STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3566, 18 July 1922, Page 11

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Stock Sales. Burnside, Wednesdays. Addington, Wednesdays. Waiareka Railway Junetion, Tuesdays. WaJlacctowu, Tuesdays. Fortnightly. Riversdale, Fridays. Ashburton, Tuesdays. Heriot, Thursdays. Winton, Thursdays. Wyndham, Thursdays. Clinton, Thursdays.’ Balclutha, Fridays. Gore, Tuesdays. Monthly. Palmerston, 4th Thursday. Wintoa, 4th Tuesday.

Monthly (continued). Duntroon, 2nd Wednesday. Woodlands, 3rd Friday Milton, 2nd Tuesday. Balfour, 3rd Thursday. ThornDury, Ist Friday. Duntroon, 2ud Wednes* day. Otautau, 2nd Friday. River-dale, 3rd Friday Waik..ka, last Friday. Olydevale, last Tuesday. „ ... .. Periodically as AdvertisedL u in .-den, Mossbum, Orepuki, Mataura, Waiircuaiti, Hiverton. Ngupara, and Otago Central Sale*.

OTAGO. A fine seasonable week, with sunshine,, froste, and rain, the last in moderation, and of tho others —good enough for Otago. BURNSIDE MARKET. The yarding of fab sheep at Burnside totalled 2430, compared with 2503 the previous week, tho quality for the most part being fair to good, inclusive of a good many nice ewes. Tin-re wore barely enough prime heavies forward, .and these throughout sold relatively well, values being rather better than a week ago, with a brisk finish, wether mutton touching 4Jd per lb, or Is up on last week's prices. The fat lamb entry comprised 1502, against 893 at the previous sale arid 498 a fortnight ago. The quality was only medium, many “seconds” being penned. Three exporters were buying, and prices improved Is a head, lamb making at times to 7J,d per lb. Th© entry of 181 fat catile, following upon a similar number the previous week, ranged from fair to good. There was a capital trade at, an advance of 20s to 25s a head, or an appreciation of £2 10s in a fortnight, beef touching not infrequently 30s per 1001 b. Under ICO head of store cattle elicited but a quiet trade, a few lots being passed. Two year-old to two-and-a-lialf-year-old steers made £4 10s, in calf year-and-a-half old heifers £1 17s to £3, and alleged in calf dairy heifers (two years old) £2 18s 6d. l’otter sorts were unchanged. Fat pigs and porkers were cheaper by 5s a head, bacon sorts making up to 6d per lb and porkers 7J)d. Small sorts' made about similar money to that of the previous week. ADDINGTON YARDS. About a similar number of fat sheep as the previous week were yarded at Adding-tc-n—a large supply. A good many sheep being still an hand, a decline of 2s a head on mime heavy wethers was to be expected. Light sorts did not ease to the same extent, but values may be quoted generally Is 6d lower, with not infrequent passings. Only 330 fat lambs were forward, and these were of medium quality. Best-conditioned lambs sold well, others being unchanged. The store sheep comprised mostly hoggets of very fair quality. Good halfbred hoggets sold to 15s, if mixed sexes a couple of shillings more, while generally all classes were very firm. A yard of ewes in lamb (mixed ages, good mouths) made 27s 6d, with ordinary wethers unchanged. Considerably less fat cattle than last week were penned, a.nd the quality was lower. Prices were under the previous week's quotations. A line of heifers from Mataura Island made from £8 2s 6d to £lO ss. A moderate lot of store cattle had scant attention. A lino of over 30 cows

made £2 a head, dairy cows were slow of sale at up to £l7, and dairy heifers were not wanted, a number being passed. Quite enough bacon pigs were forward for tlie weak demand, while porkers also declined in value, and in sympathy all stores were cheaper; 7RI per lb would about denote the price ruling for fats. NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUES. Although a fair number of stock are changing hands in the North Island, one cannot report any improvement in the ruling prices, and trade generally is not buoyant. In the Auckland district values are unchanged. In Poverty Bay in-lamb ewes (mixed ages, none above eight-tooth) made 28s 9d and 265. Friesian weaner heifers made £4 r ordinary £1 to £3, and cross Jersey heifers (in milk) £l2. In the Wairarapa two-tooth wethers brought 16s to 21s 6d year-and-a-half-old steers £3 9s, two-and-a-half-year-olds £4 ss, and dairy cows averaged at a clearing sale £l3 2s. In Hawke’s Bay wether hoggets made 14s to ißs, tvs*o-tooth wethers to 20s, Jersey weaner heifers £4, Hereford heifers (in calf) £2 12s, ordinary yearling heifers £1 12s, and dairy cows to £ls. BALCLUTHA-CLINTON STOCK SALES. At the 'Clutha on Friday about 1500 sheep were yarded, some 300 being fat. The latter sold at rates much the same as those ruling at last Burnside 6ale. There was a good general inquiry for store sheep of the right class, mixed sex hoggets made from 8s lid to 16e 2d, failing ewes (broken) 9s 3d to 14s, good mouths 20s 2d, two, six, and 8-tooths, not guaranteed, 21s 2d. two-tooth ewes 26s 6d, guaranteed ewes 23e 6d. At Clinton half the entry of 600 sheep were fat, mo9t of which were passed. Store hoggets made 14s 6d, 15s, and 16s 9d, and there was generally a good tone “in the air.” STOCK NOTES. The winter is slipping along, and all stock are doing well in Otago. It is a grand farming country. Stock values moved a little in the desired direction during the week at the Burnside market, due largely no doubt to moderate yardings. Fat cattle have improved over £2 a head this month, fat sheep Is a head, and fat lambs Is a head, but hoggets are much the same. However, the comparative shortage in sheep is bound to accelerate the values of breeding owes and all dry sheep from now on. If only fat sheep keep moving and also fat cattle “things” will not be so had. Tlie death last week of that promising horse Brilliant Again (1101), by Newton Chief ex dam Baron’s Brilliant, must be deplored by all Dominion Clydesdale breeders, whose sympathies will extend to the breeders. Messrs Thomson and L Wairongo®, North Taieri, in their loss of this four-year-old stallion. We can ill afford the loss of any of Newton Chief’s get. Fortunately perhaps for Otago, wo call with pleasure the fact of the purchase of a full brother at the sale of surplus Wairongoa Clydesdales in February Last by Mr James W. Blair, Abbotsford. Otago, of Brilliant Chief (sire Newton Chief, dam Baron’s Brilliant) at a high figure. This five-year-old, we understand, is the only living male produce alive of Newton Chief ex Baron’s Brilliant. From now on we may anticipate a good many country and northern butchers getting their supplies of fat cattle, if not sheep, at Burnside —a factor which will help to maintain local values. In tlie Norrh Island prime beef on the hoof makes little over 14s to 18s per 1001 b outside the chief marketing centres. A nine months old Jersey bull calf from the Bangule herd at Heidelbery, Victoria, realised the other day 250gns and joins a Geelong herd. It has been decided by the Wairarapa A. and P. Society that for the 1923 butterfat competition, and future competitions, only dehorned cows will be eligible to compete. It is considered that, in addition to being quieter, dehorned cattle can travel much bettor with less risk of injury. At Mr A. C. Beart’s sale of Large Black pigs at Stow Bardolph, near Downham Market, recently, 67 head realised a total of £2OBI. Mr James White, the famous racehorse owner, of Foxbill, Swindon, paid the big price of 210gns for the young boar Bardolph Result. At the British Berkshire Society’s show in May last, the champion prize was won by Mr A Hiscoc-k’s sow Eaton Le _ Neve 11, bred by the Duke of Westminster, which made the highest price of the day, 145gns. The prices realised at the recent Sydney stud sheep sales were considered only fair by vendors, aithought some owners secured satisfactory values. Few sheep came New Zealand way, one stud Merino, however, which realised round 300gms was destined for th)3 Dominion, and also one of the imported Romney Marsh rams .sent to Australia By Lord Guildford, at over 50gns. RECORD PRICE FOR A MERINO RAM. Messrs IT. E. Collins & Co., of Lucernedale, Mount Bryan, South Australia, have sold to Messrs Brooks Bros., of Boconnoc Park, Clare, South Australia, their ram, Royalist, for 4,loogns, thus creating a new world’s record, which was previously held by them, as they disposed of their ram, Fealty, to South Africa a little over 12 months ago, for 4,QoGgns, THE STOCK ACT AND RABBITS. On the sth inst., at Christchurch, representatives of the sheep industry of the Dominion mot a number of responsible officers of the Department of Agriculture, for the purpose of discussing suggested amendments to the Stock Act, also matters hearing on tho administration of the Rabbit Nuisance Act. Dr C. J. Roak.es, Director-General of Agriculture, presided. Various proposals submitted by the Sheepowners’ Federation were exhaustively discussed, tho suggested amendments and additions to the Stock Act being first dealt with. It was agreed that Section 56 of the Stock Act he amended to advantage in preventing sheep stealing by making provision tiiat when an owner of stock had reason for believing that stock belonging to him were on the land or in the hands of another person, a police officer could, on application, detain such stock until an Inspector of Stock was able to arrive and take the matter in hand. Important proposals relating to the branding and earmarks of stock were very fully considered, and, finally, it was decided to suggest that the system of legalised brands and earmarks should be as follows Brand.—lri the case of cattle. An earmark made by punching the car with pliers so that in no case shall more than one-

fourth of the ear be removed, or a distinct and plain mark not less than 2in in length burned with a branding iron into the skin, or both the above in conjunction. In the case of sheep.—An earmark made by punching the ear with pliers, provided that in no case shall more than one-fourth of the ear be removed, to which may be added, in conjunction, one or more of tho following marks:(1) A registered wool-mark plainly made with paint, raddle, or lamp-black, mixed with oil or tallow, or made with some other approved material, in plain or distinct letters, figures or otherwise, not less than 3in in length on the sides, back, shoulders, hips, or rump of the sheep. (2) A metal clip with a distinguishing registered mark stamped thereon affixed to the ear. (3) A registered tattoo mark distinctly and plainly made on any part of the skin. (4) A registered fire mark distinctly and plainly made on the face. To make this effective in dealing with sheep-stealing an amendment to Section 74 of the Act would be needed so that it would read as follows: —Every person who destroys, defaces, adds too, or alters, or who authorise® his servant or agent to so destroy, deface, add to or alter the Breeder’s Registered earmark or hrand on any stock, or is party to the destruction, etc., thereof, is liable to a fine not exceeding £SO and not less than £lO for each head of stock in respect of such destruction, defacement, addition to, or alteration of such breeder’s earmark or brand. A further provision agreed to was that, in order to make the proposed new system effective in future, earmarks should be registered for use on one ear only (tlie right ear for males and the left ear for females) no other earmark to be allowed on this ear; the remainder to be a “free” ear, on which owners might place agemarks, indentific-ation marks, etc., tho marks on this “free” ear to be for the private information of the owners only, and not to form part of the legal brand. It was considered that all earmarking should be done with pliers approved by the Department of Agriculture, and that the use of a knife for ttiis purpose should be prohibited. It was agreed that the question of stating at the tune of sale the number of each sex contained in lots of sheep of mixed sexes sold by auction should be taken up with the Auctioneers’ Association by the Department of Agriculture, particularly with a view to protecting the interests of less experienced buyers, such as returned soldiers and others. Destruction ot Rabbits.—ln connection with the Rabbit; Nuisance Act, the Sheep Owners’ Federation proposed tiiat steps should be taken to prohibit trapping en tirely, and this was fully considered, the conditions existing in respect to the export trade in both rabbits and rabbit&kins being discussed in connection with the proposal. It was pointed out that one rabbit board already has in hand proposals for preventing trapping within its area, and the operation of these will be observed with much interest, as indicating how rabbits can be effectively and thoroughly dealt with in the absence of trapping. With reference to wire netting required for the control of rabbits, the sheepowners’ representatives expressed themseives as being of opinion tnat the best way of dealing with tho matter would be for the Department of Agriculture to arrange with eonunercial houses to supply netting to settlers, allowing a profit to be agreed upon between the Government and the merchants, by which settlers would secure supplies on the best terms possible. It was agreed that, in order to secure the best results in eradication of rabbits, inspectors should make every endeavour to have simultaneous poisoning carried out in the infested localities. It was decided that the conclusion reached should be -at onc<j rnado public, in order that stock owners throughout the Dominion should be able to consider them. THE 2000-GAL LON AYRSHIRE. Apparently it is not easy to eliminate the Friesian .when it comes to milk records, but peihaps it is because their breeders got. going firrft. The Ayrshire* are on their tracks. thus writes the Guardian ol the Friesian breed in a congratulatory letter to the editor of a Home paper:— bir, I should like to express my pleasure on learning that tho gallant Ayrshire cow has entered the lists of the 2000-gallon British producers, and to congratulate Mr Thomas Barr on the good work of his marvel, Hairshaw Tosh 3rd. Please allow me also to correct the. statement that the above is the only cow to give 2000 gallons in 365 days on twice milking. Several of the 47 British Friesian 2000-galloners did this, and the highest British record of milk in 365 days on twice milking is the yield of Eske Hetty, 2413 gallons. Possibly this is a world’s 'record. —I am, etc., George lloeson, Secretary British Friesian Cattle Society. 4 Southampton Row, London. Tho first Ayrshire cow to give 2000 gallons of milk in one lactation of 365 days in Britain has arrived. She belongs to Mr Thos. Barr, Hobsland, Monkton, Ayrshire The cow is Hairshaw Tosh 111 (31052), bv Wyllieland Gleniffer (7229), and out of Hair chaw Tosh (App., Vol. 30, page 729). She is close on thirteen years of age. having been born in June, 1909. Tosh Il'l was bred by Mr Jas. Young, Hairshaw, Fenwick, and Mr Barr purchased her at Mr Young’s displenishing sale at Martinmas 1920, aged. THE SEASON IN AUSTRALIA. The rainfall over the eastern States has ranged from very light to moderately heavy since last writing. Generally speaking, Victoria. South Australia, and the south of New South Wales have received at least sufficient for immediate requirements, while the falls in central and north New South Wales and South Queensland have been decidedly inadequate. As these latter divisions also missed the beneficial rains recorded in the south at the end of April and early May the agricultural outlook there is not encouraging. The soason in Western Australia _ is promising. that State reporting copious rains during the month. Wheat sowing in New South Wales and Queensland will be practically completed by the time these lines appear in print. In foot, the bulk of the crop went in during May, and a? far as Riverina and the southern ta.blolnnds and slopes are concerned, under highly favourable conditions. Tho showers of tlie last couple of weeks should cause a rapid shoot, and give the plants a good start. On the other hand

tho oontinued dry weather experienced further north must have militated to an extent against the proper preparation ot the seed bed arid germination. Muoh depends on how soon the weather break* there. Everything points to a good lambing being obtained in West and South Auetralia, \ ictoria, and at least the southern districts of New South Wales. These part* carry ample green feed, and as the weather ha* mostly been mild, tho losses from climatic causes should be negligible. Foxea and crow# are reported to be rather mem troublesome than usual in certain localities, but it is doubtful if the actual toll exacted will be great in the aggrogato. Stook generally throughout the south *re in splendid oendition. Fats, cattle us well a* sheep, predominate in the markets, and although values dropped a little oarlv in June, they are still at a relatively nigh level. A considerable area of oentral and north New South Wales and south and west Queensland is not so favourably situated. Ihe country dry and feed more or less scarce.. This is naturally telling on the oondition of stock and having a depressing influence on the markets. It also mean* that the out-turn of the autumn lambing there will not be so satisfactory as further south. Report* received from a numuer ol properties either state that the ewes have deserted their progeny or that the lambi have been knocked on the head as soon as born to save the mothers. This, of course, only applies to runs that are short of feed. Elsewhere moderate percentages are being marked. Cattle owners in south-west Queensland are in a particularly difficult position owing to the continued dry weather and distance from markets. The low prioes paid by exporters last year, and tho exceptionally large natural increase of the past two seasons have led to many runs becoming more heavily stocked than is considered safe. An immediate ontlqt must be found if losses are to be prevented, but as ik costs anything up to 30s a head to bring bullocks to the coast from those parte, shipping does not pay with beef at iU present leveL