STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3672, 29 July 1924, Page 13

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

M.nithly (conlintijdi.. Uuntrooa, 2nd Wednet day. Woodlands, 3rd Wed uesday. Milton, 2nd Tuesday. liiU our, 3rd Thursday. Thornbury, Ist Friday. Duntroon, 2nd Wednes day. Otautau, 2nd UayKivoradale, 3rd Friday Waikuka, last Friday. Oiydevale, last Tuesday. Periodically at Advertised. humsden, Moasbuni Orepuki, Waimahaka, WaikcaaiM, Kiverton, Ngupar i, and Otago Central bales

Weekly Stock Sales. Burnside, Wednesday*Eddington, Wednesdays ftaiareka Itailway JnaoUon, Tuesdays. E.rininhii u Fortnightly. Slversdale. Friday'sVVallacetown, Tuesdays. Ashburton, Tuesdays. Hertot, Thursdays. K'iutoo, Thursdays. Wyndbam, Thursdays. Clinton. Thursdays. Baiclutha, Fridays. Uore, Tuesdays. Montniy. Cdcndule, Ist Monday. FaiEnerstou, 4th Thuradsy. H inton. 4th Tuesday Mataura, Ist Thursday fokauui, 4th Monday.

OTAGO. Fine winter weather, too fine to suit Otago, is the general experience at present. The light rains so far have not reached the subsoil, and the outlook for a generous spring growth is not yet. The snowfalls on the high lands in the Central have been intermittent, and the snow does not lie for long, except on the hilltops. There were not many sheep yarded at Palmerston on Friday, but such as there were sold fairly well. Some good breeding- ewes, Corriedale type, made 44s 6d, and a few old, done ewes 15s to 17s. BURNSIDE MARKET. A medium entry of 1893 fat sheep at Burnside, compared with 3493 the previous week, met with a very fair demand. The quality was not up to last sale’s yarding. Some of the butchers had fair supplies on hand and were not keen buyers in the earlier stages of the sale. The demand opened quietly at a slight reduction, but b’est quality soon hardened and prices equal to the previous week’s reduced rates were maintained. Wethers “on the hoof” made to 7j>d per lb. The few hoggets penned were intermixed with the mature sheep, and sold well up to recent quotations. The yarding of 371 fat cattle, as against 312 the previous week, comprised plain to prime quality, with a moderate number of unfinished sorts. Choice bullocks of eight to nine hundred pounds weight made to 35s per 1001 b, but prime qualities well under this were considerably lower in value. Some 175 store cattle, chiefly good sorts of station weaners, were offered. The few medium quality three-year-old bullocks yarded sold well (about 25 of them) at £4 7s to £5 15s per head. Weaners made from 29s to 425; old cows about the same as at last sale. Another good clearance of fat pigs resulted, while stores, the quality of a number not being up to much, gold well. Baconers made up to Bd, and porkers to 9d per lb. NORTH ISLAND STOCK VALUES. Except for young breeding ewes and best hoggets, there is not much inquiry for stock in the North Island at present. Fine weather, with frosts, has been experienced, and evidence of the approach of spring is visible on all sides Beef in the Auckland province remains at last week’s quotations—vi*., up to 28s per lOGlb being

paid for prime quality. In Poverty Bay hoggets made from 15s 6d to 19s and medium breeding ewes 17s to 27s Btl. In Taranaki very fair breeding ewes to 34s 6d, springing heifers to £ll 10s, and weaner heifers 20s to 455. In the Wairarapa best grades of dry sheep are selling freely, hoggets making 20s to 255, young in-lamb ewes 27s to 335, and four and five-year-olds 25s to 30s. In Hawke’s Bay wether hoggets made to 24s 9d, ewe hoggets to 275, old breeding ewes 13s to 18s, and medium ditto 20s to 26s 9d. In the Wellington province ewe hoggets made 24s 6d to 275, small mixed 18s to 20s 6d, and mixed young breeding ewes (in lamb), 30s to 325. STOCK NOTES. It is the quiet time of the year in respect to store stock business in Otago. The weather is surprisingly good, and no one practically is yet forced to sell, and, if so, all good grades of sheep can be placed readily enough. Caines of sheepskins have come back 2d to 3d per lb certainly, but otherwise no factor would seem to disturb the serenity of sheep-owners. Fat cattle are coming in to the Burnside market in very fair numbers, and the condition of the majority is excellent. It makes one nervous to think of the highpriced turnips now disappearing so fast and beef values not moving up. It is the lighter prime carcases which are selling relatively cheaply. The animals around 9001 b sell better at the moment. One hears all sorts of predictions as to the trend of beef values. The writer inclines, despite the pessimists, to the belief that prime .bullocks will firm, and it will not be long now. doling stole cattle are not wanted, but forward bullocks sell fairly well, while good dairy cows make from £8 to £l4 and best heifer weaners from tested cows £3 to £5. The master butchers of Dunedin have offered to donate special prizes for the best fat bullock, under SOOlb, under four years old, at the Otago A. and P. Society’s coming Summer and Winter Shows respectively. The total proceeds for the last day of the recent Sydney stud sheep sales amounted to £21,179, making a grand total for the five days of approximately £120 ; 0C*0. One fine merino ram from the Austin Wanganella stud made 3050g5. It was stated at a Scottish cattle-breeding conference at Edinburgh recently that the United States was reaching its limit of production in beef and mutton. Major Wentworth, of Chicago, thought, that within the next 15 years it would be possible for lamb from the British dominions, and possibly beef, to enter America; but the market would not be obtained without a struggle. . A cattle ship is taking from Darwin (Australia) 100 bullocks for Hongkong. This is a trial shipment by Vesteys to test that market. The vessel also carries 15 aged and indigent Chinese, who are being repatriated to Hongkong at the expense of the Federal Government. The annual return of condemned stock slaughtered in the Dominion of Now Zealand” shows that 5358 cattle and five swine were killed. The amount of compensation paid in half-value was £12,909, and in full value £lO. Tire amount received in respect of the disposal of carcases was £1256. ROYAL SHOW. At the first annual meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society, which was held in Wellington recently, the president (Mr W. Perry), presiding, the ballot for the election to complete the full membership of the council, eight from each island, resulted as follows: North Island.—Messrs R. D, D. M’Lean, L. B. Stuckey, K. W. Dalrymple. South Island. —Messrs J. D. Hall, D. W. Westenra, J. A. Johnstone, J. Deans, W. D. Piek, the Hon. A. F. Hawke, Sir George Clifford. Considerable discussion took place regarding the age limit of champions in the Royal classes. The President of the Shorthorn Breeders’ Association (Mr J. Anderson) said that it was a mistake to limit, the age of champions to five years. Such a limit would bar some of the champion dairy cattle of theDominion. No beast ever developed its best qualities until it had matured. The cow wntch had taken a championship at the Melbourne Royal Show last year was nine years of age. The proposal to limit the age of champions to five years was ridiculous.

Mr A. H. Hansen (Dannevirke), president, of the Ayrshire Breeders’ Association, supported the protest which had been made by the Shorthorn Association. He said they were out to support the Royal Society in every way, but they certainly considered *"vt the age limit for champions in both bulls and cows should be increased. The President of the .Jersey Breeders’ Association also supported the raising of the age limit for champions. Eventually, Mr J. Hewitt (Pahiatua) moved that there be no age limit foiRoyal classes this year. The President (Mr W. Perry) said that in drawing up the prize schedule the council had given preference to the younger animals. Breeders, he thought, wore making a bigger point of this than it deserved. He personally preferred to keep his older animals on the farm. Tire schedule had been so designed as to endeavour to attract entries from all parts of the Dominion. The motion removing the ago limit from championship classes at the Royal Show was carried. CLYDESDALES. Clydesdales are selling only fairly well in Australia at present. A recent sale noted was on account of W. W. Black, The Quarries Stud, Coldstream—Clydesdale colt foal. Nether Craigends (20.814, C. 5.8.), foaled July, 1923, imported from Scotland, at £3OO, a record nrioo for Australia for a colfc of his age (8£ months), the purchasers being Messrs T. Thornton and Sons, of Bloomfield, Waaia.

It may be noted that at the annual Horse Parade, Melbourne, the prices realised were not encouraging, only six sales being effected at auction. The quality of the stock showed improvement, a number of stallions being consigned from New Zealand. A feature of the parade was the stock (says an exchange) of the aged Baron Wigton. Four splendid colts by this siro were entered by the Department of Agriculture, all bred on the State Research Farm, Werribee. Baron Wigton is now aged 22 years, and sired the four oolts when lie was 20. All four were remarkable for

their size; the oldest, aged 21 months, weighed 14Jcwt., and the youngest, aged 20 months, 13Jcwt. All were passed in at the sale, but one was subsequently sold privately for 100 guineas. Other sales include Bold Alba, by Bold Newton- —Flower 1922, at 95gns: colt, Prince Buchlyvie, 45gns ; O. H. Baron David, 47gns; C. H. Baron’s Prince, 85gns; C. H. Shanter’s Best, 55gns. NEW ZEALAND FRIESIANS. The secretary of the New Zealand Friesian Association reports that another cow of the Friesian breed, on semi-official test under the supervision of the Dairy Division, has given over SOOlb of fat. This is the Matangi Friesian Farm Company s Mercedes Pietje Netherland. This cow has been on test for 319 days, and up to date has given 20,929.61 bof milk and 843.481 bof fat. This is the twenty-fifth Friesian to make over the coveted figure of 8091 bof fat in one year. Mercedes Pietje Netherland was bred by Mr W- RWright, a member of the Matangi Friesian Farm Company, and is out of an imported cow, Mill brook Pietje Netherland, by a Canadian sire, Oleana Pontiac Korndyke. whose half-sister has a record of 23,9241 b of milk and 7831 b of fat. In the two-year-old classes in this breed Messrs O. R. Duncan and Sons (Whangamarino) have a heifer that is putting up a great record. Up to the end of June days on test) she has given 15,521.41 b of milk and 662.291 b of butter-fat, and for last month gave 1139.11 b of milk and 53.891 b butter-fat. This heifer is from To Ngut-u Stella De Kol (King Ladd’e—Monavale Stella De Kol! bv Mutual Aaltie Vale, a bull bred by Mr W. Barton, of Featherston) from his imported stock. This bull is bred from butter-fat producers, and is by Mutual Piebe of Rock (whose dam has a record of 317.351 b of fat) out of the imported cow Mutual Dulcina ale. A study of these pedigrees is interesting in that practically all the ancestry have records, and in using such an animal a breeder has much move chance of success than breeding from animals whose ancestry is unknown from the production standpoint. THE SEASON IN AUSTRALIA. The wheat areas of New South Wales received some useful rains last month, but generalv speaking (says the Pastoral Review) they were on the light side, particularly on the central western slopes and plains, and it nearly all fell in the first half of June, so that there has been practically nothing since our last review ot conditions. Similarly the last few _ weeks have been on*the dry side in Victoria but with the good rainfall in the preceding months the outlook is more promising than in the New South Wales areas, though the bulk of Riverina and other southern districts of the latter State are in good order, and crops are making good growth taking the totals for June in Victoria, the lliramera, Mallee, and northern districts (which needed rain more) fared rather better than the rest of the State, and though early crops are reported to be patchy, prospects are distinctly more promising. By and large the Victorian crop outlook is satisfactory, and much the same can be said of the agricultural districts m South Australia. In Western Australia good falls have been recorded with fair regularity since the break in the season.

The first point to call for comment in connection with the Australian frozen meat export season just closed is the hea , j decrease that occurred in lamb and mutton shipments. A reference to the tables published later shows that, compared with 1922-23 lamb clearances fell off to the extent ’ of 1,736,376 carcases, and mutton L 771.510 carcases. The disadvantages attendant on such a wide variation in output are obviou A oar t from the detrimental effect that Aguiar supplies would have on he over; markets, the short run at the ireez ;:eSd fvT for e 'over 30 years, and an experience is few S&rjss the variation mint b difficu l t to disproducing side. R “ H ,;uuted almost encover, and can be altubuveu a. tirely’ to climatic The » figures were ll N <lte mner and autumn of experienced m export and the that season. The X^ e conditions, tolosses due to lambing, meant that fewer* sheep were 5? £1 Si! r)E."C’S "r.aSi. shipped was f an d December. Ss,Tf ? r£“U' t e “n d consequently values • -phis state of sistently above export leveb im* affairs obtained ii 12 mont bs, and e i mArlcetinff conditions. “. ”“„i'"‘id.inW ES&JS* tet'‘'ta b aMlf'! ’some’ »l-----t. Ti-nnls were a-vaU&We. Competition on whole ’ ™as goou France , buying quietly, but ueimany aP TW. e^ Brisbane sales held in the following e wi been the source of considerable "'lbt oit in view of the difficulties of sp SL, e and at one time it. was seriously o™fd’ to defer them. Wiser counsels prevailed, as also in respect to not increasing the quantity, the results fully justifying the. course pursued. The first day witnessed an upward tendency in the best wools of some 2i per cent as compared with May rates, which hardened with the progress of the senes, closing 5 per cent, better. Topmakers sorts, ° however, barely maintained opening rates. Local manufacturers, in which Victorian mills were prominent, were a factor in the

improvement, outbidding Japan in many instances on suitable lines. Australian mills are slowly but, surely making their influence felt, more particularly in the winter series, and their support comes at an opportune moment. It is difficult at this stage to more than estimate the quantity of raw wool Australia’s textile mills and combing works have absorbed during the past season, but it will probably lie not far short of 140,000 bales, and would have been greater if full time had been worked all round. France was also in evidence, but not so Germany, which country at the moment must be finding it hard work to finance purchases of any raw material. Yorkshire was operating quietly. The success of the series goes to show that, difficult as the position is, there i# no need for fear if only supplies are carefully regulated and not rushed on to the market.