool in the Commonwealth and the Dominion now piling up. In these circumstances is it not akin to undue optimism to indulge in rhapsodies in so far as to imagine that we will secure effective clearances of our meat?

FROM THE TRAIN. S Farming operations appertaining- to the season, despite the shortage of young men, appear to have progressed fairly well, and with favourable climatic conditions from now on from Dunedin to Invercargill team work and shearing should be comparatively well advanced ere Christmas. From the train one mostly sees shorn sheep, and only woolly ewes with lambs are to be seen. Already lime is being delivered, and the demand promises to be strong. In this connection it was of interest to the writer to note the efficacy of lime after some 20 years since its application. In the eighties or a year or two previous to Edendale taking up liming, several areas on the "Morton Mains est%se were limed. These pastures to-day sta»n3 * out in noticeable contrast to the adjoining paddocks, there being a greenness and an amount of clover which is arresting, to say .the least of it. The present owners probably never knew these lands had ever been dressed with lime. Turnip-sowing is being pushed along, and some paddocks are to be seen sown on the fiat with- turnip v plants in the rough leaf, and a few areas in rape making good. Cultivation is . careless in many - respects. One sees a ploughed paddock red sorrei. Part of it is ploughed, nnd the sorrel not covered. It makes your head, ache.

The growth of cocksfoot grass is wonderful along the railway line, and one wonders if the railway men will find time to save the seed; or will it be wasted? If the railway men are not able to look after this money-maker, surely there is a chance for the schoolboys to show what they can do.

SOUTHLAND SHOW. Southland had a first-class show, with, fine weather on the second day,' with a representative attendance. The fat shebp attracted a lot of attention; and deservedly so, as the pens of young wethers were excellent. The competition in the Border I»eicesters and Romney Marsh sections must have been highly satisfactory to the committee, while the quality of the Shorthorn and the Friesian sections left little to be desired. Fat cattle were good, the champion bullock being full of quality, with the winner in the Friesian steer class quite a good sort. The hunting competitions generally were up to a fair standard, the high jumping class standing out as perhaps the best of the afternoon's display. The* management in most respects compared favourably with similar functions in the north, although the ring at times appeared a bit encumbered with unnecessary adjuncts, and the day was well on ere the jumping was finished; but this, perhaps, is a small matter, as the twilight is long in these parts. -

BURNSIDE MARKET. The sale of fat sheep at Burnside was considerably brisker than at the previous sale, due entirely to the short yarding, and prices must have been Is 6d ahead of last week. A moderate lot of fat lambs also.deBpito the quality being only fair, realised advanced rates, and the 70 odd were promptly cleared at 2s a hend above the previous week's quotations. Best lambs made

31s to 35s 3d; good, 27s to 30s; others from 19s. An average yarding of fat cattle met -with the ordinary demand, and prices underwent no change, beef making from s sls to 53s per 1001 b. Store cattle were forward in adequate supply, and were taken by eager buyers at late rates. The few dairy cows penned made from £8 to £ll 15s. Fat pigc were again in fair supply, and last sale's rates were fully maintained for bacon sorts, with porkers perhaps a shade easier. Others were-placed at late rates. There will be a stock sale at Burnside on Friday. 28th of» this month, commencing at 8 o'clock, and on Friday, January 4- (same time). • ADDINGTON YARDS. The entry of fat sheep at Addington was about an average one, and comprised a considerable number of ewes. An uneven demand was apparent, but the run of the sale was at about last sale's level, with some passings occurring at the close of the market. A fairish yarding of mostly young sheep elicited a good demand, and values were firmly maintained. Some 740 fat lambs of mixed quality were penned, a proportion being on the light side. The demand sufficed to keep prices steady practically throughout the sale at the previous week's level. There was a good all-round yarding of fat cattle, chiefly cows and heifers, a number of the latter being well finished and a number not up to the trade's standard. Steer and best heifer beef sold .at unchanged values, secondary grade being cheaper than of late. The store cattle section was unattractive, and mixed, indiffer-ently-bred sorts were not sought after, while well-bred lines were absent. Dairy cows of a good class were taken at £l2 to £l7 for best sorts; others from £B. Pigs m both fat and store sections sold well, fats a shade cheaper, while weaners were not up to the standard of late yardings. BALCLUTHA AND CLINTON. The Clinton stock sale was held on the ordinary day, but the Clutha fixture- was postponed till Monday on account of the local show. The former sale was but sparsely attended, and the stock comprised just a few pens of old ewes and lambs, which met with small inquiry at late rates. There was a fair yarding of sheep at Balclutha, with an average supply of cattle. Up to 52s was paid for fat ewes in tlie wool, and from 49s to 50s for wethers, best shorn wethers 38s to 425, medium 61s 6d to 38s, young and small 325. Some Romncy ewes in wool, four and eight tooth, with lambs, were passed at 26s Id, all counted; a line of full and failing mouth ewes in the wool, with lambs, were also passed at 17s, all counted; a line of halfbrod guaranteed mouths, in the wool, with lambs, all counted, was sold at 19s Id. Forward cattle underwent no change in values. Best store bullocks sold to £l4, some fair two to two and a-half-year-old steers were passed at £ll 12s 6d, some extra good yearlings made £lO 10s, other yearlings £6 to £7 10s, the few dairy cows sold freely at up to £ll. There was quite a good tone. STOCK NOTES. A number of bulls, comprising Shorthorns, Friesians, and Jerseys, were submitted to auction on the ground ajb the Southland Show. A Shorthorn yearling bull made 25gs, and another yearling Shorthorn made 40gs, and a third made 37;|gs, and others to 28£gs. In the Friesian section no young bulls were offered. The aged bull (Mr Piric's) was not sold at auction, nor was another old bull, buyers wanting not proved "sorts," but youngsters, which is passing strange. Neither Jerseys nor Polled Angus appeared to bo wanted. Pigs were not much in evidence at the Southland Show, but the quality of the Yorkshire sow and litter augurs well for Mr C. T. Grant's (of Winton) enterprise in setting up as studmaster in this line. The dispersal sale of the Gladbrook Estate herd of Polled Aberdeen-Angus cattle will take place at the estate, Ota fro, New Zealand, on April 4 and 5 next. The herd comprises 170 head of some of the best-bred pedigreed Polled Angus cattle in New Zealand. This dispersal sale is rendered necessary by the disposal of the pro'perty to the Government. The agents are Murray, Roberts, and Co. (Ltd.), and' the auctioneers are St'ronach, Morris, and Co. (Ltd.). Live tStock Journal, on the figures of three prominent fat-stock breeders, quotes the cost of fattening a bullock at £l6 6s. Putting the original price of the bullock at £2B, the total cost at sale time comes to £44 6s. From this is deducted the manure, valued at £1 8s sd. leaving £42 17s 7d as the cost. Taking the weight of the beast originally at 7cwt. the gain during 275 davs of feeding is reckoned to bo 3£cwt. The total live weight, then, will be_ at sale time and the fixed price is 60s per cwt., or £3l 10s, a loss of £ll 7s 7d per beast. GREAT CATTLE PRICES AT HOME. The boom in pedigree live stock at Home continues. The other day the Holstein men put up a record of 2500 gs for a young bull, only to bo capped the following week by 2700 gs for a Shorthorn at Collvnie. The high prices generally point to the confidence of stockmen in the future. Stock, as in the past, will doubtless prove

a veritable sheet-anchor of British farming in the future, and stud-breeders here should have faith in stock-breeding. At the autmn sales in Scotland the high figure of 200 gs was passed for a bull calf only six months old, and 1500 gs was paid for a yearling heifer. Last \ea"r the same owner (Mr Duthie) secured' 22C0gs for' a six-months-old bull calf. This year's pro-, digy is a roan calf by Max of Cluny, a sire which has had a great influence on the Collynie herd. Named Collynie Lavender King, he is out of Sittyton Lavender 24., a three-year-old white heifer. _ Three others of Mr Duthie's calves ran in fourfigure prices, and his 24 bull calves realised the remarkable average* of £655 16s 3d. The big-priced buyer was one of the_ Sanguar breeding, by Collynie Grand Knight. There is evidently a keen desire among Holstein Friesian breeders at Home to make known their cattle, and may explain why there is such a demand for imported animals. The imported cow Roehford Joukye realised the sum of 1650 gs at the Duchess of Hamilton's sale in Suffolk. A calf of this cow made 1050 gs—a remarkable price for a heifer, —while 780 gs was paid for an imported bull. The Friesians again strikingly demonstrated their popularity at tli» sale at Hedges Farm, St. Albans, when 59 head were sold at an average of £215 13a Id. The sale attracted a large 'number of buyers, and breeders from all over England, Scotland, and Ireland were present, and there was extremely keen competition .throughout. The plums of the sale were the imported bull Fokke 2nd and his magnificent son. Hedges Spcond Series, out of the imported cow Froukje 3rd, an animal of out standing quality and milking capacity. She has given 1270 gallons of milk in the first 294 days of her second lactation period, and is stilt in 'milk. The son proved the greatest attraction, and it was not until the magnificent figure of 2500 gs had been reached that Mr H. Hole and Colonel Finn managed to 'secure him. For his. sire Hedges (irrmorted) Fokke 2nd IOOOgs was paid. There was a very keen demand at the sale of Mr G. E. Sandars' famous herd of Lincoln Red Shorthorns at Scampton, near Lincoln, and exceptionally high prices were realised, the average for the 73 animals no less than £lO5 12s 8d per head. This sale arose owing to the Imperial Government taking over the best land on the farm. Tho stud bull realised 500 gs, and a bull calf 340 gs.

THE STATE OF AGRICULTURE. The reports furnished by the, crop reporters of the English board on agricultural conditions in England and Wales indicate that September was, upon the whole, favourable to agriculture in the eastern half of the country; on the western side the weather was more unsettled, and harvest operations were delayed accordingly. Over the greater part of England the corn was secured, generally by the second or. third week of tho month, in satisfactory condition; but in the west a certain quantity still remained to be carted, and some in Wales had still to be cut. while much was harvested in a damp condition. The potato crop is now being lifted. In some districts much progress has been done, in the west, where the late harvest and rainy weather have rather postponed this work. There is a aood deal of disease in the southwest, but the position does not appear to be so bad as was feared; and in the rest of the country there is very little disease. Except in the north-west, the crop is_ everywhere above average, . especially in the eastern counties, and the yield is expected to be 4 per cent, above average. Turnips and swedes are bad in tho eastern and north-eastern counties, where there is a thin plant; but elsewhere they appear to be average, and- even over in the south-west. On the whole, the yield is expected to be 5 per cent, below the average. Mangolds, on the other hand, are everywhere satisfactory, though they might have been improved by warmer weather, and the yield will probably be 3 per cent, over the average. In the east preparation of the land for autumn-sowing has made good progress under favourable conditions, and some wheat and winter oats have already been sown. In the west the lateness of the harvest has allowed of very little being done towards getting the land ready for the now crops. The stubbles are everywhero very full of weeds. Seeds are everywhero a prom'sing plant, although in several of the western disti-icts they have suffered some damage from the corn being laid. Pastures are full of keep, mere -so than usual at this time of year; but it is mostly not of very good quality owing to tho wet. Livestock have generally improved during the month. There is still great scarcity of skilled labour; but women and soldiers have everywhere been of great assistance, and now that the harvest is over the situation is a little easier than it has, been for some time past.