STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3470, 14 September 1920, Page 9

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Wmviv S'opfc Sale* MortfMv feontlnoedl. Bnrnside, Wednesdays Woodlands, 2nd Xhur*. Ashb-arton. Tuesdays d *J Addington. Wednesdays <Vyndbam, last ThurßWalareka Railway Juno- day ♦Jon. Tuesday* Balfour. 3rd Thi:r«day Wallaoetbwn. Tuesdays Thornbury,. Ist Friday Bertot. ThnrpflaTS Uontroon & Otaatau, Fortnlohttv. J D(i J Fr , ldaT -. „ u Clinton. Thursdays wJ.lffS* 16 ', "? E}2* T Ow«ka, alternate Thor- afca f las * f Fr £ aT days with Clinton - Cly-ievale. last ThursBalclutha, Fridays aay Gore, Tuesday* Periodically as AdverOaroaru. TYiPudays Used. Monthly. Lnmsden, Mossbuin, Wallacetown, Tuesdays Orepaki, Mafaura; Pnltnerston. Int. Monday WaikoualU, HVlntcn, Ist Thursday toil, Ngapara. and Buntroon, 2nd Friday Otago Ceutrat Sales OTAGO. The' weather during the past week has been quite good, warm enough to create a tint of green to the pastures, but not enough to enthuse about. There are turnips still offering, but their feeding value will hot improve from now onwards. BURNSIDE MARKET. There was a short yarding of fat sheep at Burnside the quality being only fair. The demand was better than the previous week, and, although unsteady, prime lots were firmer by Is to 2s a head, unfinished sorts moving up about half this amount. Aa in recent yardings, well-finished finewoolled sheep made more per lb all sunk—■ probably £d a lb above sheep carrying a coarser grade of wool—that is to say, sheep carrying a fleece round 50's quality were in favour. -Some 70 fat hoggets elicited a good demand, and best sorts made fully up to the previous week's quotations. The yarding of fat cattle comprised a full entry of good beef. The sale opened without animation, and, in spito of passings by brokers, clearances were only effected at a reduction of fully £1 a head on the previous week's prices, beef on the run of the sale making up to 's7s per 1001 b Several pens of rather plain animals were markedly easier, with best heifer and cow beef changing hands at under 50s. A small entry of store cattle (about 70) of fair quality, with an absence of young sorts, met with a dragging demand. Best coloured beef cattle in good ordor (three to four years old) made £l2 to £l4, and a pen of year-and-a-half-old steers (good sorts) £6 10s. Dairy cows were penned in fair numbers, but few above the average quality, the best of them meeting with good competition at up to £lO 10s. A small yarding of fat pig's of food quality realised high rates—fully up o la3t sale's prices. Small sorts also were dearer, but not many of the latter were penned. • ALDINGTON YARDS. The yarding of fat sheep at Addington

was considerably larger than at the previous sale, the quality being only fair with the exception of a moderate proportion of the entry. All classes receded in values, excepting the pick, which njade rates on a parity with last sale's quotations. Graziers secured quite a number of the unfinished lots at cheaper rates than very similar lots could be bought in the store pens. A fair yarding of store sheep were cleared at rates on a level with those ruling in this centre a week ago, halfbred ewe hoggets making up to 33s 6d, ordinary to 295, and mixed 235" 6d to 27s 9d.

The entry of fat cattle was well over the previous week's in numbers, but the quality was somewhat ragged, and there were a goodly lot- of dealers' cattle included. Sales were made on a lower basis throughout, and many lots were passed. The yarding of .store cattle were unimpressive and not the sort wanted. Prices fell away, and saleß were difficult to effect even at lower rates. The dairy cows penned were, good sorts for the most part, and met with a brisk demand, a JTriesian cow making £25 15s and others from £8 to £2O. The fat pig entry was disappointing, and prices ruled very high, pork realising round Is 4-d per lb on the hoof; while, although there was a fair entry of store pigs, prices were keen for all penned. CLUTHA-CLINTON STOCK SALES. At Clinton there was a small entry—about 500 sheep all counted—and a quiet demand. Pat and forward wethers sold to 365, mixed sex hoggets 21s to 28s 2d. The cattle were thin and sales hard to effect, some very thin Hereford two-year-old steers being passed at £6, and same aged heifers at £B. At Balcjutha about 2000 sheep were yarded and a fair number of cattle, dairy cows in particular being numerous. The fat sheep (600 of the entry) sold at rates similar to Burnside, and other sorts at Is 6d a head better than at Clinton the previous day. Store wethers made 32s to 355; extra good ewe hoggets, ,31s; fail-, 275; wether hoggets, extra good, 31s 3d; medium, 235.; mixed sex hoggets, 25s 6d to 28s; two tooth ewes, in lamb, 34s 6d to 375; old sorts, 18s to 255: There was not a great demand for cattle, but best dairy ooWs were in favour at the high rates obtainable praotically in all dairying centres of late, and- sheep were selling at prices which at times amazed brokers and pleased them also. NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUES. " Bidding at auction in the North Island for the most part is comparatively slack for practically all classes of store" stock.' Where there is any feed to spare (which is th 3 case in but a few districts) the better grades of stock alone, have attention. In the Auckland district at the Westfield market beef touched 62s in places and as low as 40s ner 1001 b for rough quality. Forward wethers made 35s to 41s, fat hoggets to 41s, fair sorts of year-and-a'-half-old steers £4 to £5 ss, and two-and-a-half-vear-olds £6 to £7 15s. In Poverty Bay hoggets sold from 26s to 325, medium .wethers 33s 6d, in-lamb ewes (mixed ages) 35s to 40s, medium mixed yearlings £3 to £4 15s, and three-year-old to four-year-old steers £ll to £l2. 10s. In Taranaki best yearling dairy heifers ranged from £4- to £5. two-year-old steers £6 to £7, best heifers (at profit) to £25, late heifers £lO to £ls, and empty £6 ss. In the Wan-ganui-Feilding areas hoggets made from 25s to 28s, small 12s 6d, forward wethers 345, yearling steers £4- to £5 ss, springing heifers £lO to £ls, springing cows to £l6, late sorts £8 to £lO. In the Wairarapa hoggets sold at 20s' to 265, small 18s, yearling heifers (dairy sorts) £5, dairy cows £lO to £ls, empty £5, late calvers £9 to £ll. best heifers (at nrofit) £l7 to £2O, best cows £2O to £27, and late calver9 £8 to £l2. In Hawke's Bay hoggets made from 22s to 28s, small 18s, wethers 32s to 375, small wetbers 265, in-lamb ewes to 41s 6d. in-calf cows to Herefords £7 10s, do to polled Angus £8 10s, medium steers (year and a-half) to £5, two-year-olcta £6 10s, and springing heifers £l3 to £l7. STOCK NOTES. There is nothing much "doing" at present in store stock in Otago. Neither the weather nor the outlook is conducive to free speculation, feed being scarce and' prices for the lower qualities of wool being problematic As for meat, the outlook seems promising, provided shipping is adequate and buyers' financial strength will enable them to market their purchases to advantage. In respect to a license being granted to Armour's, we are not much further forward. It will depend on tho Weight of representatipn, for or against, made to the Government. At the moment the farmers' organisations in favour of wide competition for our meat, are for the most part dormant, but it is conceivable i hat they will wake up. Methinks the freezing companies could clear the air somewhat if they would, and say whether they are confident of unloading in America without restraint. It is said that Wellington butchers are

filling at present, some 70 per cent of their beef reauirements from the freezing works. The Ashburton Horse Parade will be held on the Show Grounds on the 25th of the' present month, entries closing on the 21st inst.

A fair, number of lambs have been sold forward at over 20s a, head, one grower turning down an offer of 255. An American Jersey Bull, Gypsy Gamboge Lad, was sold recently to Mr O. F. Sturnhahn, Connecticut, for £4600. The cow, Oxford Mesembryanthemum has been purchased by Messrs Ayer and M'Kinney, Meridalo, N.Y., for £3OOO. The . cow, Green Farm Sybil, has been bought by Mr L. V. Walkley, Southington; Connecticut, for £2400.

' The value of herd testing was plainly evidenced in the figures published by a CoW Testing Association in the North Island: Average cow- in best herd, 3271 b fat; the best cow, 4431 b fat; average association cow, 2251 b fat: average cow in worst herd, 1421 b fat; the worst cow, 801 b fat. WOOL NOTES. Messrs Pyne, Gould, Guinness', Ltd., annual review for the season 1919-20 of wool stock, arid produce markets is an enlightening pamphlet and. will repay perusal by producers. Without undue optimism, but yet realising that one is treading on thin ice in attempting to predict future prices for our primary products, it is good to read " . . . and we are inclined to venture that prices for these (South Island wools of fine, qualitiy) in New Zealand will be as high, if not. higher, than those obtained during the past few years." In dealing with the prospects of the demand for riieat, the opinion is expressed that "the demand for lamb and good wether mutton will be such as to offset many, if not all, difficulties and handicaps which will.be a feature of the 1921 season." In conclusion, "we recommend our friends to have confidence in the future, but to .practise economy, and make the most of their producing power, by which action they will safeguard their own position and assist the Dominion to weather atoy threatened storms." There has been, according to a recent cable, more active competition for the finer quality wools, but low grade wools are dull, as Argentine wools of similar varieties. are about 6d cheaper. The huge Imperial stocks, as well as the incoming clips, are acting as a drag on the market. The Continental position is difficult, owing to the unfavourable exchange. Those countries, too, that can pay have about enough wool, while those countries that cannot require a lot of wool. Buyers wanting wool hang back in order to bring the market still further back.

Committees are now being formed in the different Australian States in connection with the proposals for the manufacture of Australian wool on a large scale put forward by the Bureau of Commerce and Industry (says an exchange). It is hoped that within the next few weeks every State will have a strong committee at work for the extension of the industry. The proposals made by the bureau, with the approval of the Commonwealth Ministry, provide for the expenditure of about £16,000.000, spread over a period of 10 years. This will, it is considered, with the factories already in operation, enable over a third of Australia's total output of wool to" he manufactured here. There would be considerable difficulty in obtaining from overseas the machinery necessary for new factories on extensive scales, but it is considered by the bureau that to a large extent the machinery can be made in Australia. To provide for this and obtain the necessary operatives will bo the first duties of the new committee. It is hoped that the capital required will be largely provided by the pastoraHsts. There is still a_ good inquiry for wool, and sales by private treaty have been effected in both merino and crossbred qualities of fellmonorered parcels at satisfactory prices—up to 60d being paid for merinos and to 25d for medium, crossbreds (says the Australasian). Bradford, American, and French buyers are more interested in merinos, whilst the demand for co-ossbrrvls iq on local manufacturers' n«wmt. First instalments of early-shorn Riverina wools are advised, and in some cases are already to hand. It needs but a casual glance at samples to realise that, the clin for this district, with few exceptions, will be poorly prown, thin, tender, and more or less <3usty—in fact, one of the least attractive that has been marketed- for many years. Similar conditions must apply to the clip as a whole, consequently sound. f Well-frro\vn wools should command a premium during the coming season.