STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3773, 6 July 1926, Page 19

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

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OTAGO. Wintry weather was experienced last week in Otago, the temperature Deing lower, although the rainfall was by no means great. At Palmerston there was a fair sale of stock, although the entries were small. Some two and a-half-year-old steers made £7 4s, dairy heifers £4 5s to £7, old cows 30s to 60s, old breeding ewes 17s, twotooth wethers 23s 6d, ewe hoggets 23s 6d. BURNSIDE MARKET. The entry of fat cattle at Burnside totalled 200, compared with 297 the previous week. The quality was very fair, some nicely-finished heifers and steers being included. Butchers had some cattle over from the previous week, and values were irregular, choice bullocks making improved rates at times, with medium quality on a parity with the lower rates of the previous week. An appreciation of 15s to 20s per head may be recorded, beef making up to 39s per 1001 b. The yarding <yf fat sheep—23oo (1950 at the previous sale)—was made up of a fair proportion of heavy crossbred wethers, some fine wools, and a number of pennings of rather better ewes than has been the case of late. Although prices were somewhat irregular for heavy sheep, the tendency was downwards, being Is to 2s 6d lower than late rates. Freezing sheep were unchanged. Wether mutton cost butchers up to ssd per lb. The fat lamb entry was a small one, and the quality very fair. There was a good clearance at up to 9jd per lb. There was a good sprinkling of fair three-year-old steers, in good condition in the store cattle section, the balance comprising average cows. Prices were somewhat easier, but clearances were fairly readily made, best mature steers making £8 5s to £lO 2s fid, and extra sorts in condition £1 per head more. Another moderate entry of fat pigs witnessed a quick clearance at unchanged rates, porkers making to lOd and baconers to 8d per lb. NORTH ISLAND STORE STOCK VALUES. There is somewhat more life in the store stock market in the North Island, although cattle show little movement. In the Auckland province, at Westfield, up to 32s er 1001 b was paid for beef, forward steers £7 5s to £8 10s, fair wethers 23s 9d to 26s 9d, light lambs 16s to 20s. In the Wanganui-Feilding areas, young breeding ewes made 30s to 31s 9d. mixed 238 to 255, fair old ewes 15s to 235, ewe lambs 12s to 20s, wethers 14s to 19s, mixed 12s to 19s. In the Wairarapa: Medium breeding ewes 20s to 235, two-tooth wethers 18s to 21s 9d. In Poverty Bay. fair wethers made 17s to 19s, hoggets 11s to 16s, with cattle dull of sale.' In the Wellington province, mixed wethers made 20s to 225, young in-lamb ewes 24s to 295, good four and five-year-olds 23s to 255, station three-year-old steers to £7 10s, two-year-olds to £5 ss, best dairy cows £lO to £l6. In Hawke’s Bay, four-tooth wethers made to 18s, two-tooths 16s to 17s 9d, mixed lambs 9s to Us fid, extra 15s to 17s, old breeding ewes 9s to 13s 6d, three-year-old steers £4 to £5. STOCK NOTES. The change in the weather ia seasonable and welcome, as the warm days of last month were not such aa the owners of extensive turnip crops in Otago care to experience for any length of time. The second growth is apt to commence too early for safety, arf there will be a good deal of artificial stock feed wanted before the spring grass arrives. Stock values are satisfactory in so far ns store animals are concerned, but an upward trend of prices of beef and mutton would be welcomed by fatteners. There is a very fair demand for good dairy cows, but few are offering. On the other hand, the number of discarded cows penned this season is large, the offerings at the weekly metropolitan sale keeping up in a marvellous manner. Their condition, too, is good. Quality of Frampton, a noted bull of the Akitio Aberdeen-Angus herd, owned by Mr Frank Armstrong, Dannevirke.. has been sold to Messrs F. J. White and Sons, New South Wales. What may be regarded as one of the largest cattle deals effected in Australia is reported by Moreheads (Ltd.), Brisbane, on behalf of the North Australian Pastoral Company, selling 8000 atore bullocks, with option of taking up to 10,000 No. 4 branding or older, for cash and in one line, and also 1000'speyed cows, to Sir Sidney Kidman, from Alexandra Station, Northern Territory. The sale of the Rosebery Jerseys (North Island) on behalf of Mr J. R. McDonald proved a most successful disposal event. Thirty-two cows averaged Signs, and the 17 in-calf heifers averaged 26gns, and the heifer calves 20gns. Young bulls sold to 32}gns. The. top price paid for cows was lOlgns for Holly Oak Raven Lily, by Grannie’s Knight, heifers making to 75 gns. Huge quantities of fodder, chiefly maise, are still being carried by the Queensland Railways Department for starving sheep in the drought-stricken western and northwestern districts. In addition, thouaands

of sheep had been shifted to more favoured districts. In some cases the animals had been moved 1,300 miles. It has been the custom in times past to determine the value of a dairy bull by looking up the production records of his dam and grandams and by paying some attention to the records of his sisters and his aunts. That is good as far as it goes, but the time is gradually approaching when the dairy sire will be valued according to the records of his daughters, and when every up-to-date dairyman will be dissatisfied until he has a proved sire at the head of his dairy herd. NEW ZEALAND’S FLOCKS. According to the interim reports just published in the Gazette, the total number of sheep in the Dominion on April 39, 1926, was 24,747,848, compared with the final return in 1f25 of sheep, an increase of 199,893. The interim report shows 13,784,664 sheep in the North Island and 10,963,184 in the South Island. The North Island shows an increase of 65,123 compared with the final return for 1925, and the South Island an increase of 134,770. In the iNorth Island; Auckland and Wellington-West Coast show increases of 133,634 and 65,602 respectively, while Gisborne-Hawke’s Bay shows a decrease of 134,113. The increase for Otago is 255,566, while the number of sheep in Marlborough-Nelson-Westl and has decreased 48,886, and Canterbury-Kai-koura 71,910. NEW ZEALAND FRIESIAN ASSOCIATION. At a recent meeting of the council of the New Zealand Friesian Association it was decided that the North Island cups for 1926 be awarded to the Stratford A. and P. Association and the South Island cups to the Southland A. and P. Association, Invercargill. A vote of £SO was made to the Royal Show at Auckland in November as prize money for the provincial Friesian group competition of seven animals (two males and five females), representing each of the six provinces, and the sum of £ls was voted towards payment of expenses of an Australian judge for the Friesian section. The Derby prize money for the 1926 competition was allotted as follows: Ten prizes—£6s, £3O, £ls, £lO, £B, £7, £6, £4, £3, £2. Fifteen new members were elected. CLYDESDALES. In a recent leading article on the Clydesdale, the Farming News, commenting on the generally favourable conditions of the home and export trade, says: “A number of exporters were present at the recent stallion show, and they saw for themselves what the Scottish draught horse of to-day is like —* supreme,’ as one of them told us, ‘in conformation of frame, with plenty of weight and substance, the best of legs and feet, with fine, silky hair, and conspicuous for gaiety of action, courage, and drawing power.’ The one drawback is the narrowing of lines of blood. That is the most serious problem facing the breeders of Clydesdale horses. Something must be done to find a remedy for this. At present breeders are working away with a large measure of success, certainly, for the time being, but the day is bound to come when imand-in breeding will have an adverse effect on the breed in general. It is possible in casting about for a remedy some enterprising individual may discover it in the dominions. There are not a few horses of merit there, and although they may have a relationship to the stock at home, they have been bred and reared in a distant country and un der different climatic conditions.” This reference to the dominions reminds one (says the Adelaide Chronicle) that Canada is only three weeks’ sail from Australia, that she has been an extensive importer of Clydesdale horses from Scotland, and that she has built up some first-class studs. For 40 years the Canadian Clydesdale Stud Book has been in existence, the standard of registration being high. Some 51,000 mares and 24,405 stallions had been registered up to 1925 The provinces lmvc had compulsory registration and veterinary examination of stallions in force for the past 20 years. There seems to be no reason why Australia should not draw on Canadian studs for some of its Clydesdales, seeing that the cost of landing stock from there would be considerably less than from Scotland. MEAT BOARD ADVICES. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board has received the following cablegram from its London office, dated June 25, advising Smithfield delivered prices at that date as follow (prices for the two previous weeks are also shown):— New Zealand Wethers and Maidens.— Canterbury quality, selected brands: 561 b and under, 6Jd per lb (6id, 6Jd); 571 b to 041 b, 6d (6d, 8d); 651 bto 721 b, 5Jd (sjd, s}d). Other brands: 561 b and under, 6fd (61d, 6*d); 571 bto 641 b, s|d (s|d, 5Jd); 651 bto 721 b, 5d (sd, sd). New Zetland Ewes: 641 b and under, 41d (Aid, 4*d). New Zetland Lamb. - Canterbury quality: 361 b tnd under, 10d (lOld, lOJd); 371 bto 421 b, 9|d (9|d, 9jd); 431 bto 501 b( 9fd (9}d, 9Jd); seconds, 9id (9|d, 9|d). Selected brands: 361 b and under, 91a (lOd, lOd); 371 bto 421 b, 9}d (9|d, 9jd). Other brands: Fair quality, 421 b and under, 9}d (9Jd, 9Jd); seconds, 9Jd, (9Jd, 9Jd). New Zealand Beef.—Ox fores, 4d (3jd, 3}d); ox hinds, 5Jd (s]d, sfd); cow fores and hinds not quoted. Argentine Chilled Beef.—Ox fores, 4)d (4Jd, 4}d; ox hinds, 7ld (7}d, 6jd). , Argentine Frozen Beef.—Ox fores, 41d (not quoted); ox hinds, 6Jd (not quoted). Froren Pork: 801 b to 1201 b, 10Jd (104 d, lOtd); 1201 b to 1801 b, 10Jd (IOJd, 10Jd). Frozen Veal: 5d (sd, not quoted). Lamb.—Smithfield consumption good, hut owing to coal strike provincial demand is only poor. Owing to Belling pressure market is easier. Mutton.—Market is steady, better inquiry. New Zealand Beef.— Stock* light, nominal prices.