STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 19

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Monthly (continued). Duntroon/ Sud Wedneaday. Woodlands, 3rd Wednesday. Milton, 3nd Tuesday. Balfour, Brd Thursday. Thornbury, lit Friday. Otautau, 2nd. dayBiversdale, 3rd Friday (except March, April, and May). Waikaka, last Friday. Glydevale, last Friday Periodically at Advertiied. Lnrasden, Mossbarn, Orepuki, Waimahaka, Waikouaiti. Hirer* ton, NgaparS, and Otago Central Salo*.

Weekly Stock Sale*. Burnside, Wednesdays. Addington, Wednesdays. Waiareka Hailway Juno tion, Tuesdays Fortnightly. Birersdale, Fridays (March, April, and May). Wallaoetown, Tuesdays. Ashburton, Tuesdays. Heriot, Thursdays. Winton, Thursdays. Wyndham, Thursday*. Clinton, Thursdays. Balolutlia, Fridays. Gore, Tuesday*. Monthly. Edendale, Ist Monday. Palmerston, 4th Thursday. Winton, 4th Tuesdar. Matanra, let Thursday. - Tokanul, 4th Monday.

OTAGO. Seasonable weather, if a trifle warm at times, was experienced in Otago during the week, being good for harvesting, and also for the root crops, while the growth of pasture was obvious on all sides. The Balclutha stock sale wa§ well patronised, and the 3500 sheep yarded sold well. Ewe lambs made 21s, mixed sexes 17s 6d to 19s 6d, rape sorts 18s lOd to 19s 6d, wether lambs 18s to 19s, two-tooth wethers 17s lOd, old mixed ewe sorts 3s 6d to 6s 6d. Few cattle were penned, prices being unchanged.

’ BURNSIDE MARKET. The entry of fat cattle at Burnside totalled 277, compared with 268 the previous week, the quality, if somewhat mixed, being quite satisfactory for the most part. The supply of prime cows was again large, heifers being but moderately intermixed. The opening demand was not over bright, and values were easier by about 10s per head, no improvement taking place. Later sales were made under this figure, beef at its maximum realising up to 34s per 1001 b. The yarding of fat sheep, 1385 (1496 the previous week) comprised good quality sorts, but few light prime wethers were included, the entry being chiefly heavy wethers and fair to prime ewes. An irregular sale ensued, ewes and heavy wethers making about the same as a week ago, with light primes Is per head dearer. In an in-and-out sale, butchers’ wethers may be quoted as making to 4£d per lb. The fat lambs offered numbered 1076, compared with 777 the previous week, being good average sorts. Exporters secured a fair number of pennings, but were buying with caution, while butchers secured supplies at Is to 2s under last week’s rates. Lamb made to B’d per lb. Some 230 head store cattle elicited a very fair demand for best boners and the few steer* yarded, and were slightly dearer, but conditioned cows showed no change. The fat pigs fowarded, 70 (145 last sale) met with a better demand, being 5s up, while stores, 101 (last sale 85), eased 5s per head. Baconers sold to 7Jd, and porkers to 81d per lb. STOCK NOTES. There is practically nothing doing in store stock at the present time in Otago. Delivery has been given of various lines of sheep sold forward a while back during the week, and in the meantime, with the country north and south full of feed, no one seems disposed to sell at the prices offering. It is more than likely that sheep will come to the hammer in the ordinary course in larger numbers than usual. There is no hurry, seeing that the wool is always growing and stock sold now cannot well be replaced with fair chances of even a moderate profit. Values of store stock will, after an auction sale or two, reach a level in consonance with prices ruling for fats and entice business. 1' atteners of sheep and lambs, particularly of the latter class, are warned that stock requiring dagging prior to slaughter at the various freezing works in Otago, Southland, and Canterbury will be charged 6d per head.. The necessity of marketing , ea J! s^lee P i s obvious, as someone has to draft and handle dirty lambs ere they are treated at the works, in fairness to the butchers. In some instances lambs are not killing out as anticipated, but the recent warm weather should effect an improvement. It is to be noted that lambs off their mothers off top-dressed pastures and country where sheep fattening has not been done to death,” are killing out exceptionally well. . Export buyers of lambs were buying very cautiously at Burnside last Wednesday, not, it is understood, that their limits have been reduced, but because purchases during the preceding week were over rather than under their limits It will be remembered that butchers were owing to the small yardings. keen bidders at the closing mid-week sales at Burnside and, so to speak, made the pace a bit too hot for exporters. Good sorts of young wethers and rape lambs sell fairly readily at the various markets m the North Island, while young well-bred cattle have attention, but medium class stock drags somewhat compared with quotations a week ago. The grand champion Shorthorn at the b. n H er^ a n Koyal Show "’as the yearling bull Collyme King Lancaster (save an exchange). He is a red son of the imported Collyme Prince Lavender, and out I J n P° rte< i dam Doune Lancaster IV lhe Argentine Rural Society have held their annual show of steers fattened under natural conditions in the camp (says an exchange). The grand championship over all breeds was won by a pen of 10 Aber-deen-Angus Not only did the AberdeenAngus win the grand championship against pens of all the beef breeds, but the rfsem-e Sr * he ““» Mr J. Watson, of Invercargill, has again been commissioned to buy a further consignment of Ryeland sheep on behalf of a Victorian buyer, Mr James Woods, of Wilby (says the Southland News). A year ago Mr Woods commissioned Mr

Watson to secure for him one or two ewe hoggets and a ram of the Ryeland breed, and was well pleased. This year the order is for five two-tooth ewes, and these have now been secured. Two of these ewes are being supplied by Mr Thomas Evans, Longbush, and three by Mr John Brooks, Irwell (Canterbury). Each of the five is a winner in the show ring, so that Mr Woods is securing good foundation stock. Representations made by Mr J. B. Cramsie to the Royal Agricultural Societies of New South Wales.and Victoria are understood to have induced the committees to reduce by one year the ages of cattle in their fat stock classes (says the Pastoral Review). The alteration so far as New South Wales is concerned will take place after this year’s show, but in Victoria it will probably be effective as from 1927. When suggesting the change in age limits Mr Cramsie mentioned that he found during his recent visit to South America and the United States that early maturing beef was much sought after. . The object there was to secure an animal that would dress at from 680 to 7501 b between the ages of two and three years. Much the same thing was now happening in Great Britain, and he was anxious to obtain a fuller recognition of the importance of early maturity in Australia. Immediate future stock sales in Otago include some 1500 rape lambs at Owaka on the 15th- inst., and the fortnightly sales at Clinton and Balclutha on the 17th and 18th inst. respectively. NEW ZEALAND CLASSIFICATION OF CATTLE. Following are particulars of cattle in the Dominion, including boroughs (states the January Journal of Agriculture), for the last two years’ enumeration, as compiled by the Census and Statistics Office: —

* Including bulls not kept for stud purposes. f Included in classified figures above.

SLAUGHTER OF COWS BANNED. The Argentine Weekly (December issue) says: “The Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a Bill and submitted it to Congress, enacting the prohibition of the slaughter of cows for local consumption during a period of three years. This Bill is the result of a careful study of the conditions ruling in the meat trade at the present moment, the end sought being to encompass an improvement in the prices offered for good quality steers. According to the message sent with the Bill, statistics show a gradual increase in beef consumption during the past few years, which in 1924 reached 37.6 per cent., in 1925 41.2 per cent., and in the present year has already gone up to 49 per cent. The proportionate consumption of steers, on the other hand, is on the down grade, since in 1924 io rcac^e< l V-9 P er cent., dropping to 13.6 per cent, in 1925, and to only 10.9 per cent, during the present year. It is expected that by suppressing the killing of cows for meat, there would be an increase of 000.000 head per year in the total of steers slaughtered, which would be of considerable benefit to cattle breeders. 'lhe penalties for infringing this law are in the form of fines amounting to from lOOOdol to IO.OOOdoI, and, in the case of a repetition, the closing down of the establishment concerned.” SEASON IN AUSTRALIA. Wheat stripping will be completed in all but the late districts by the time this issue is in circulation (says the Pastoral Review of January). Rains interfered with harvesting to a certain extent in New South Wales, but elsewhere delays have not been material. Fires, an everpresent menace in a dry season,' destroyed some crops, especially in Riverina, and would have done much more damage had it not been for the timely showers of midDecember. The greatest aggregate loss, however, appears to have been caused by high winds. These were particularly violent over the southern division of New South Wales and North Victoria during the second half of December, and were responsible for a good deal cf shedding. Both wheat and oat crops were affected, yields being reduced by two and three bags per acre in many instances. Assuming that the Victorian yield is only 45 million bushels, and that the other estimates are correct, the total production in the four exporting States will be. in round figures, 160,000,000 bushels. That would give an exportable surplus of between 110 and 115 million bushels. Shipments oversea during December, the first month of the new season, were equivalent to approximately 4,120 000 bushels grain. According to the monthly returns prepared by the Department of Trade and Customs the total killings of cattle for export in Queensland during 1926 were 234,734 head. From information gleaned from unofficial sources we learn that approximately 46,000 w’ere put through the northern works, 50,000 in the central district, and 139,000 in the south. The slaughterings in 1925 were 552,036 head, which was the record for Queensland. Mutton clearances during December aggregated 109,877 carcases for all ports. January exports will be light. Clearances of frozen lamb from the Commonwealth in December totalled 431,082 carcases, of which all but 9586 were consigned to Great Britain. January exports will probably approximate 200,000

carcases, but promise to be lighter in subsequent months. Stocks in store or loaded on vessels that had not cleared the coast on January 1 were about 370,000 carcases, so it will be seen that very nearly 1,800,000 lambs have been treated to date this season. January, February, and March killings should account for quite 200,000 head, bringing the aggregate up to two millions. The month under review has been broken up by the Christmas and New Year holidays, and in consequence sales of wool have been restricted. In Sydney, where the last sales of the first half of the 1926-27 season were held, the market closed firm for all good wools, with, however, considerable irregularity in all faulty and burry parcels. This position was maintained at the opening sales of the current year on January 4, all good wools meeting with keen competition at prices which, though not quotably dearer, showed an improving tendency as compared with the closing rates of last December. On the other hand, faulty, broaS-fibred and burry wools still continue to sell irregularly about on a par with the same period. Competition came mainly 'from Japan, Germany, and Yorkshire, which countries all operated freely and with some support at times from America. France, on the other hand, was quiet, a not unexpected development, as that country is still passing through a strenuous time, the stabilising of the franc proving a very difficult process, resulting in restricted trade. On the other hand, German competition is very keen, and indeed has been so for some time, particularly so far as skirtings are concerned, and as they form no inconsiderable portion of the clip, the result is all the more noticeable. Reports from England are rather more encouraging, and a better feeling is becoming noticeable, which it is to be hoped will be translated into a reality, but, as has been pointed out on all hands, last year's industrial troubles must leave their mark on business for some time to come. Wool values are apparently at such a level as to show a working profit all round, if only a steady demand could be relied upon. In U.S.A, there also seems to be a feeling that the wool trade is in for somewhat better times, and the forming of the Wool Council in America is hailed as a step in the direction of stabilising all branches of the industry, in which movement it is stated that the American Woollen Company is joining.

EXPORT OF ROMNEYS. By the Manuka, which left Wellington for Sydney on February 4, Messrs Dalgety and Co., Ltd., shipped a very valuable consignment of Romney Marsh Sheep to Australia for Mr A'. F. Carr, Chatsbury, Goulburn, New South Wales. The consignment comprised the twotooth ram that was sold on account of Mr E. E. Short by Dalgety and Co. Ltd., at the record price for New Zealand of GOOgns, also 50 specially selected aged ewes, and®Pne two-tooth ewe from the far-famed Parorangi flock. Mr Carr visited New Zealand early in January, 1925, on the look-out for a stud Romney ram, and selected a sheep from the Parorangi flock, which was among the number to be sold by auction, but as he could not stay in New Zealand for the sale, he placed a buying order, but failed to secure the sheep he had chosen. He then left the selection of a ram in the hands of Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Feilding, and a two-tooth ram, No. 129, was bought on January 21, 1925, from the flock of E. E. Short at I3ogns, and this ram took first and reserve champion at the Feilding Show in February, and was then shipped straight to Sydney. Mr Carr showed this ram in Melbourne, and secured first prize, and at the Sydney Royal Show in 1926 he took first anil champion. Further purchases were made on behalf of Mr Carr from Mr E. E. Short, these being one two-tooth Romney ram, No. 29, at 200gns (first prize, Sydney, in shorn class) ; three ewes at 25gns (one of which took first prize at Sydney); one ram lamb at lOOgns, and one ewe lamb at 25gns, and in October. 1926, one twotooth ram at 250gns. Mr Carr again visited New Zealand in January and made the purchases which were sent forward on February 4. The Australian trade for New Zealand Romneys is undoubtedly of great benefit to breeders, and is clearly demonstrated by the above. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL NEWS. The Pastoral Review of last month is responsible for the following news item: “As the current New Zealand wheat crop is not sufficient to meet the country’s consumptive demand, at least one milling company is reported to have imported grain from North America. Five hundred tons are said to-have been purchased.” The house sparrow in America and our colonies is referred to as the English sparrow. It is just regarded as a national pest. In five years 3,000,000 were killed in Illinois State, yet the bird appears to be as plentiful as ever. It has three broods a year, and rears from**l2 to 15 young. It has almost disappeared from the streets of London and other large towns. This is due to a lack of food brought about by the more thorough cleansing of the streets and to motor vehicles having largely taken the place of horse-drawn vehicles. But throughout the countryside the bird still abounds in countless numbers and commits incalculable damage. Once it was the custom to fix small, light ladders against every thatch. The ladders, which were too slightly built to be climbed by a human being, were referred to as “cat ladders.” They were to enable the cats to get up on to the thatch and catch the sparrows after they had gone to roost and went on their nests. The custom is well worth reviving, says Farm Feeding. Addressing members of the Constitutional Club, the assistant manager of the Government Tourist Bureau said that it ■was not generally known that Victoria, which was only one-thirty-fourth the size of Australia, had produced one-third of the wheat, one-third of the fruit, onethird of the butter, two-thirds of the canned fruit, and, up to the present, onehalf of the gold produced in the continent. The total area of the Mallee was 11,000,000 acres, and of that total 8,000,000 acres were now under cultiva-

tion. The wheat yield of the district was second only to that of the Wimmera. Vyhcn the irrigation projects were completed the Mallee would probably be known as the granary of Victoria. The Murray River was 1700 miles in length, and for 1300 miles it formed the northern boundary of Victoria. The Hume resetvoir would have an area three times as large as that of Sydney Harbour when completed, lhe estimated total cost of construction was £10,000,000. The land along the Murray was good, and all that was needed was water, which would be provided when the irrigation projects were completed. It is estimated that following on the wool sale to be held in Christchurch on Wednesday about £400,000 should be available for distribution throughout Canterbury on February 24. riPS produce to the total value c-’ £143 098 was sent from Wanganui to the London market during the month of January. lhe butter shipments were worth £80.844, wh e_ the cheese shipment yas valued at £624,254. On present values the butter and cheese held in store at Castlecliff is worth £150,382. Reports from many parts of the Cromwell district indicate that the rabbit pest is more in hand than for some years. Of course there mgy be “other parts.” In conversation with some settlers, an Argus reporter found that opinions differed °as to the means responsible for the evident reduction in the number of rabbits. One considered traps were very effective while another gave credit to the use of strychnine, which accounted for “old identities” which could not be caught by any other means. The splendid run of unbroken weather last winter, coupled with the hbdi prices of skins, must also have been an assisting factor. However, it can only be hoped the pest is under control as indicated. Relying to the Ilunterville Rabbit Board and the Farmers’ Union, the Hon. A. D. M'Leod agreed with the suggestion that the Rabbit Board’s inspector should assist in the checking of noxious weeds in comparatively clean \areas. A Bill dealing with the problem was now being drafted, and he saw no reason, and the thought the Minister of Agriculture would agree, why the proposal should not be included.’ The gieatest problem was not regarding the areas overrun by weeds, but the prevention of the weeds spreading in comparatively clean areas. Following a recommendation of the Arbitration Court that sheepowners and shearing employees should meet to discuss the question of a flat rate for crutchmg, a conference of New Zealand sheepowners representatives and of delegates from the North and South Island shearers’ unions sat in Christchurch last week. A deadlock was reached early in the proceedings, and the conference was fruitless. In consequence of the dry weather the pasture lands round about Wanganui are beginning to wear a parched appearance, there is no actual feed shortage, but the grass is drying up rapidly and a stock agent informed a Chronicle reporter that graziers who had paid high prices for lambs might incur loss if a drought of serious proportions materialised. Throughout the past week of ideal harvest weather field operations were carried on from daylight till dark throughout North Canterbury, and a large area of wheat is now in stook or stack (reports the Lyttelton limes). Tbe closeness of the slooks in the fields is a good indication of the large yields to be expected, and the few threshmg returns available are very satisfactory. Rust has done a little damage here and there, and ‘‘take all’’ is said to be found in the wheat, but the exceptionally heavy crops will compensate for any loss from that source. Warm rains have hastened the growth of -the turnip and potato crops in the South Otago district of late, and the prospects for an abundance of winter feed are very promising (reports our correspondent). The potato crop should be a bumper one, provided that blight does not intervene. In the Inchclutha and Stirling district a considerable area has been planted in chou mollier, a fodder plant that has come greatly into favour within the past few years. Considerable sowings were made in January, and some farmers are even now planting, the idea being to ensure that the stalks are not too hard for the dairy stock in winter. The late sown crop, it has been found, is much more palatable than November and December sown. At a meeting of the directors of the South Otago Freezing Company on Friday satisfaction was expressed at the progress that is being made at the works this season. The curtailed staff his been working full time, and the supply of fat stock has been fairly steady. Some of the directors expressed the opinion to a representative of the Daily Times, after the meeting that the works could handle a good deal more, and that the farmers of the district would be acting in their own best interests if they sent all their fats to the local works. With this end in view the management wa= prepared to meet them in every possible way.

Number Number on on Jan. 31, Jan. 31, Bulls, 2 years old and 1925. 1926. over, for stud— For beef purposes . . 12,679 12,908 For dairy purposes.. Steers, 2 years old and 47,141 45,945 over* 405,768. 394,547 Steers and bulls, 1 and under 2 years old Cows and heifers, 2 189,801 169,249 years old and over, for dairying— In milk 1.178,504 1,181,441 Dry Other cows and heifers, 2 years old and 124,625 122,415 over Heifers, 1 and under 2 518,284 535,273 years old 441,510 401,013 Calves (heifer, steer, and bull), under 1 year old 552,164 589.695 In boroughs, etc. 33,268 Totals 3,503,744 3,452,486