STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3383, 15 January 1919, Page 9

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Stock Salao. Bn'rnside, Wedne&c. ' Ashburton, Tuesda';. Addlngton, Wednesday*. Walareka Railway Junotionj Tueadari Wallacetovin, Tuesdays "Heriot, Thursdays Monthly. Palmeraton, Ist Monday .H'lnton, Ist Thursday Duntrocn, 2nd Frirfay Fortnightly. Clinton, Thursday! Balclutha, Fridays Qore, iTuesdays Oamaru, Tuesday* Waliacetown, Tuesdays

Monthly (continued). '■ Woodlands, 2nd Xhcrf- ■ day tVyudham, • last Thur* day Ualfour, 3rd Thursday Thornbury, Ist Friday DuntrOon A Otantau. 2nd Friday Riversiiala, 3rd Friday Waikaka, last Friday Clydevule, last Thursday ■ Periodically as Advertised. .' Lumsden, Mossourn, Orepuki, Mataura, WaikouaiM. Ri»erton, Ng'apara, and Otago Central'stale*.

.-.; OTAGO. 'The past -week was- somewhat similar to the previous seven days in regard to -weather conditions, -varied temperatures being experienced during: the day, intermixed with considerable, i rains along., the coastal lands of Otago. Inland not so much rain has "fallen, and : there; has been more, sunshine, but little enough, when one ha. 3 fruit crops waiting ripening weather. Consequent on the unsettled weather, farm work is all behindhand. The thinning of turnips, etc., is. a. conjurer's work this season, and the weeds are racing along. Th© harvest promises to be late and meagre enough, and some weeks of fine weather are greatly desired to help the wheat along. Potatoes are putting on a great growth of haulms, and are as yet free of blight. Generally there is a wonderful growth of vegetation, and a singular absence of bright sunshine. Some harvesting of turnip seed in Central Otago is being attempted this year, with every prospeot of successful financial results. The discrepancy in pre-war prices of this seed and to-day's rates is tremendous, while a lot of the imported seed has been (probably because of it being kept a long time) of poor germinating quality. BURNSIDE MARKET. There was a small entry of fat sheep at Burnside, practically all being out of the wool. There was an appreciable advance on last sale's prices—fully 2s to 3s a head; prices, "however, receded about Is 6d per head towards the close of the sale. The quality of the lambs penned was.very fair. The best of them realised the previous week's closing rates, but anything not quite finished was slow of sale at' a reduction in prices, and some lots ■ were passed' in at auction. The yarding of fat cattle was a fairly large one, and included a number showing a wide variation in quality, resulting in unevenness in values. There were numbers of pens of choice cattle, which merited the trade's close attention. In comparison E'th the sale in this centre on the previous ■iday cattle were dearer by 25s a head; but it will be remembered that at last sale beef was relatively cheap. Beef to-day sold at up to 49s per 1001 b, with secondary quality heifer and cow unchanged. The store cattle yarded comprised some 100 head —a medium lot. There was a fair demand. Two-year-old steers made £8 12s, fairish two-and-a-half-year-old steers £ll 19s, and mixed medium yearlings £4 10s. The entry of fat Dies was a fairly large one, with some half the number (40) of store sorts. There was a good sale for all classes.

ALDINGTON YARDS. Very fair yardings were forward at Addington, although the last stock sale was held on Friday last. Fat sheep maintained recent values, a few woolly wethers making round 45s 6d a head. The fat lambs comprised some 1600 odd, of varied quality. Exporters were operating at 8d to B|d per lb over all. The store sheep penned included a large number from Nelson and Blenheim, which doubtless had its effect on the tone of the market, which was decidedly dull, wethers showing a decline of 2s a head on recent prices. Tho few rape Sambs penned made 17s to 20s 6d, others .5s to 17s, and culls 14s. Close upon 300 fat cattle wero penned, all of average quality. Values at opening yero rather firmer, but later exporters had a look in and secured several lots. A big entry of store oattlo of all classes met with h quiet demand. Dry cows sold freely at up to £lO. Dairy cows were offered in

fair numbers, and met with a good sale at £lO to £ls 10s. Both fat and store pigs were sought after,' and a bright sale resulted at late rates.

! NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUES. Values generally of stock as advised from the several districts in the North Island show little if any change since our last report. In the Auckland area beef brings up to 52s per 1001 b. .Fair mixed yearlings range from £4- 10s to £5 and two-year-old steers -to £lO 10s. In the Poverty Bay district business in stock circles libs not yet made a commencement since the holidays. No reports are to hand from the Wairarapa or Wanganui-Feilding areas, and presumably Hawke's Bay stock-owners are still slumbering. Some recent transactions recorded in the last-named area, include good sorts of year old steers at £6 to £7 ss, mixed yearlings £3 to £4, store cows £B, , two-and-a-half-year-old mixed-coloured steers £9, arid shorn two-tooths (mixed) 23s to 275. STOCK NOTES. On account of the Otago Summer Show being held on Wednesday, the 29th, the Burnside sale will be held on the previous day—Tuesday. Stock sales have been quiet. Some good prices have been obtained at clearing sales—e.gJ: average of dairy herds, £l3; best animals, £l7 to £24 7s 6d; sows in pig and with litters to £ls. | Shorthorns continue to be the dominant I cattle breed in the Argentine, best speci- | mens bringing high prices. At the annual I sales in connection with the Pelermo Show : in September £he Shorthorn champion Pearl I Hunter 2nd realised £7500, which is bei lieved to be a record for the Argentine. I The previous'highest price for a champion j at this sale was £6666 in 1912. Other two ! bulls belonging to the same owner as the champion made £3416 and £3333, the average tor the three being £4-750. The junior champion bull, Crewe Freshman, bred and owned by Mr William Angus, Cabana Santa Clara, made £4166. There were several other comparatively high prices for Shorthorns. The; top for Aberdeen-Angus was £833 for the champion, owned by Senor Carlos Guerreroe liijis. This is also one of the highest prices that has ever been paid in the Argentine for a bull of this breed. There were 1200 Shorthorns at the show, 130 Herefords, and 90 AberdeenAngus. ' At the last sale of the year in Birmingham (England) of Shorthorns very fair interest was evinced. The demand for females of the popular strains of blood was excellent. Bulls sold freely, the champion yearling making 1500 gs. Some 353 animals were sold, as against 286 last year, and the general average was £9B 15*3, as against £9O Os Bd. It is ronorted that young Fnesian bull calf Haydon's Dutch King, bred by Mrs Sutman Aylesbury, was sold at 12 days old, to the owner of Hedges Farm, St. Albans, for 2500 gs—a record price, it is behoved, for a calf of any breed of the age. j Prices for Suffolk horses at Home show : an upward tendency. The feature of the ! Rendlesham sale Was a recprd price of ! 400 gs paid for a colt foal, a son of Snd- ' borne Beau Brocade. An average of £202 was made fo*r 43 marcs, fillies and foals. ; The two best mares made 550 gs and 510 gs i each. ■ ' ! The average prioo of a farm horse in tho : United States, all ages _ included, declined from (says Hoar's Dairyman) 145d0l in 1910 to 131dol in 1916. In 1917 the average price went up to 132d01, but in-1918 the fall was resumed, and the average price became 128dol. In 1910 the price of a farm horse averaged about 240 per cent, higher than the price of a cow; now a horse averages only 50 per cent, higher. CLYDESDALE BREEDING IN IRELAND. Some evidence of the increasing atten- ! tion being given to Clydesdale breeding in I Ireland is the interesting news that Mr J. I A. Campbell, of Furzefield, County Down, ; had recently sold a couple of Dunure Footprint and Baron Brilliant filly foals at £250. The dams of these choicely-bred youngsters are the famous champion and prize-winning marcs Lady Buchlyvie and Belmount Carter. It is worthy of note that the progeny of the latter during the past three years, and mated to the Dunure Mains ! ''crack," has fetched close on £SOO when only a few weeks old. Some months ago Mr Campbell also sold to Mr John Allen, County Roscommon, a big handsome Dunure Footprint yearling colt from his Everlasting mare, Dunure Beaming Ray. at £2CO. This is believed to be the highest price ever paid for a yearling Clydesdale ■ colt bred in Ireland. Mr Thomas Taylor, Markethill, County Armagh, has been in Scotland, and has purchased a three-year-old stallion and a brood mare from Mr J. R. Miller, Midkclton, I Castle-Douglas. The stallion is Milmain ' Buchlyvie '(19502), bred by Mr John L. i Ralston, Milmain. Stoncykirk, out of a Memento dam with a Baron's Pride granddam. The marc is by Baron lan (14584), i by Baron's Pride (9122), and her dam, j Midkclton Meg, was by King of Kyle (10213), grand-dam by Helmsman (7813), by I Top Gallant (1850). They made a notable addition to the increasing number of superior Clydesdales in Ireland. DANISH CATTLE AND BUTTER FIGURES. Duo ohiefly to shortage of feed, the num-

ber of cows in Denmark is expected, to decrease by about 100,000 within the next six months. The present estimated number of cows in that country is. 950,000, which is about 200,000 less than -in the summer of 1917. According to reliable reports received by the United States Food Administration the reduction in Denmark's butter supply Will exceed 2,000,0001 b during the coming year. Facts like these should remind dairymen of the growing dependence of foreign populations on our dairy products. In prewar years- Denmark exported butter to the British Isles which now must look to other sources of supply. Continued shortage of feeding stuffs in Denmark has resulted in the use of ground heather as a fodder substitute. The heather is t reduced to a coarse flour, and when mixed with blood from slaughter-houses is used to replace peahut meal, copra meal, and other fodder which can no longer be obtained in Denmark. A mill recently erected for the manufacture of this feed now has a daily output of about 200 bags. This development in the foreign fodder situation is mentioned by the United States Food Administration as showing the ability of other nations to meet difficult conditions imposed by the war. With our greater and more varied natural resources dairymen have the opportunity of exercising equal ingenuity in maintaining production jvhen customary feeds cannot be secured in normal quantities. Farmers are asked to prevent all waste of feed as well as of food. This can be accomplished in large measure by storing fodder and other coarse feeds carefully to prevent loss of nutritive value through weathering.

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS.

It is hoped that the Hon. D. H. Guthrie (Minister of Lands) will be a, visitor at the Otago A. and P. Society's summer show this month. ■. . .

The fourth local valuation of wools purchased by the New Zealand Government under the commandeering arrangement "with the Imperial Government has just been completed. ■ Seven thousand bales were dealt with, which is about the same number as was offered at the. corresponding valuation last year. The condition of the current offerings was not nearly so good as at the fourth valuation in 1918, the staple being much shorter. It is pleasing to. note that growers are giving .their wools very much better attention and that the skirting work also shows a great improvement. Growers reap a direct benefit by care in this direction, as dirty wools are always put into a lower grade and suffer in price as a consequence. The highest valuation was 23d per lb, this being named for a line of merino comprising eight bales. This wool was beautifully soft and silky, running as high as 70 Bradford counts. It should be explained that at each valuation the lots of wool to be dealt with are restricted to 1500 —in this latest valuation representing 7000 bales. The 1500 lots are divided pro rata amongst all the local wool brokers. The Federal Price-fixing Department of Australia announced recently that it had made a profit of approximately £250,000 out of handling rabbitskins under the Ministry's control scheme. It was suggested that this sum should be paid to the Australian Workers' Union, but Senator Millen says that it was intended to retain* the profit in the Consolidtaed Revenue. He stated that the profit had resulted chiefly from the careful grading of the skins and the keen demand by American buyers. Australian requirements had been met at practically normal rates. The annual report of the Queensland State Butchers' Shops show that there are 27 shops in operation, 13 being in the metropolitan area (says an Exchange). The total sales for the year amounted to £272,957, and . the profit to £35,045. It would look suspiciously like profiteering if a private firm netted such a large return on the turnover, and, of course, the Government is only able to do it by commandeering supplies at the expense of the producer. It is reported (says the Australasian) on what appears to be undoubted authority that a proposal for a further extension of the wool scheme is under consideration, though no information has so far been vouchsafed to the growers. The Australian clip has been sold to the British Government up to July. 1920, and it is understood that the proposal is to make a further sale covering a long period. Leading representatives of the pastoral industry have recently urged that Government control should cease at the earliest possible moment, and there is a feeling among them that serious embarrassment may occur if this control be continued beyond tho terms of the current contract. Growers will be well advised to insist upon their being given full information before they agree to any extension, even though such an extension might appear to givo a temporary advantage. The cocksfoot harvest in the Banks Peninsula bays this season promises to be the most prolific for tho past five years, due, doubtless to early rain showers, followed by sunny weather. It is feared, however, that the supply of reapers will hardly equal the demand, which will be unfortunate, especially in view of tho fact; that acoording. to present indications, _ prices should be fairly high._ Grass-seeding operations will commence in the course 6f a fevr weeks' timo. Already a number of men from the

Lyttelton district have gone to the various bays in anticipation, of an early start. Mr James M'Lean. who about 12 months ago disposed of " Bur wood " Station, on the 6th bought Mr James King's sheep station, known as " Blackmount." The property consists of 60,000 acres, 2500 of which are freehold, and the price obtained was between £40,000 and £50,000. With the property went 13,000 sheep. A leading sheep farmer stated to a Hawera Star representative that the position in regard to shearers for this season's wool is serious. iSheep farmers in that district have always depended largely on the Maoris, and unfortunately they are not now available in any number. The epidemic, too, has been responsible for a lot of trouble. Apart from the disease in wheat, other blight pests are reported to be very active this season (states the Ashburton Guardian). The blight, apart from playing havoc in gardens, has also affected rape and turnip crops. The moist season is no doubt responsible for the unusual visitation. A farmer in the Masterton district lost £2OO worth of hay through bad weather in the holidays. A well-known settler in the Waverley district met with a somewhat heavy loss last week in a peculiar manner (says the Patea Press correspondent). It appears that a mob of fat wethers were left near a crossing over a slight hollow, whilst the musterer went to head off some stragglers. On his return he found that the mob had rushed the crossing, with the result that a block had occurred, the hollow, to his dismay, being filled with the bodies of some 150 sheep which had been smothered. The Oamaru Mail says that wool is commencing to come in freely, and all the local stores present an animated appearance in sorting and collating the various dim in view of the next valuation. There is likely to be a large quantity forward for the valuation, which commences -on the 20th, but very few of the back-country stations will be represented thereat, as the broken weather has interfered considerably with the shearing operations. Nevertheless the small farmers' clips make an attractive display on this occasion, as for the most part the wool is coming forward in a clean condition.

A well-known South Hillend farmer stated (says the Southland Times), that farmers in that district had practically made up for the time lost during the influenza epidemic Many were now busy sowing turnips, but those who had grass as Well as turnips were meeting with some difficulty. Farmers had helped each other with sbeep-shearing, which was now almost completed. • What is claimed as a record for shearing in Canterbury is described by a Chertsey resident in a letter to the Lyttelton Times. He states that W. Holmes, > of Rakaia, at Mr P. Galligan's shed, on January 4 rlast sheared 358 sheep in a "working day." The time worked is not definitolv stated. ... .■-.'"•■

A shearer who has been visiting Masterton for the last 10 years'told an Age representative that his cheque this season nas been little more than half what it was in former years. ;

DISEASE IN WHEAT.

DR COCKAYNE'S REPORT. CHRISTCHUROH, January 11, Chatting to-day about the wheat harvest prospects, which he classed as good, Mr W. G. M'Donald, Government wheat controller, stated that Dr Cockayne, Government Biologist, had informed him that there was no groat cause for pessimism over the result of the appearance of the wheat Uisi-Os>e in Ashburton. Dr Cockayne said that there was not much chance of its appreciably spreading this season. Providing no heavy winds occurred, a good proportion of the affected crops would be reaped. There are reports from various parts of Canterbury (says the Lyttelton Times) that wheat crops are being attacked by a disease or blight. Generally the crops are looking well, but in some cases the straw shows signs of affection, and the heads arc not filling. The most serious effect noticed h that the straw is cut off a few inches above the ground. The pest or disease apparently gets to work just as the wheat is coming into blade. The complaints are coming mostly from the Ashburton County, but other parts of the province as far distant as Rolleston and Culverden also report the presence of the trouble.