STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 11

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Stock Sale*, ftnrnside, Wednesdays. Addington, Wednesdays Waiareka Railway Junction, Tuesdays, ft'allaoetowu, Tuesdays. Fortnightly. Riversdale, Fridays Ashburton, Tuesdays. HTeriot, Thursdays. Hinton, Thursdays. Wyndham, Thursdays. Clin f .on, Thursdays. Balclutha, Fridays. Sore, Tuesdays. Monthly. ?almerston, 4th Thursday. Win too, 4th Tuesday.

Monthly (continued). Duntroon, 2nd Wednejday. Woodlands, 3rd Friday Milton, 2nd Tuesday. Balfour, 3rd Thursday. Thornbury, Ist Friday. Duntroon, 2nd Wednesday. Otautan, 2nd Friday. Riversdale, 3rd Friday. last Friday. Olydevale, last Tuesday. Periodically as Advertised. Lumsden, Mossbum, Orepuki, Mataura, Waikcuaiti, Riverton, Ngapari, and Otago Central Sales.

OTAGO. Unsettled weather held sway last week in Otago, in keeping with conditions ruling in the north. Further south than Dunedin, however, and inland, in favoured spots climatic vagaries are scouted as foreign to local settlers’ experience. ©They at least enjoy fine weather. Tuapeka way cereal crops are coming in fast, and harvesting is fairly general, and the oat crops give promise of good results. Dr Tilyard, chief of the Biological Division of the Cawthorn Institute, Nelson, will visit Otago this month. He is bringing with him. so it is said, a supply of parasites, which are death to earwigs. BURNSIDE MARKET. , Th® yarding of fat sheep at Burnside totalled 1310, compared with 2219 the previous week, the quality being very fair inclusive of a number of pennings of extra prime evves. Owing to the small entry exporters were shut out, and butchers were forced to fulfil their requirements at an advance of ’2s 6d per head for wethers or rates ruling a fortnight ago, ewes moving up rather more per head; mutton on the hoof may be quoted as up to 7d per lb. The entry of fat lambs—B7B as against 1342 the previous week—for the most part lacked finish. Buyers, however, were keen, and last sale’s rates were improved upon by fully Is a head,'lamb making to 10|d per an extra good lot of Down crosses made 40s 6d per head, unfinished graziers’ sorts made from 20s to 24s 6d. The entry of fat cattle—l9B compared with 245 the previous week—were all wanted. The quality ranged from fair to prime. Opening at last sale’s prices, once a race and a-half was cleared, the demand brightened up, and values were £1 a head better than at the sale a week ago, beef of prime quality making to 30s per 1001 b. Some 200 head of store cattle (several pens containing- well-bred three to four year old steers) elicited a good demand, and recent values were fully maintained; best grown bullocks realised £5 to £8 14s per head. The few fat pigs—22 all counted—sold like hot cakes, an advance of 15s a head being secured on the previous week’s rates, porkers making around lOd per lb. The

few small sorts aUo realised relatively high values. ADDINGTON YARDS. The yarding of fat sheep at Addington was again a small one, the average quality not being of high grade. Owing to the moderate entry, however, and butchers’ requirements being fairly large, the demand was very keen. Opening at Is a head in advance of last sale’s rates with considerable keenness, sales were effected at 2s increase, and finally 3s a head on the previous week’s prices, wethers selling at up to 7d, and in places to 7id per lb, and ewes at Id less. The quality of a fair entry of fat lambs was not first class, and values for all except graziers’ sorts were cheaper than at last sale by Is to Is 6d a head, lambing making to 10id per lb. The yarding of store sheep was large, and included sheep from outside the province. Sales were readily effected at values on a par with those of the previous week for all classes, station wethers made up to 29s Id, very good young (mixed ages) ewes made 38s 9d to 41s, haffbred mixed lambs 27s 9d. The entry of fat cattle was relatively small, the shortage cf prime steers being apparent. The demand was good at fully 20s a head better than a week ago, beef making 30s to 33s per 1001 b. The best of an indifferent lot of store cattle elided a very fair demand, heifers and good sorts of tw 7 o to three year old steers selling fairly well. The best of a moderate lot of dairy cows sold readily at up to £l4 per head. Fat pigs were cleared at last week’s improved rates, but stores were back 2s 6d to 5s a head. NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUES. Although the unsettled weather is not conducive to active movement in the various stock markets in the North Island, values are well maintained at rates ruling early in the month. In the Auckland province, at the Westfield market, beef was somewhat easier, making' but 25s fer choice quality. Three-year-old steers, well-grown, made to £5 10s, two-year-olds to £4 10s, yearling steers, £3, in-calf Jersey heifers £6 12s 6d, rape lambs ISs 6d to 21s 6d, small lambs 13s to 15s 6d, forward wethers 25s to 295, medium from 21s. In the Roverty Bay district two-tooth ewes made at the Matawhero yards 24s 6d, and twotooth wethers 20s 6d, shorn wether lambs 16s 3d. In the Wanganui-Feilding areas fair lambs made from 15s to 20s 3d, culls from 7s to 11s, two-tooth ewes to 395, five-year-old ewes to 28s, three-year-old steers to £5 16s, two-year-olds to £4 9s. In the Wairarapa lambs w-ere sold from 16s 9d to 20s 6d, culls from 9s 6d, two-tooth wethers to 22s 6d. In Hawke’s Bay mixed young ewes made 28s 6d, sound mouths 23s 61 to 275, fair wethers 25s 6d, dairy heifers £5 10s to £7 ss, three to four-year-old steers £4 15s to £6 3s, two-year-old Hereford steers £3 15s. BALCLUTHA AND CLINTON STOCK SALES. Some 8000 sheep, together with 200 head of cattle, were yarded at the Clutha on Friday, a big proportion of the sheep entry being lambs in second hands. There was a capital clearance owing to outside sheepmen requiring stock for feeding off rape, etc., at a Is per advance on rates ruling here a fortnight ago. Some three-quarter of the entry comprised lambs. Trices ruled as follows: —Good rape lambs 24s to 265. good (mixed sexes) 22s 7d to 23s 9d, medium mixed sexes 20s 4d to 21s 7d, small 15s to 17s 4d, small two tooth ewes 30s 6d, good sound mouth ewes, but not guaranteed, 29s 4d, sound mouths 28s 6d, failing 14s to 245, two-tooth wethers 28s to 30s sd, mixed fine-woolled wethers 25s 4d. Cattle at this market were slightly easier, two-year-old steers making up to £4 4s, three-year-olds (Herefords) £5 to £6 10s At Clinton about 300 sheep were penned and sold at rather higher rates than were ruling at the Clutha fixture. About a 1000 ewes were included in the entry, two, four, and six-tooth medium paddock ewes made 32s 6d, small similar sorts off the hills 30s 9d, good Romney cross two-tooth ewes 37s 9d to 38s 9d. fat and forward four and six-tooth wethers 34s 4d. two-tooth wethers 27s to 28s. small 25s 9d. About 1500 lambs realised 23s 6d to 26s Id for forward sorts, and 21s to 22s 9d for good hill wether lambs, small making 16s to 19s. STOCK NOTES. Values of stock (all classes) remain very firm at rates ruling last week in Otago. Lambs are not, of course, fattening well under the weather conditions experienced for some time now. The growth of feed has been quite unusual, and is of far too sappy a nature to be relished by young stock when fed alone. The fact of there being good rape crops about is helping the prices of store stock. A rumour from the north that ci.if. buying of fat lambs has ceased has no effect on the demand, which goes merrily on in high hopes of prices of fats being maintained The high rates charged consumers for mutton and lamb is going to heln values of beef. There is no doubt about that. Look at Christchurch. Tn Januarv, 1923, the abattoirs handled 1922 head of cattle and 5459 lambs, against 959 cattle and 9077 lambs last vear, the. figures for other classes of stock emphasising the position that meat consumption varies according to the prices, the demand slowly shifting from the dear article, but it takes time. Certainly the consumption of meat lessens auickly. Mutton returns of Christchurch also emphasise this feature. The demand for rams is going to show much improvement on the Prices realised of late Years, judging how values are ruling in the North Island at present. High wool values enable breeders to placate their fancy in respect to studs anyway, as witness' the good prices now being obtained. Mr A. W. Montgomerie, Lessnesscck, Ohiltree, Ayrshire, has just shipped nine heifers and three bulls to America for Mr Percival Roberts, Penshurst Farm, Narbeth, Pennsylvania (states the Farmer and Stockbreeder). Mr Roberts owns one of the best herds of pedigree Avrshires in the States. He was over in Scotland last August, and along with Mr Montgomerie selected the consignment. On two former visits Mr Roberts, accompanied by Mr Montgomerie also, was fortunate enough to select two world’s champions in Auchenbrain Brown Kate 4th. whose record was 23,0221 b milk and 9181 b fat in one year, and Garclaugh May Mischief, which had a record of 25,3291 b milk and 8951 b fat. The Penshurst herd contains many other famous cows, including Auchen-

brain Beauty and Lessii''SSoek Nancy, etc. The 25 best records in this herd average 17,0991 b milk and 6621 b fat. The consignment now sent out consists of animals of high milk record breeding, and is far ahead of any consignment that has ever left this country. There are fears of a drought in England in 1523 owing to the scantiness of the rainfall during the last six months. In the Marquis of Bute’s Friesian herd at Mount Stuart, Rothesay, the home-bred heifer Bute Lady Mary has just completed her lactation period with her first calf, and has yielded 1718 gal of milk in 362 days at 3.53 per cent, butter-fat. The average butter-fat percentage over the whole herd for the past year works out at 3.74 per cent. Sir Robert Greig suggests, amongst other possibilities associated with the advance of science in the sphere of domestic animal breeding, a hornless Ayrshire. No doubt in our highly civilised land the conditions no longer necessitate such weapons of defence as horns for our domestic animals. Horned animals may also be a clanger to themselves and to those handling them, but would we really wish to see the complete unsetting of animal characteristics as planned by Nature, such as this wonderful scientific development suggests A MATTER OF MOMENT—“DAG GY” SHEEP AND LAMBS. For seme time past the freezing companies have been hampered by the number of sheep and lambs coming forward in need of dagging, and the question has been considered by the companies, with the result that the following circular has been issued by the South Island Freezing Companies’ Association :—- At a recent meeting of the association it was decided that a charge of sixpence (6d) a head should be made for all sheep or lambs which arrive at the works in such a condition as to necessitate their being dagged. The companies are reluctant to make any charge, and only do so in' the hope that it will have the effect of materially reducing the very large numbers of daggy fat stock now coming forward to the saleyards and freezing works. It is in the interest of all concerned that this work should bo done on the farm, so as to avoid the possibility of bruises immediately before slaughter. If this work lias to -be done at the factory it necessitates the sheep being redrafted and penned up for dagging, entailing delay in the killing of the mob and a certain amount of unnecessary handling and possible bruising, which results in the sheep being either placed in the second grade or rejected altogether. The matter is of such importance to the producers that we feel it is only necessary to bring it plainly before their notice to ensure that the present cause for complaint will be removed and that growers in future will nrevent the value of their stock being prejudiced by lack' of attention in dagging. AN INTERESTING MILK CASE APPEAL. „ An interesting milk case has been decided in the King’s Bench Division in England. Frederick Faulkner, a London milk salesman, was charged with selling milk which was found on analysis to have 10 per cent, of the original milk fat abstracted from it. No disclosure was made of any adulteration on the part of the respondent, who relied on a written warranty contained in (1) a memorandum of agreement for the sale of “new milk” between the South-Western Dairies, Ltd., of Sherborne, Dorset, and the respondent; sent under the contract by the dairy company to the respondent bearing the words : “Guara.iiteed pure unskimmed milk with all its cream. ” The stipendiary magistrate found for the respondent in respect that he had sold the milk in the same condition as ho had received it under the guarantee stated, which he found was sufficient in terms of the Act. The stipendiary magistrate accordingly dismissed the case, but stated a case for the opinion of the Appeal Court. The Lord Chief Justice, in giving judgment, said that, to succeed, the respondent must show not merely that the warranty accompanied the milk when he took delivery of it, but also that he purchased the milk with a written warranty. The cases which had been referred to had gone to the length that, if it was a term of contract of' purchase that a written warranty should accompany the article, that warranty satisfied the Statute. He had no doubt from the form in which the magistrate had stated the case that he had expressed the opinion that the ease made before him on behalf of the respondent was that the agreement with the label attached to the churns taken together constituted a warranty. The magistrate found that they did. In ins opinion that decision was wrong. There was nothing to connect the 1. bel with the stipulations in the agreement. The agreement purported to contain all the terms agreed between the parties, and it would be a most important variation of tiiat written contract if it were sought to add to it the oral stipulation that each churn should be accompanied by a warranty going beyond what was in the agreement. The agreement and the label could not. be read together to obtain a warranty which was not in one of them. Tire agree ment by itself referred to “new milk.” What vvas required was a guarantee that the milk satisfied the requirements of the Statute. The words “new milk” did not constitute such a guarantee. The guarantee, therefore, did not. satisfy the Statute. Mr Justice Darling and Mr Justice Salter agreed, and the appeal was therefore allowed, but without costs. HEREDITY IN BREEDING. At the Science Congress in Wellington (N.Z.), a paper on heredity in breeding, by Mr J. S. M’Fadzean, senior dairy supervisor Victorian Department of Agriculture, affirmed that all progress in stockbreeding is based on heredity—that inherent character which is responsible for all animals transmitting to their offspring their main characteristics. Nature’s laws provide that, when breeding, all varieties of animals keep to themselves. There is no cross-breeding in Nature. There is. however, continual close breeding, which produces uniformity. Under domestic conditions close breeding is necessary to establish type or other quality in every breed. Without close breeding the hereditary tendency will not develop. As domestic stock have been developed by man, particularly with sheep, dairy cattle, grid poultry, they could not exist in the wild state if there were any enemies to contend with. Heredity with them has been developed along other lines. No one can give consideration to the question of stock improvement without noting the small percentage of oattle-raisers who become successful stock-breeders. There is muoh waste of effort, which is mainly brought about by prejudice against close

breeding. Many farmers would object to mate a sire or dam to their own offspring, yet this same lino of mating is followed in Nature. Any one of those same objecting farmers knows that the progeny of a single pair of rats, rabbits, or foxes could reproduce and multiply successfully under ordinary conditions, and Nature has not different laws for the several varieties of animals. ibe Bible has much evidence of close breeding successfully followed by inan as well as in the animal kingdom. Under domestio conditions of moro modern times we know that the British shorthorn cattle were bred by the closest of breeding. The famous bull Comet was the progeny of a bull Favourite mated to his own daughter, which had been bred by mating Favourite with his own dam, which was in turn bred from a bull and cow both sired by the one animal. Again, in breeding Jersey cattle on Jersey Island, no outside animal has been brought to that island for breeding purposes for well over 130 yeai-s, and yet even the eutivated land in Victoria is actually 164 times larger than the whole area of the island of Jersey. The closest of breeding must, consequently, have been practised there with these cattle, yet this breed has stood over all breeds in Amorica for the past 30 years as the most economic producer of blitter, cheese, and milk. Yet, even in that time, great progress has been made in Jersey Island in regard to their production. Tlic butier-fat contents of Jersey milk has been improved until it now averages over 5.5 per cent, throughout the world. This means that every four gallons of Jersey milk is as valuable for food as five gallons of any other mili>, and six gallons of that from some cattle. All this is the result of heredity, which lias been developed within the Jersey breed itself, and this has been done by close breeding. In all stock breeding the slronger each blood line becomes by close breeding the more marked does heredity in both ivpe and production show 7 out. ' The fact that no direct headway has ever been made by cross breeding should deter all stockowners front experimenting extensively on that line. On the other band, under either wild or domestic conditions, close breeding with healthy stock has been productive of improvement in every desirable feature. By close breeding alone will heredity in desired quality become established in any line of stock. THE N.Z. REFRIGERATING COMPANY. At the annual general meeting of shareholders of the New Zealand Refi igeratng Company, Ltd. (Mr 11. A. Knight in the chair) on the 7th inst. at Christchurch, the balance available for appropriation—viz., £78,273 4s 4d, the directors recommend should he disposed of as follows: —To pay a final dividend of 9d per share On 300,000 fully paid shares, and 4»d per share on 600,000 shares lCs paid, £22.500 ; 'To add to the Reserve Account. £10,000; leaving an amount to carry forward of £45,773 4s 4d. Since closing the books cn the 31st October the sale of the Puketiri works was effected to the Waitaki Farmers’ Freezing Co.. Ltd., at a mutually 'satisfactory price. The purchase price for the works, plant, and land was £192,500. cf which £40,000 has been paid in cash and the balance of £152.500 is secured by debentures at 5i per cent, free of tax, repayable by fifteen annual payments commencing next year, the debentures being further secured by a first mortgage over the entire assets. The chairman of directors (Mr Knight), in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, said inter alia: —Apart from the Meat Producers’ Board ard its activities, there is a really important factor which is of the utmost concern to all cf us. I refer to the decrease in our flocks of sheep. I will not weary you with statistics, and will only point out that our breeding ewes have decreased bv over a million in the last five years, and our total flocks by over four million in the last four years, and the gravity of the situation is apparent when one considers the quantity of lambs slaughtered annually for export. Roughly speaking, we have to-dav twelve million breeding ewes and a dry flock of nearly ton millions. To maintain these flecks we should retain at least six million lambs. To this must be added our requirements for local consumption, not less than half a million lambs, so lhat we have a total of six and a-half million lambs which ought not to be exported, yet last year we exported four and three-quarter million out of a total lambing of ten and a quarter million. This, leaving only five and a-half million for re-stocking and local consumption, means that we exported at least one million too mnnv if we intend to maintain our flocks. This contention is borne out by the reduction in our flocks of approximately one million, which has in fact actually occurred since last year. lam aware that the principal decrease in our breeding ewes took place between 1917 and 1920, and that during the last two years there has been a partial recovery: but. even so, I still maintain that the slaughter of our ewe lambs is excessive, and constitutes the most serious feature of this question. I recognise that the financial position is such that it is hardly reasonable to expect that ewe lambs should be held back at the present prices, and I also recognise that no power except the economic factor of high prices for breeding ewes will bring about the desired result; but. nevertheless, the position as set out in broad outline above cannot be too generally appreciated in the hope that in ever individual case as large a nroportion as possible of the ewe lambs will be retained. It is never safe to prophesy with regard to future markets, but I am of the opinion that while the markets for nearly all classes of produce are on a high level here, and the prospects for our by-products, with the possible exception cf wool, are hopeful for some time to come, there is, nevertheless, no forward market for our frozen lambs at anything approaching our present costs, so that we must be prepared for a decline in values for all shipments which mav be too late to meet the early markets. Mr John Mills (Port Chalmers) seconded the adoption of the report and balance sheet, and indicated shareholders’ satisfaction, in that the reserve fund had been substantially added to, and that opposition bad been encouptered in effecting the sale of the Pukeuri Works. The adoption of the report and balance sheet was carried unanimously.