NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 8

NOTES ON RURAL TOPICS.

Fat sheep values appear 'to be coming back, and it is not surprisFactors Affecting ing when consideration is Stock Values, given to those factors which served to hoist prices, in spite of the fact that values of the finished products—wool and meat—had been determined long ago by the Imperial Government. Tho wealth of feed and the operations of dealers caused an unwarranted and unjustified speculation in woolly sheep, which subsequent marketing of the same sheep shorn but visualised too plainly the fact that'the carcase was worth only "freezing prices," plus the skin value. No doubt some dealers and graziers will be squeezed in the orocees of unloading clear stock. It cannot "be too widely known that all retail butchers have now the option of obtaining their eupnlies of meat at the Imperial purchase price for their 'trade, cither freshly killed or the frozen article, if the former is not available at any particular freezing company. The "trade," once eliminated from the market. _ there would, of course, be less competition, and the downward trend of values would be accelerated. Fatteners will have 'to take the cxpoii; buyers' all-sunk prices, or consign to the works on their own account, and arrange as to the disposal of skins and pavments. The latter alternative, we know, will not be favoured if past experience counts for anything. This ma'fter_ is bound to come \\p sooner or'later. It is alleged that to-day buyers of fat lambs are not offering within 4s or 5s per head of last year's prices. Tt may be that the Food Controller a * Home is going to " stay" the free distribution of meat in the inter-" ests of the nation. Last season, it will be remembered. the freezing companies, through their channels of outlet -a't Home, were allowed to dispose of tho meat not required for army purposes. This feature undoubtedly was made the moet of at the Britishers' expense. True, some few graziers at this end may have enjoyed fat prices over and above "what seems warranted under the Imperial meat purchase scheme; but these enervated prices do onlv harm to the frozen meat trade generally. The over-all prices which, it is understood, export buyers will this year pay in Canterbury for mutton and lamb

compare -unfavourably with the pricc3 ruling at this time last year: 1917 1918. d. d. Irarrib3 .. 8J 7* Seconds and over 421 b.. 8£ 7g Wethers 6J 6 Ewes 6 5g Seconds and over 721 b... 6 5J In face of these prices it will surely take fattenors all they know to climb out of some of their purchased lots. As a general thing crops which rcceivd thorough inter-cultivation Inter-cultivation givo the bes't returns. This of Crops. is particularly beneficial during the growth of root crops through the summer season, when there is none too. much rainfall. If the Surface is allowed to become caked there is a loss of moisture by evaporation which can ill be spared, and this can be avoided by frequent inter-working and by allowing no crusting-over of the surface soil. It is the endeavour to put in practice the work of the hoe, and so secure a mulch of 2in or oin of loose soil, which urges farmers to continue this inter-working up to the very last moment. The weeds are thus kept down, and the loss of moisture is minimised. How often the horse-hoe must be used will depend on the condition of the land and the owner's judgment. The main thing is to keep the rows clean and well tilled, and ae a rule the horse-hoe can, in the case of potatoes and turnips, bo kept Roing until the animal has difficulty, in getting along without injury to the plants. y Mr Richard Norman writes:—"l read with much interest* Sore ' Agricola's' statement thafT Shoulders. (a false leather collar inside the collar will cure horses of sore shoulders. Twenty or 30 years back steel collars were introduced to remedy this, but they' did not come into general use, and I never saw any reference to them in the press. I have had a lot of trouble with sore'shoulders on horses. They are senseless brutes anyhow, and one will often want (?) to pull the entire load and get overheated, and then a scalded shoulder is the result. I have tried everything. I have doubled a sack longways and put it under the collar, and tied it right round the collar to keep it steady. The cure, I found, was to keep the sore moist with common castor oil or any thick oil. Put- it on at night and again in the morning. This keeps the sore always soft. Without the oil a crust will form on the sore hard enough to cut the sore deeper and larger.If the horse has a few days' spell the sore should be oiled twice a day. Care must be taken not to put too much oil on, as it will run and take the hair off. But if the horse is to have a few weeks' spell, then it is a. good idea to give a liberal supply of oil all over the shoulder, and if the hair comes off so much the better, as this makes the skin tough. In bad cases it is best to get .the collar stuffed and lined afr.esh, and the best quality of lining used." A correspondent to Hoard's Dairyman \ writes as follows: —"We Formalin for have been troubled with Calf Scours. calf-scours for years, and have at last found a preventive for most germ kinds. Do not _ let the calf suck if possible, and put into the milk one teaspoonful of a mixture of one part of formaldehyde and 24 of water to every feed for a month or six weeks. We have been using it for two years, and have had only four cases during the time, two of which were caused by eating silage and two were white scours, which were contracted before the formaldehyde solution was given them. These I cured easily with sulphur and raw eggs, given shell and all, warmed to blood heat. Before giving the formaldehyde treatment almost every calf had the scours, and there were serious losses; but now no trouble is experienced in raising all required." ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT. Young bull with hard lump between the bo'ttom jaw-bones, close to windpipe.- It is hard and about the size of a billiard ball. How can it bo removed, and what is it? Answer: It looks suspiciously like a tubercular growth on the gland, and the animal should be tested. Is there no stock inspector near who might direct you in the matter? If the growth is not tubercular it could bo removed: but an expert's services would be required, or the lump might be treated with iodino ointment.

SUPERPHOSPHATES FROM AUSTRALIA.

WELLINGTON, January 8. The Prime Minister recently cabled to the Commonwealth Government urging the removal of the embargo, bo far as New Zealand is concerned, on the export of superphosphates from Australia, or that at any rate the supplies already contracted for might be -allowed to be shipped. Mr Massey is now advised that the permits for the export of superphosphates were withheld pending inquiry as to local requirements, but instructions had subsequently been issued that until a definite decision had been arrived at shipments were to be- allowed to bo sent to New Zealand- in order to fulfil already existing contracts until February 28.

NEW ZEALAND MEAT EXPORTS.

BREACH GF ARRANGEMENT ALLEGED.

"The statement has been made in connection with exports of frozen meat that the arrangement which was entered into in New Zealand that the surplus meat not required for army and navy purposes should be disposed of by the British agents to the New Zealand 'owners was being disregarded, and quite a number of communications on the subject have reached ma from people hero." stated the. Prime Minister (the R : ght Hon. W. F. Massey) to a New Zealand Times representative. _ "I acordingly cabled the High Commissioner, London, making inquiries into the matter, and have just received flie following reply i • With reference to your telegram of Jannarv 5 on the subject of distribution of meat, have had this matter in hand several days, but. owing to holidays, and in the absence of several chief officers of Board of Trade, have not been able to gauge-full extent, of departure from previous arrangements. This is certainly contrary to what I understood was agreed to, as at a meeting some weeks ago under the presidency of' Lord Milner. it was decided definitely control of meat should remain in hands of

Board of Trade, and not be transferred to Food Controller. I am taking up matter fully with Board of Trade.'"