OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 14

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Fv:om Oub Own Correspondent.) VERY UNSEASONABLE WEATHER. The farmers of Canterbury would have good cause to indict the clerk of the weather or at least the section of them that engage in providing the staff of life for the people of the Dominion. In the past fortnight the weather lias been most unfavourable for harvesting operations, and consequently they have been at a standstill. It is not that there lias been a great deal of rain, though some districts have suffered in this respect, but it has fell with such annoying frequency and there has never been more than a day or so fine at a stretch, and the grain in stock has been kept more or less wet. A run over a fairly large part of the grain growing district of north and mid-Can-terbury in the past week, has impressed one with the seriousness of the situation. J here is a very great deal of wheat in stook; much more than would ever have been deemed probable in the early part of November, when the indications were for a particularly late harvest. The temperature has been woefully erratic. It has alternated very muggy heat and cold winds, that would suggest September weather or somo time in the early spring. At the time of writing there is no immediate prospect of the weather taking up, and there is a risk of

grain in stook sprouting while many paddocks are in need of reaping. Potato blight is prevalent. BIG VALUES FOR WOOL. At the third sale of the season in Christchurch this week there was a sale the like of which the most cheery optimist would not have hoped for a year ago. It was an extraordinary one so far as fine wool is concerned, but the most satisfactory feature was the consistent buying of the ordinary lines of crossbreds, at values that were well in excess of what ruled a month ago, and there was a remarkable absence of any considerable number of lines of fleece wool at less than 9d a lb. There were new records for haltbreds, merinos, and Corriedales so far as Christchurch sales were concerned. No less than four halfbred clips touched 26d for the best of the fleece wool, and merinos made up to 29ad, which is equal to the record established at the last Wellington sale for wool of this description. Twelve bales merino branded Leslie Hills S. Rutherford) sold at 28id, and the next classing made 26id for 44 bales. Twblve bales of Corriedale on account of Mr O. T. Evans (Taruna) made 25J,d. There were a number of sales of halfbred at 26d, which is a record for Christchurch sales. Among these were four bales branded J. F., five bales Waipuna, eight bales Nukuwai (R. L. .Jamieson), three bales branded three circles over New Zealand (T. S. Harrison, Methven). There was a spirited demand for a Corriedale clip branded Bullock Creek from Marlborough. The first classing of five bales made the best price for Corriedale of the sale. Three bales sold at 26d, six at 25id, five at 23gd, three at 21d, five bales of bellies and pieces made 19£d. The Brookdale Corriedale clip also made big figures, a line of four bales of ewe hoggets fetching 25f d and nine bales of ewe pieces made 22gd, the best figure for this description. The best price for three-quarter-bred was realised for seven bales branded lilackroek, which made 22^(1; 12 bales of Highpeak crossbred made 17J.d. trench and German buyers bought freely, and America operated more extensively than at previous Christchurch sales this season. A feature of the sale was the dearth jf star lots, the selling brokers baying interlotted much more than usual. The best price of the sale was realised by Mr W. J. Allan, Ruapuna, Ashburton. This was for a six bale line of merino ewe, which made 29jd. There was a strong and unsatisfied demand for pieces from a French buyer, and the Dominion mills and one Bradford house were in the market, for them, with the result that the price paid for the pieces verv often exceeded the value received for the fleece wool they came from. Many clips that in previous years were shipped direct to London for sale were offered at this sale, and no doubt the owners' will be encouraged to try the Dominion market in future years. There were some especially valuable lines sold. One" lot of the Stonyhurst clip (Sir Geo. Clifford) embraced 109 bales, and it made 23*d the total value running into well over £3OO. AT THE STOCK SALES. Values of lamb have not held in the past week, and at Addington and the country sales the ruling rate for lamb has been from 9£d to lOd, with most of it nearer the lower figure. The is ascribed to some of the firms, 1 have c.i.f. contracts, that enabled them lo pay up to having sufficient lambs on the hooks to enable them to fulfill the orders. One or

two firms made the pace very warm for their trade rivals for a week or so. Mutton values were also a shade easier, but are still well above what the exporter could pay on the face of London quotations. The excessive prices ruling for store ewes has had the effect of keeping anything with a fair mouth out of the fat pens of late, and there has been a noticeable falling off in the quality of the ewes in consequence. Store ewes are going up each week, and no one seems to know where they will stop. At Addington this week a pen of two-tooth halfbred ewes, decidedly on the small side made 40s, and another lot of better grown sheep of mixed ages sold at 425. They were also halfbreds. Oruina.ry crossbred ewes that are in moderate condition with a fair mouth are worth from 35s to 375. CULTIVATING LUCERNE. The Canterbury Lucerne Campaign Committee recently conducted the Hon. W. Nosworthy, Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Sir Heaton Rhodes, and some half dozen Canterbury members of Parliament over their experimental areas including 177 acre in lucerne at the Paparua Prison Farm, one of the most hungry pieces of country >n Canterbury. They were shown striking examples of the efficacy of the fodder. The party was conducted over the areas by Mr A. Macpherson. hon. organiser to the Committee. Speaking at the conclusion of the gathering, the Hon. W. Nosworthy said he considered the day that the committee had arranged for the party as well spent. It was a source of gratification to him to know that the demonstration plots that the Department cf Agriculture had handed over to the committee had prospered under Mr A. Macpherson’s care. Mr Macpherson had been responsible for them being sown, and they were in good hands. There was no question in his mind as to the value of the fodder. Argentine was a striking example of what could be accomplished bv a country that grew this fodder extensively. He regretted that while he had been Minister of Agriculture circumstances had forced economies upon the Government, and he had not been able to give the committee the financial assistance that he would have liked to have done. He hoped that the present Government or some other Government that may take its place, would be able to assist the committee in the extension of the work, until the cry of three acres and a cow- would be one of an acre and three cows. Much was possible in increasing the carrying capacity of the country, not only in regard to lucerne, but in the more extensive use of Nauru phosphates He assured the commitee that it would have an enthusiastic advocate in himself, and he was sure the Minister of Defence had seen sufficent to fully acquaint him with the value of the fodder. Sir Hqaton Rhodes thanked the committee for arranging the demonstration, and said he was convinced that the problem of close settlement of Canterbury's poorer lands was closely bound up in the extension of the areas under the fodder. He was certainly going to try some on his own property.