OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3615, 26 June 1923, Page 17

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Fuom Odk Own Corbesfondent.) DELIGHTFUL WEATHER CONTINUES. Weather that is like early autumn has prevailed in Canterbury in the past week, with the exception of a frost at the week end, which gave a reading of 10 degrees of frost. Otherwise there have been splendid, sunny days, and the farming community have been thankful for them. The wonderfully good weather is of great assistance to those wintering stock on rather short commons, as so many farmers have been compelled to do this winter. The first lambs of the season have made their appearance in Canterbury, and on one farm in the Ashburton County as many as thirty may be seen grazing in one paddock. The newcomers have been favoured with wonderfully good weather and are making good growth. Probably they will find their way to the Grand National sale in August for there is always a good demand for them then. It is the one week of the year that butchers buy fat stock irrespective of whether they will receive their money back for it or not. VERY FIRM MARKETS. The stock sales in Canterbury continue in favour of vendors, and the Addington market this week was one of the best all-round sales that has been held for a long time past. Fat lambs made from 10Jd to lid a lb over-all, which makes the sale the best-priced one of the season, though it must be remembered that the buyers have the e>jtra wool as an off-set against the high prices that they -are paying. Second quality lambs are selling at about Id less. Fat sheep made good prices, the best wether mutton being worth fuilv 6?d a lb, medium to prime from 6d to 6vj>d, best ewes 5d to SJd, and light ewes from 3 Id to 4gd. Some remarkably fine lines were forward and the proportion of wethers in the offering was much larger. Messrs Scott Bros. (Windwhistle) topped the salo for withers, 55 selling from 34s 9d to AOs 7d, a pen of eight making the top price. For ew'es the best figure was paid for a line sold on account of Mr R. A. Grant (Fairlie), these making from 27s 6d to 35s lid. There were 52 in the consignment, and a pen of 16 sold at the higher figure. Fat cattle were firm at t.be rates that ruled the previous week, and anv good beef at all was worth from 29s to 30s, with the beat to 325. A pen of three on account of the Leslie Hills Estate made £l7. the best figure of the day. Some heifers on the same account

made from £lO 15s to £ll. Store sheep t-gain met with a ready demand and prices were up to the figures of the previous week. Some good halfbred ewes made 375, and a draft of four, six, and eight toothed ewes that were rccentK- up from the Ch-athams, made 365. Wethers sold well again, going to 31s 2d for some moderately forward sheet). Hoggets that were well forward sold with freedom, but Ihoug’i prices were hardily quotably lower, there was not the same eagerness for the hoggets that would have to be carried through the winter. WINTER SHOW WANTED. On many occasions the suggestion has been made that the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association should organise a Winter Show, on the lines of gatherings that have been so successful at riaimltou, Palmerston North, and Dunedin. That there is scope for such a gathering is admitted, and the display of tat stock that could be brought together in Canterbury would make a big attraction. There are some difficulties in tile way, particularly in regard to the matter of a date, and vvh.it is even more important there is a want of a suitable building in which to house the show. Canterbury cannot hope to attract the large gathering of dairying folk Jhat attend tue two northern or the southern shows, but there are compensations. Features there would be here that the northern shows do not have, and they should be material factors in making such a gathering successful from the point of view of exhibits, particularly if the gathering were held in the late autumn or early winter. The country shows that are held in Canterbury m the lata autumn demonstrate that a vc-ry fine display of agricultural produce could' be made. These show's bring" together the very cream of the province’s production in the wav of fat sh-c-ep and fat lambs, and if these were concentrated in the city they would make a show worthy of the province. The wonderful collection of fat stock that is gathered together at Addington for the sale prior to Grand National week alone would make a show of fat stock that would not bo surpassed in Australasia, if it was bettor displayed than is possible in the saleyards. Some of the more progressive members of the Canterbury A. and P. Association are considering the question, and it probable that a Winter Show Committee will be set up shortly to consider the pros and cons of the proposal asd gather information. With an attractive programme, such a show could lie made a source of profit to the show people, and would so widen the influence of the association and make for its advancement. CLYDESDALE HORSE SOCIETY. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) WANGANUI, June 22. According to the annual report of the New Zealand Clydesdale Horse Society there has been an unsatisfied demand for good horses of all classes, though the money market forbade fancy prices. The exports for the year totalled 25, whilst the imports from -dritain comprised seven stallions and four mares and fillies. At the annual meeting Mr J. A. Johnstone (Dunedin) was elected president. It was decided to present to the secretary 100 guineas as a token of appreciation, of his services.

CANTERBURY CRAIN AND PRODUCE MARKET. (Lyttelton Times, June 22.) Since the news was received in Christchurch that Auckland merchants were considering the question of importing potatoes from Tasmania, business in potatoes locally has been extremely quiet, ana, as mr as can be ascertained, praet cally no sales have been made by farmers to brokers, 'the statement recently made by the Minister of Agriculture that no potatoes were being imported from Tasmania was contradicted yesterday by a Christchurch broker, who said he had absolutely reliable information that about 300 tons had been bought in Tasmania for delivery in Auckland. ’That quantity, .*owever, represented only about half a week’s supply, and as Largely in the nature of a trial shipment. He was unable to say what price was being paid for the Tasmanian potatoes, but as they were subject to a duty of £1 a ton lie did not think the cost would be less than the cost of Canterbury potatoes at the present time. In the meantime, growers appear inclined to adopt the policy of “wait and see,” and merchants are notdisposed to raise their offers. It is largely a case of "go as you please” with m..ichants, but a number of them have decided to offer £7 10s for red potatoes and £8 for white potatoes, on trucks at country stations, and not to go above those prices whether farmers sell or not. Ollier merchants are offering £7 15s and £3 ss. but at those prices farmers are not very anxious to do business, ihe Kaiwaravvu, which is due to sail for Auckland to-day, is taking the usual quantity of potatoes for the northern city. There is still a big demand for fowl wheat, and prices have firmed by about a lieiiny a bushel. Milling »..eat is readily saleable at the fixed prices, but most samples have already been disposed of. Oats are at a standstill, farmers not being anxious to sell, and the demand being very slack. Practically the only business being done is between merchants. Clovers are very firm, red clover being quoted at up to Is per lb. Ryefirass is also firm, but business in peas is quiet. In connection with linseed, over-sellers are finding a difficulty in procuring supplies, and it is stated that the iiuseugrowers are asking up to £l7 10s per ton. Quotations remain nominally at £l6 10s per ton, but not much business is being done at that figure. Following are quotations for produce to be paid to farmers at country stations, free of commission, sacks extra, except where otherwise stated: — Milling Wheat.—Tuscan, 5s ljd per bushel, f.o.b. ; Hunters, 5s 3gd; Pearl, 5s ssd. Fowl Wheat. —New seasons, 3s lod to 4s 6d per bushel. Oats. —Cartons, 2s 8d to 2s 9d per bushel; Algerians, 2s 6d to 3s ; I) 2a 6d to os. Chaff. —£4 15s to £5 per ton. Potatoes. —£7 10s to xj'6 5s per ton. WlMe Clover. —lOd to Is per lb. Red Clover.—lOd to Is per lb. Perennial Ryegrass.—4s 9d to 5s 3d per bushel. Italian Ryegrass.—4s 9d to 5a 3d per bushel. Partridge Peas. —5s 6d to 7s 3d per bushel. Cocksfoot. —4£d to 5d per lb.

Barley.—New season’s malting, 4s 6d to 5s per bushel; old season’s, 3s 6d to 4s 3d per bushel. Cape Barley.—Up to 3s per bushel. Linseed.—Up to £l6 10s per ton. Flour.—2oolb sacks, £ls 10s; 1001 b bags, £l6 10s; 501 b bags, £l7 ; 251 b bags, £l7 10s; all at per ton f.o.b. Lyttelton, Timaru, and Oamaru. Bran. —£5 per ton, f.o.b. southern ports. Pollard. —£7 per ton, f.o.b. southern ports. AGRICULTURAL AND FAS76RM NEWS. Mr Horn, M.P., has given notice to ask for a return showing the number of stock (sheep and cattle) carried on the following runs two years before the properties were subdivided:—Benmore, Omarama, Morven Hills, Kawarau, Northburn, Moutere, Galloway, and Matakanui; also the stock (sheep and cattle) at the present time* owned by the owners on the subdivision of the same estates. Mr Perry s mill, with nine men, thrashed 501 bags of wheal, in 102 hours actual working time at Messrs Anderson and Bovett’s farm. Mount Barker, Wanaka district. The highest price realised at the Wairanapa Jersey breeders’ sale was 82 guineas paid by Mr W. H. Jenkins for a bull (Polgarth Pretty Master), offered by H. H. Sutton and Co., Longbush. The highestpriced cow was Mr Eagle’s Belvedere Bilberry Daisv, sold to Mr J. Borland (Martinborough) for 65 guineas. The whole sal© realised 24C0 guineas. A great future for the dairying lands of the Ternuka district was predicted at the recent meeting of the Timaru High Schools Board (reports the Timaru Herald). Mr W. F. Chevorton said that if the owners would get together, form a drainage board, j an d drain and clean these lands they would double the present carrying capacity and the value of their holdings. Other members concurred in this view. A preliminary conference will be held of delegates from South Island A. and P. Associations, in Christchurch, just previous to the holding of the annual conference in Wellington. One of the rural questions of the hour is the future of the potato market, says a Tasmanian scribe. There is a very firm feeling, and at the shipping ports over £l2 a ton has been paid for prime Brownells the chief variety. A prediction has been made by the Hon. H. A. Nichols that there will be a potato famine later, and accordingly he advises farmers not to rush the market. Still the exports show no sign of diminishing. Meanwhile many have to get their tubers where the soil is wot, and it is the invariable custom to export when they are freshly dug. At a conference of representatives of rhe great majority of agricultural and pastoral associations of the North Island, it was decided to form a united federation. The chief objects are to secure uniformity of regulations in governing shows and to assist producers forwarding stock. A new factory at Mataura. capable of handling 15,000 gallons of milk daily, was opened on the 22ncl. The equipment sets a new standard, and the factory is the most up-to-date in the South Island as well as being the largest single-roof factory in the island. The output of the present year was 11,000 crates of cheese. The annual toll of lambs taken from the flocks around Gore every year fer the works is beginning to tell its tale. “There is a shortage of sheep in this district,” said an agent to a Southland Times reporter recently, “and good lines are difficult to find. He went on to state that considerably over 100,000 lambs had been drafted in the surrounding districts this year for the works. The South Island Dairy Association intends holding a special meeting of its members in Southland in a few days, when the question of cool stores will be discussed. It is rumoured (says the Southland News) that the report of the committee appointed to deal with this matter will show that the charges imposed by the Bluff Harbour Board have been unusually high.