STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 11

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES

Weekly Stock Sala». Monthly (continued). Burnelde, Wedoest W nodlands, 2ud ThcrsAsbhurton, day Addington, Wednesdays tVyudham, last TbtfrsWalarelca Railway Jano- d a y tlon. Tuesdays LaUonr, 3rd Thursday Waliacetown, Tuesdays Thornbury, Ist Friday H«riot, Thursdays Duntroon A Otautau, 2nd Friday Fortnightly. Kiyersdale, 3rd Friday (Hiutou, Thursdays Waikaka, last Friday falefath*. Fridays Clydeyale, last Thurs--oore, Tuesday* da 7 Damarn, Tuesdays Periodically ns Adver.WaJlacetown, Tuesdays Used. - „ ... Lumsdcn, Moasourn, Honinly. Orepuki, Mataura, Pnlmeraton, Ist Monday Waikouaiti. ilWrJV'iuton, Ist Thursday I ton, and Duntrocn, 2nd i'rlday | Otago Central Sale*. OTAGO.

Mixed' weather was experienced throughout Otago during the week, with some enow, sleet showers, and cold, frosty nights. Only at times did the sun break through. Inland snow fell, but did not lie for long, and hard frosts were more or less prevalent, with an occasional day of beautiful weather. The milk supply has slackened considerably in a great measure owing to feed being scarce, and cows being dried off for the season. Turnips have grown on well*, but will all be wanted. Considerable interest is being taken in the Government orchard instructor's demonstration in pruning fruit trees, and Mr J. B, Thorp must be pleased at the interest taken by Central growers. The Director-general calls the attention of selling brokers to the fact that ferret skins are hot allowed to be sold unless permission is first obtained. According to the Rabbit Nuisance Aofc and amendments it is illegal for any person to capture, sell, dispose of, or' kill any animal declared to be tho natural enemy of the rabbit except by a permit signed by an inspector. Attention is drawn to the fact that the Clinton and Olutha stock sales, fixed for the sth and 6th June respectively, have been cancelled. The next sales will be held as follows: —At Olinton saleyards, June 19; at Balelutha saleyards, June 20. BTJRNSIDE MARKET. Tho yardings of stock at Burnside were large, some extra quality sheep and cattle in prospect of Show Week being forward. Competition for the varied quality was fairly good, the best making up to 23 a head better, and lighter were considerably firmer than at the previous sale; inferior sorts were unchanged. The yarding of fat lamb 3 was large, and of tho usual quality, with the exception of some extra prime show lambe. There was quite a bright demand, and an improvement in prices of about Is a head compared with last sale's rates. A moderate entry of fat cattle of average quality, with several extra yards of prime heavy steers. There was generally a good demand at fully up to last sale s prices, beef making up to 46s per 1001 b. There was but a small entry of store cattle, and the demand was slack, and no appreciation on last sale's values resulted. Very. Jew dairy cattle were yarded, the best of those penned making to £ls. An average yarding of fat pigs elicited a keen demand, and were cleared at recent market rates at up to 93d per lb. ADDINGTON YARDS. There was an average yarding of fat sheep at Addington, the quality being satisfactory. The demand was keen, and prices improved fully Is 6d a head on last sale's rates, exporters taking a fair number of the pennirigs. The offering of stoxo sheep was small and the demand firm. Lambs were selling readily at an advance of 3s on prices ruling a fortnight ago. Wethera and best kinds of ewes were in better request. Fat lambs of mixed quality evoked a keen demand, and prices wore ahead of the previous week's values by fully Is a head. The yarding of fat cattle was of very mixed quality. The best of a fair-sized •ntry realised rather firmer rates, but plain stuff and ordinary was unchanged. Exporters secured a few lots. The entry of Store cattle was a small one, and the demand not existent for the few submitted. Best sorts" of dairy cows sold freely at late values, while all classes of fat pigs sold j readily at unchanged rates —up to lOd per NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUE.S Some idea of the straits stock-owners In {he North Island are in in respect to j feed may be gleaned from the range of j prices for stock ruling in widely-separated fliytriots. In the Auckland province beef ■aid to 60s per lOOlbj year and a-half

steers, £2 10s; two and a-half year, £7 15s. In Poverty Bay .two-tooth wethers round 17s; small two-tooth ewes, 13s. In the Wairarapa, two-tooth wethers round 16s and up to 235; young ewes in lamb, 203 to 25s 5 yearling steers, £2 10s to £3 10s; two and a-half-year-old, £7 to £8; three-year-old (off) to £lO 15s. In Taranaki good store wethers, 23s to 255; lambs, 73 to 12s; store cows, £5 to £7 10s; mixed young steers, £2 to £4 10s. In the Manawatu, wethers 17s to 275; lambs, 7s to 14s; good year and a-half steers, £3 ss; weaners to 30s. In the Wanganui-Feilding areas, two-tooth wethers, 17s'to 255; fair lambs, 7a to 10s; culls, 2s 9d; year and a-half Shorthorn steers, £6; two-year-olds, £7 10s; Hereford two-year-olds, £7 15s. In the Hawke's Bay district, wethers, 19s to 275; mixed lambs, Ss to 12s 6d; yearling steers, £2; two-year olds, £4 10s; dairy heifers round about £4 10s; good weaners, £1 12s; three-year-old steers, £6 to £lO 10s; cows and calves, £4 10s to £6 10s. PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA. A distinct improvement in the seasonal outlook in.the south has taken place during the last few days (says the Pastoral Review), thanks to the general rains that commenced on May 6. Prior to that date tho weather continued persistently warm and 1 dry over the main pastoral districts of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, and graziers were becoming anxious as to the winter. Even now the bulk of West, Central, and North-west New South Wales is in a bad way. This country has been more or less drought-stricken all the summer, and, unfortunately, the recent falls do not appear to have been j worth much north of a line running roughly ! from Broken Hill to Dubbo. Patches of country have had storms at odd times, and carry grass, but elsewhere natural feed has disappeared, and what stock are left are being hand-fed or allowed to take their chance. The season in Queensland can best be described as patchy. Most of the coastal districts received good rains last month, although parts of the south wero missed. Inland tne best falls. have been recorded in the central and far-western districts 'as the result of storms, which, again, were patchy. With these exceptions the country is from fair to dry, and the outlook for the winter somewhat uncertain at the time of writing. Where the rains have been heavy enough to cause a green shoot, and the country was not previously drought-stricken, the lambing ought to bo all right now. The weather continues warm, and the ewes should be in a condition to' after their _ young properly. Everything points to a satisfactory increase in the sheep stocks of Victoria, South Australia, and as far as New South Wales is concerned, the southern districts at least. West and North New South Wales is, as previously remarked, having a bad time, and the losses of stock there are bound to be heavy. The pastoral country in Western Australia, with the exception of that in southern areas, continues very dry. The south had good rains early this month. Aftera prolonged dry spell light to moderate rains were reported over tho bulk of the _ wheat-growing districts of South Australia, Victoria, Riverina, and the tablelands of New South Wales early in May. The falls were heaviest in South Australia and inside the divide in Victoria, where several stations recorded well over lin. The western district of Victoria lias, up to the time of writing, received only light showers, but the weather indications point to further falls in the near future [up to an inch has since been reported:—Ed.]. Prior to this break some anxiety was being felt as to the season. Where the soil was at all stiff it had become almost impossible to work, except in the case of fallow. Even under the most favourable conditions farmers were chary of sowing. Now that the rain has come ploughing and seeding will bo general, and the crops that are already in should make good progress. Central and North-west New South Wales have so far only received sioattered showers, and the bulk of the wheat belt lying in that country is still in the grip of a drought. Farming operations there are largely hung up, and unless good rains fall soon the area sown must be comparatively small. The season on the Darling Downs and in Southern Queensland ' is patchy, and more rain is needed generally. The coastal districts of New South Wales report heavy rains during the month under review. These, however, extended but a little way inland. Gippsland, Victoria, also reported nk» falls in April, but only showers as yet in May. The recent dry spell has done good in that it has enabled farmer* to < work their fallow thoroughly. The rains in February and March started weeds, which have been turned in, and a clean seed bed is now assured on fallowed land at all events. Splendid rains were recorded over the agricultural districts of Western Australia the second half of April. These came just in time to enable farmers to get on with their ploughing and sow-

in p. Mr Watt Informed Mr Huprhes that dissatisfaction -was expressed in Australia with the- existing meat contracts. This is duo to the face that, Bince the cessation of

hostilities, meat from other countries, notably America, is realising exorbitant prices, , while the Australian producer is receiving only the contract price, although his meat is released by the British Government on the London market at considerably higher prices. Mr Watt urged Mr Hughes to endeavour to have the contracts terminated, except so far as 6tocks now in cold storage are concerned. The Commonwealth Minis- . try considers every endeavour should _ be made to obtain the highest possible prices for Australian meat, and that the prices should bo on a parity with American and other countries. The Acting Prime Ministor emphasised the growing feeling in Australia in favour of a free market, and the desire of meat-producers for a full knowledge of all transactions before completion, unless the price offered was such as to ensure complete 'satisfaction. There is no doubt (says the Review) that Mr _ Watt's cable accurately describes the feelings of both graziers and exporters. This feeling did. -not find very audible expression while the war was on, but now that hostilities have ceased a demand for the release of the trade will become more, and more insistent. The existing arrangement is supposed to expire three monhts after the ratification of the peace treaty by the Governments concerned. When that may ultimately be, goodness only knows. If the Imperial authorities will not agree to cancel the agreement at once it would bo something gained if a more definite date than the foregoing is determined on. The sending of this cable seems to ring the death knell, as far as Australia is concerned, of the scheme for Imperial preference on meat propounded by the Australasian section of the Incorporated Society of Meat Importers. The demand for a free market is hardly compatible with a scheme which includes the binding of 75 per cent, of the output to Great Britain for the next five years. As reported last month, the siiggestion has not been viewed favourably by the New South Wales Producers' Associations' Central Council, and since then the Graziers' Association of Queensland has turned it down. . THE LIVE STOCK OUTLOOK. A most interesting paper on the subject of "The Future of Our Live Stock Industry" was read by Mr Alfred Mausell at a meeting of the Farmers' Club (London) in March last. The speaker started bv comparing the live stock returns for the United Kingdom for a pre-war period—June, 1914, and June. 1913. An analysis of theso showed that horses used for agricultural purposes had increased by 65,000; cattle showed an increase of about 120,000; but in the case of sheep there was a decline in numbers of upwards of 900,000, the fall in breeding ewes being approximately 270,000. The pig figures were even worse, and showed a loss of 1,114,000, the only satisfactory feature being that sows kept for breeding only showed a decline of 82,000. These figures, commented Mr Mansell, wore somewhat remarkable, and after four years of war they should be able to put up such a good record. The figures relating to sheep and pigs pointed to a scarcity cf meat products for many years to come, and should act as a special incentive on their part to regain the ground lost and improve the general standard of their live stock to the lullest extent. Continuing, the speaker said that, though they possessed the finest studs, herds, and flocks in the universe, the number of badly-bred, indifferent animals (more especially cattle) entering their markets was a national disgrace, when it was remembered that they had had for many yea -s a large number of really wellbred sires available at reasonable! E rices, and in that particular direction they ad much to learn from colonial and foreign breeders, who did not hesitate to give long E rices for bulls to go on the ranch to reed commercial cattle, having proved by experience that it had left good financial results. Apathy on tho part of the ordinary farmer, and in tho case of dairy farmers that they had no interest in the calf, were the causes which had brought about this deplorable state of things. Economy in production was the keynote to the success of the manufacturer, and, to a certain extent, the farmer was governed by the same inexorable law. The feeding of low-grade animals was a waste of food. The same rations given to a well-bred animal would give a far better return in weight and quality of fiesh. In other words, all fields produco realised a much higher price when fed to well bred stock than when consumed ! by- second and third-rate animals. Their ! great object to achieve was to try and j bring home to the odrinary farmer the importance of breeding first-class stock. In connection with what ho hoped to see—viz., a vast scheme for raising the general standard of their live stock in conjunction with the practical certainty of a very large demand from the colonies and foreign countries for pedigree stock, Mr Mansell considered breeders were assured of a remunerative market for many years to come. The prices ruling of late for first-class stock should convince everyone that where good judgment was exercised the breeder would be substantially rewarded. Ha was not quito so sure that the sensational prices ruling of late for pedigree stock was all

for # the good of the country. Many animals which in more normal times would have found their way into the hands of tenantfarmer breeders had been bought' by new men taking up breeding as a hobby, because it was fashionable. It was to bo hoped that they would continue the business as a serious proposition, and not abandon it as a toy. It was also sincerely to be hoped that breeders would not be tempted by high prices to sell their best females for shipment, as the valuable strains of blood they possessed had been handed down to them as a great heritage from their forefathers, and they should bo maintained as a priceless gift. Every possible encouragement should be given to the breeder of pure-bred stock, as it was one means of providing sires for grading up their commercial live stock, and, secondly, it was a large and increasing source of income from foreign and colonial countries, as breeders abroad, as they knew from past experience, must come periodically to this country to maintain the typo and character of their herds and flocks, and this alone would maintain a good annual demand for their best animals, and.._ at the same time, new countries were giving increased attention to iive stock improvement and were importing pedigree stock on a considerable scale for thi3 purpose. Hand in hand with any improvement scheme, tho undesirable sire should bo suppressed. They had all suffered from control during the war, and the> would be glad to see these restrictions removed, but ho would like to see a law enacted that ail animals serving for a fee should pass some sort of inspection and be registered accordingly. Otherwise they would havo the scrub bull, ram, and boar doing servica, and so retarding that general improvement in their live stock which they should all like to see. Others who had given tho matter careful thought—and he confessed that ho was a convert —recommend more drastic aotion. The proposal was that every farmer using a bull should be_ compelled to hold a permit that the animal in question was suitable for. breeding purposes. There was a precedent for tho first suggestion in tho Act to regulate the use of stallions for stud purposes, which enacted that any stallions serving for a fee must bo licensed.

The speaker further suggested that all farmers, even those who were principally known as feeders, should make an effort to rear a certain number of well-bred calves and so help to make their holding more selfcontained as regards the supply of raw material. ]f the use of good bulls was insisted on, many more calves suitable for reaving would bo available, and if rearing was more generally adopted it would absorb the surplus supply. Going on then to refer to milk-recording, Mr Mansell said this had not made the headway it should have done owing to war conditions, but it was hoped it would be vigorously pushed now, as he was convinced that the results to be achieved were great. Tho clerical work in connection with recording should be ieduced to a minimum, and the returns should be few and as simple as possible. Apart from the knowledge the farmer gained as to which cows in his herd were giving good > milk yields, any cows or heifers he might sell from his herd where milk records were kept realised £lO to £ls more per head than where figures could not be given. It was, he believed, generally admitted that few, if any, dairy farmers know which cows were paying their way and which were not, unless assisted by authentio records. Therefore, to improve the yield of their dairy herds, it was essential that milk-recording should be adopted to the fullest possible extent. If a man milking 50 cows could, _by selection and judicious management, increase his yield per cow only lOOgal per annum, the financial result meant a considerable addition to his income—say sCOogal at Is 6d per gallon equals £375. The commercial side appeared to be seriously jeopardised if adequate steps were not promptly taken to make impossible the abuses revealed in the Summary of the Report of the Federal Trade Commission on tho Meat Packing Industry to control the world's meat supply to the disadvantage of the producer and consumer alike, by manipulating live stock markets, restriction of food supplies, crushing effective competition, control of prices, securing special privileges from railroads, stockyard companies, and municipalities, and other reprehensible practices too numerous to mention, the tentacles and ramifications of which apparently had no limit.