SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3444, 16 March 1920, Page 11

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Oil )\vn Correspondent.! At one time harvest looked as if \re were* going to be very late, when everything in the spring and early summer was very backward. The dry, waxm weather which wet have enjoyed has resulted in the lighter crops coming forward very rapidly, and making harvesting quite general. Now that the crops are all cut or ripening, it- is evident many of the oat crops will be very light, and heavy crops the exception and not the rule. The, market for this season's crop may -open at between 4s and 5s per bushel, but parties who have been travelling all over Southland doubt if there are oats enough to supply the demand, and to do so there will be fewer oats consumed in feed than has ever been the case before. Judging from.the acerage in crop and what the general average yield is likely to be, the price of oats may be double what is ruling at present. By the time thrashing is _in full swing, and the results from: tho mill ascertained, neither oats nor chaff will go back in price. From the shortness' of the straw, chaff may be both scarce and dear, but the quality in general will be good. On account of other feed up till now being plentiful the demand is not as yet what it will be, but the prices ruling of late are holding, good. Grass seed has come into demand, and the quality being so much better than last season has helped to strengthen the market, and prices have gone up a 3 high as 7s 6d per bushel from the mill. The weight per bushel is about AO per cent, better than last year, which is in itself a guarantee for better pastures, when so much, depends upon tho quality of the seed. " , /' The dry weather has told severely oh thai pastures, but the showers we have lately had, although of no benefit to the crops generally, will help the later crops to fill better, and keep the grass fresher until we get more rain. The milk supply has fallen off very much at mostly all the factories. - When it happens that a number of the suppliers have late-calving cows, it is not so serious. There are other factories that will be closing about a month earlier than usual unless the grass takes _ a very strong second growth. The turnips, despite grumbling about the weather having been too dry, will yet prove to be a very good crop all over, and winter feed is more assured than ever it was at any time last year. In most oases very late-sown turnips are almost a failure, but this will not affect feed for stock not even in tho spring. While some pa.rt3 of Southland were having a parched appearance, the country-in the Western district from Maori Hill to Orepuki is looking' remarkably well, there being some excellent crops of oats and potatoes. Sheep-dipping has been very general during thj dry weather, but with some the water supply got rather short. In many cases where the sheep were only dipped once a year they are now dipped twice. The first immediately after shearing, when a non-poisonous dip is often used, and especially eo with ewes and lambs. Then somo dip about six or eight weeks afterwards if at all possible, when the- eggs which were not destroyed at the first dipping may have produced fresh ticks. Some do not do so until spring, when the ewes are dipped just before lambing. This is considered more effective, and both ewes and lambs are cleaner and thrive better untd shearing. Some stock-owners, however, need to be reminded that the Stock Act makes it compulsory to dip all sheep between January 1 end March 31, and elsewhere in the Dominion between February 1 and April 30. Failing to do so, or exEosing lousy sheep, the sheep inspector as power to cause them to be dipped at the owner's expense. . ~ ,

Fortnightly sales are to be held at Otauiau and other centres to meet the heavy requirements for the disposal .of stock from February to November, inclusive. Whether there will be as much demand or as much stock changing hand* as has been the case for some years will depend upon whether there is a good appearance, and a general belief and confidence in a good and full supply of winter and spring feed. If the tat stock market continues good it will help considerably, to put animation into the sales and strengthen the demand At the Wallacetown sale on the 2nd inst. fat cattle, which at the last sale in February had been slow to move off, were in keen demand, and at this flala were disposed of at from 15s to 20s ahead of the prices ruling at the previous sale. Freezing Buyers were not operating, and there was a drop of from Is'to Is 6d per head on fat sheep. ' Fat lambs, however, were keenly competed for,sand at the saloon the 9th Dalgety and Co. disposed of an exiepticmally *t<ood pen of lambs for Hall and Seymour," of Surrey Park, to Mr William Swale at 35s 6d. a record •.;»' ~e for the

season. At the same sale fat sheep were hard to sell at a slight decline, and there was a noticeable slump in both store and fat cattle. .1 PICKLED PELTS. Messrs Rocke and Son write in their trade circular of January 7:— When the year 1919 opened there were large stocks of New Zealand pelt® held by importers in America, whilst London was absolutely .withoj.it a cask, a,nd there were few, if any, freezing pelts in New Zealand. The whole of the 1917-1918 season's production of New Zealand was shipped to North America in the absence of freight facilities between New Zealand and the United! Kingdom. No steamer brought New Zealand pelts to England between the s.s. Aparima, which arrived in October, 1917, and the e.s. Ruahine, which reported in April, 1919—an interval of 18 months! The signing of the armistice in November, 1918, was followed by a serious fall in the prices of all pickled pelts in the United States of America, and importers there found

that they could; not ©ell their holdings of New Zealand pelts at the old controlled prices of the war period; in fact, business was difficult to do even, at a substantial reduction in price. . This depression continued until about April, 1919, -when American buyers again entered the New Zealand market and made large purchases of freezing pelts at about sheep 60s, lambs 40s per dozen all round, net f.o.b. At this time pricea began to advance rapidly in America, and reached their highest point in July. Ths rapid' advance was followed by a period of uncertainty; prices reacted a little, and buyers of sheep leather bought conservatively. In October, it became evident that the deml.nd for the better classes of eheep leather was in excess of the supply, the American market again became active, and the year 1910 closed with small stocks held by American importers, an advancing market for New Zealand freezing pelts, both sheep and lambs, and sheep leather higher .in price' than it had ever been before. In England when the year 1919 opened there v re no New Zealand pelts in the country.

English pelts had been -released from price control in December i 1918, "and hadl advanced sharply. During the early part of the year prices of sheep pelts arid leather were higher m England than in America, and New Zealand pickled pelts were shipped from New York and Boston to England for sale, this being a reversal of the normal procedure, and roller leather dressers in England placed orders in New Zealand for North Island lambs at 40s per dozen, all- round, net f.0.b., at a time when American buyers were not willing to pay the price. It-was not until May that any New Zealand 1 pelts reached London, and they at once found buyers at prices substantially above the parity of sales.in New. Zealand on f.o.b. terms earlier in the year, i Arrivals continued to find a ready sale, first to Home buyers, arid, later on. chiefly to American buyers, at advancing prices, until the highest point was reached about the end of August. The advance between May and August represented an average of about 24s per dozen in the case of freezing sheep; and 20s t>er dozen in the case of freezing lambs. During" September and October, business was quiet, and prices came back a little, but in November a strong demand was experienced from America, and the year closed with prices back at about the highest point, no stocks. and every -prospect of _ a further advance. The course of prices dlnring 1919 was no doubt affected by the fall in the American exchange. At the close of the year the rat© was about 3.80, this representing an advantage to an American buyer of about 25 per cent.! CANTERBURY CRAJN AND PRODUCE MARKETS. CHRIST CHURCH, March 9. There has been a distinct firming in practically all lines of grain and produce during the past week. Algerian oats are still in keen demand; but the market, is in very short supply. One good line of 1000 sacks was boiight at 7s sd, f.0.b.5.i.. but this was a rare pood sample. Six shillings is about the maximum offer for

gooa seed at country stations.- Gartons are not moving at anything under W-at wayside stations. This is the lowest growers will ac< cent, but a- shade more than merchants will pay. However, the North Island inquiry is keener, and values are expected to ..firm. Barley is worth from 8s 9d to 9s 3d at country stations, and occasional deals are taking place. in excess of that. Ryegrass, both perennial and Italian, is m keen request, and is worth 7s 6d for the former and 6s 9d for Italian at-country stations, for good heavy undressed line*, up to 251 b weight. " '. White clover has also jumped, a four-ton line of' a particularly good sample.,selling at 2s 6d, country stations. Cocksfoot is easier now, and! is worth from Is Id- to Is -3d. March 12. * There is little change to report'in grain and produce prices. Garton oats have firmed, and are worth 5s at country stations, for good sample. This price is not prompting extensive offers by growers, who are expecting values to improve. Until inter-island shipping gets out of its present condition purchases for northern consumption will be very much hampered. Algerians and Duns are still very firm, and any available are . eagerly snapped up-regardless of a few pence hr price. All grass .and clover seeds, with the exception of cocksfoot, are very firm. Italian ryegrass is ■worth 6s 6d at country stations, and perennial 7s to 7s 3d. White clover has been sold at 2s 6d. There is good inquiry for all kinds of seed from the north, and considerable quantities have been bought for the Hawke's Bay district. The cocksfoot crop proving very costly to dress, the bulk coming forward containing a good deal of fog, etc., this has eased the price for undressed seed. Onions are not much in request. Potatoes are nominally worth from £5 5s to £5 15s at country stations. Fowl wheat is practically non-existent at present. Millers are taking wheat this year that in previous seasons would be discarded. The recent bad weather may result in some

provision in the matter of fowl feed, but in any case it will be tuiprecedentedly scarce. CLyttelton Times, March 13.) The market for good Garton pats has firmed considerably, up to 6s being; paid, but Algerians c»n the contrary, have quietened somewhat. There is still a very keen demand for all classes of grass seed. No business is yet being done in potatoes. Advices from 1 Auckland state that the market is irregular at £7 to £B, a:ad that North Island supplies will be sumciont to meet present demands, •with a carry over. Any potatoes, it is stated, coming from the South Island, are likely to meet a poor market. Cable advice from Australia is to the effect that there is no prospect for New Zealand business a*present, in potatoes, the market having reoeded. There is a keen demand for |barley at quotations ranging up to 9s 6d. The following are quotations: Oats. —Gartons, 4s lOd to ss; Algerians, 5s 8d to 5s 9d; Duns, 4s 6d to 4s lOd; extra dark heavy, ss. Barley.—9s 2d a bushel. Oatmeal.—2slb sacks, £33 per ton. Oatsheaf Chaff.—Bright heavy, £6 10s to £7, at country stations. Cocksfoot.— Undressed to Is 3d. Ryegrass.—Perennial, 6s to 6s 9d; Italian, 6s 6d to 6s. Clover.—White, 2s to 2s 6d; red, 2s 2d to 2s 6d. Onions.— £B per ton. -