STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 19

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

*Mkly stock 3a» v . Monthly (contlnuM). Addington, Da a a £°°°. Sod WeduMW W#a . Rlvv S date!’’ lßM Ftidwj d 00 ’ 3 “wi (March, April, £Ja Balfour, 3rd Thuraday. May). Thornbury, Ist Friday. WaUaoetown, Toerfays. Otautau, 2nd WadneaAshburton, day. Blvaradale, 3rd JT!<Ut Th («cepl March. April, Wyndfcam, and May), platan. TlwAtejJ. .W»j< a k ß . last Friday. BaloJutba, FriSaya. Clydevsls, lart Friday Gora, Tuesdays. ' Monthly. « PorlodloaHy at Sdendalo, Ist "’-Monday. < Aavsrtlssd. Palraerafon, 4tb TCtrra- Lumsden, Mossburu, day. Orepuki, Walmahaka. Winton, 4th Tuesday. j Waikouaiti. River. Myjaura, lit. fwiraAay. ton,' Ngapara, and Tokairai, 4th Monday. Otago Central galea. OTAGO. The few rain showers which fell last weefea in Otago merely served to cool the atmosphere, and in but slight degree _ retarded harvesting and potato digging, both of which farm operations are at present in full swing. Some sheep (it was said) from the North Island were offered at the Clutha stock sale on Friday—a bold venture surely! At the Clinton stock sale o’n Thursday some 500 sheep, mostly lambs, were yarded. There was a good clearance, mixed lambs making 18s to 19s 6d and sound-mouth ewes (a few broken) 21s 6d. At Balclutha between 6000 and 7000 sheep were penned, chiefly lambs. There was a good attendance, Southland buyers being prominent, and a good sale resulted. Mixed sex lambs made 17s 6d to 20s 7d, small 13s 8d to 16s, extra forward lambs 21s 3d, some very fair pennings of ewe lambs 19s lOd to 21s 7d, mixed young ewes 28s, sound but not guaranteed ewes 23s Bd, two-tooth wethers 17s to 21s 6d, failing ewes 15s to 16s 3d, and old 5s to 7s.

BURNSIDE MARKET. The yarding of fat cattle totalled 245, compared with 348 the previous week. The quality was very fair, but the inclusion of .many pens of prime, cows militated somewhat from its general excellence. The opening demand was weak, and for a space prices were from par to 10s lower than a week ago. However, later on butchers gathered in force, and values improved considerably, running out about £1 Is ahead of earlier sales. Beef made up to 34s per 1001 b for • prime medium weight bullocks and heifers, but cows were—unchanged. The yarding of fat sheep, 2814 (1797 last week) comprised a good selection, heavy sheep and ewes being fairly evident. Early in the sale, prices ruled much the same as a week ago, but weakened on heavy wethers and best ewes, the former making about 2s under last week’s best values, and ewes receding rather more than this amount. Good ■wethers making up to 44d per lb. The fat lamb entry (697), compared with 705 the previous week, was not of outstanding quality, far too many unfinished lambs being penned. However, butchers’ lambs were in ample supply if freezing sorts were scarce, and generally all grades were cheaper by Is to Is 6d per head, lamb making to BJd per lb. There was an entry of some 260 store cattle, all but an odd pen of steers being medium to fair conditioned cows. There was a good demand. The few young steers of moderate breeding made £4 6s to £6 ss, while boners again sold readily. The entry, of fat pigs, 139 (130 last week), sold at about last Sale’s rates, porkers, if anything, being firmer, while stores 61 (60 last sale) made rates on a par with those of a week ago. Baconers made up to 7Ad and porkers BJd per lb. STOCK NOTES. Another quiet week in stock in Otago. A few lines of extra good station ‘‘cast” ewes have been placed at 295, and station wether lambs and cull ewe lambs at 16s to 17s. A few sows „(in pig) sold at Burnside on Wednesday made’ from £7 15s to £9 12s 6d, meeting with very fair competition. The sharp rise in fat cattle at Burnsidelast week was not unexpected. Early sales were down on the previous week’s values, and matters looked ominous. However, a northern buyer took a hand, and secured some 20 head, which, in a market of 100 less than at the previous sale, had due effect, and prices moved up £1 Is per head. Twenty-four Clydesdale stallions have been licensed to travel for service in England during the present season, says an exchange. The Royal Agricultural Show of New South Wales will be held at Moore Park,. Sydney, from April 11 till April 20. when £14,000 prize money will be distributed, lhe schedule embraces horses, cattle, pigs, dairy and farm produce, dogs’, poultry, etc. It was ascertained from the Queensland Minister of Industry (Mr Gledson) recently that everything is now in readiness for the disposal of the State cattH stations. They will all be offered at auction in Brisbane on April Poor Girl, a famous Clydesdale mare, bred by Mr William Dunlop, Dunure Mains, Ayr and the property of Mr John MNee. Colony Farm, Crieff, died on December 30, in her thirty-first year. She was foaled on May 27, 1896, and was got by the famous Montrave Mac (9958), who himself lived until he was 25 years old. Poor Girl as a young mare won many prizes. She was dam of 10 living foals, seven of them in succession to Baron’s Pride (9122). According to the North British Agriculturist, the weighing of fat cattle prior to sale by auction is now compulsory. Under the Markets and Fairs (Weighing of Cattle) Act, any auctioneer who offers for sale in a market, fair, or mart any fat cattle unless their weights have been made available to intending purchasers at the time _ of the sale will be' liable to the penalties set out in the Act, unless an exemption has been obtained from the Minister of Agriculture. The experi-

ence of local authorities who have already applied to the Minister show that exemption, except of a merely temporary nature, will be hard to get. On the 10th inst. at Dannevirke, on behalf of Mr David Allan, the AberdeenAngus bull Toreador of Ben Lomond, champion at the first Royal Show, was sold to Brooks Bros., South Australia, for 240gns. A two-year-old heifer, Helen IV of Ben Lomond, champion at the Royal Show, realised the same money. Helen II of Ben Lomonod, a seven-year-old cow, made 235ghs, both going to Mr T. G. S. Carlyon, Gwavas Station, Hawke’s Bay. An old champion cow, Helen of Ben Lomond, realised 60gns, the bid of Herrack Bros., Tautane. A yearling heifer, Empress II of Ben Lomond, placed first at the Royal Show, was purchased by Brooks Bros., South Australia, at 85gns. These breeders secured 12 head. The top price for calves was 50gns. paid by Mr M'Donald Grant for a bull calf, Victor 2nd of Wellington. The whole herd made the good average of 50gns. Messrs P. and G. Hughes had a fair trade for four Shorthorn bulls which they sold in Buenos Ayres recently’ (says the Review of the River Plate). These bulls had just been released from quarantine, and included two prize-winners. Straffan Lottery won first prize and reserve junior championship at Dublin Show, and sold for £435 to Senores Larat Hnos.. while the other prize-winner. Orphan Carlow, won reserve championship at Belfast, and sold for £2BO to Senor Urreta. Coldoch Landmark sold for £203 15s tothe heirs of William Angus, while Hean Bagman sold'for £l4O to Senor Urreta. The four bulls averaged £286 each—a satisfactoryprice' considering the lateness of the season and the difficulty lately experienced to sell relatively good imported bulls at any price in order to get rid of them.

— WHEAT AND OAT HARVEST. The following estimated average yields in bushels per acre of wheat and oats for the season 1926-27 have been compiled by the Department of Agriculture: — Wheat. Oats. North Island . . . . 32.40 38.91 Nelson 28.91 33.00 Marlborough . . . . 29.50 29.73 Canterbury . . .. 33.85 43.76 Otago 34.08 42.89 Southland . . . . 36.71 45.83 Average (estimated) for the Dominion, season 1926-27 . . . . 33.92 43.86 Average (actual) for the Dominion, season 1925-2 G . . . . 30.44 40.14 In accordance with the above estimates, the total yield of'wheat for the Dominion should be approximately 7,500.000 bushels, as against an actual yield of 4,617,041 for the season 1925-26. The percentage of oats thrashed for the five seasons ending with 1925-26 was 27.40 of the total area under that crop. Assuming that a similar proportion is thrashed this year, the total yield of grain should be approximately 4.900.000 bushels as against an actual yield of 4,115,606 for the season 1925-26. CHICAGO EXPOSITION. The Chicago International Exposition was held at Chicago in the first week in December. The fat stock classes were judged by Mr George Gordon-Davis, of Argentina. "The supreme champion was a Hereford calf (calved Januarv 4, 1926) and the reserve an Aberdeen-Angus yearling. The champion scaled 9701 b, and was sold at the record price of 3.60d0l per lb, or £B3 Is lOd per cwt live weight. In the car lots competition (15 cattle to a car lot) there were 101 entries — 49 Aberdeen-Angus, 49 Hereford, and 3 Shorthorns. The Aberdeen-Angus comprised 39 car lots of yearlings and 10 of two-year-olds; the Herefords 35 of yearlings and 14 of two-year-olds; while the Shorthorns were yearlings. The awards were: Aberdeen-Angus yearlings—.l and 5, John Htibly. Mason City, Illinois; 2 and 6. E. P. Hall, Mechanicsburg, Illinois; 3. Foster Bros., Earlham, Iowa; 4, N. G. Cone, Memphis. Montana. —- The grand championship for pigs went -to the lowa State College for a Chester White ‘'barrow,” and the same owners also won the breed championship for Hampshires. The reserve champion was a Poland-China pig from Purdue University. In the carcase competition the championship and the reserve both went to Berkshires, shown respectively by the lowa State College and the Michigan State College. NEW ZEALAND FROZEN MEAT. The New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board reports the following shipments of frozen meat from New Zealand to January 31. 1927: — London—Quarters beef, 3194; carcases mutton, 238,629; carcases lamb. 755.824; carcases pork, 17.679. West Coast, United Kingdom—Quarters beef, 3015; carcases mutton, 7478: carcases lamb, 59.289; carcases pork, 8697. Total for same period last year (January 31, 1926): London—Quarters beef, 70.544; carcases mutton, 563.033: carcases lamb, 618,857: carcases pork, 1790. West Coast, United Kingdom—Quarters beef, 53,844; carcases mutton, 24,263; careases lamb, 19,246; carcases nork, 2614. Havre—Quarters beef. 16,651. Antwerp—Quarters beef, 19,572. Genoa —Quarters beef, 21,258. DAIRY BREEDS’ FEDERATION. A meeting oKthe New Zealand Dairy Breeds’ Federation was held in Feilding on February 1. Present—Messrs A. W. Green (Hamilton) and W. .P, Jenkins (Sheffield), New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association; Mr H. R. Green (Kairanga). New. Zealand Friesian Association: Messrs W. H. Booth (Carterton), A. E.~ Missen (Hamilton). R. J. Linn (New Plymouth), and C. G. C. Dernier (Cheltenham). New Zealand Jersey Association; Messrs L. J. Wild (Feilding) and B. M. Harvey (Waverley), New Zealand Red-Poll Association: .Messrs F. Mills (Waverley) and T. Webb (Palmerston North), New Zealand Ayrshire Association; and Mr J. P. Kalaugher, acting secretary. There were also present Mr Hodges (ex-president of the New Zealand Milking Shorthorn Association), Mr W. M. Singleton (director dairy division), MrG. Finn (New Zealand Cattlecake and Oil Company), and Mr F. R. Callaghan,

M.A. (Department of Scientific Research). . x , The Chairman, Mr A. W. Green, extended a hearty welcome to the meeting' and to Messrs Singleton, Callaghan, Hodges, Hume, and’ Finn. Officers for the year ending September 30, 1927, were elected as follows:— President, Mr A. W. Green; vice-presi-. dent,_ Mr A. E. Missen; secretarytreasurer, Mr J. P. Kalaugher (Box 860, Wellington). It was resolved to add the following to the constitution:—“At any meeting of the executive there must be present representatives of at least four breed associations or seven representatives from breed associations.” .It was resolved that the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture and the New Zealand Group Herd-testing. Federation be elected honorary members of the federation. The New Zealand Ayrshire Association wrote regarding charges made by the Railway Department for transport of pedigree stock to and from A. and P. shows. _ A general discussion ensued in which it was shown that the chief trouble lay in the dangers caused by shunting and in the delay in transportation, and particularly in unloading the stock at the terminal station. It was resolved, on the motion of Messrs W. J. Jenkins and T. Webb, that the attention of the Railway Department be drawn to the need for more care in transport and shunting of show stock and for less delay in unloading the stock. The New Zealand Jersey Association asked the federation to endorse a resolution asking the Board of Agriculture to have the Act dealing with. straying stock amended so that the onus of responsibility for damage inflicted rests with the owner of straying stock. A discussion ensued, which centred, around the question of a legal fence, and it ■ was resolved on the motion of Messrs Webb and. Linn to defer 1 action in the matter until a copy of the Fencing Act was available for the information of the executive. Figures supplied by the various breed associations showed that about 7000 pedigree bulls were not registered—that is,- presumably they were destroyed, each year—Jerseys 4500. Friesians 1200, Shorthorn 700, Ayrshire 600. In New Zealand in 1926 there were 45,945 bulls, two years old and over, used for dairy purposes, and of that number about 10,000 were purebred bulls. After a lengthy discussion, in which the general feeling of the meeting was in favour of education as opposed to legislation at present, it was resolved to set up a committee to draft a definite scheme for submission to the next meeting of the executive. The following were appointed to the committee:—Messrs L. J. Wild (convener), H. R. Green. F. Mills, C. G. C. Dernier, and F. R. Callaghan. On the invitation of the chairman, Mr F. R. Callaghan gave a brief address on the work of the department of Scientific Research. The Research Department, Mr Callaghan said, wanted it to be clearly known that its main platform was working in co-ordination and co-operation with the various societies in the solving of the problems that confront the farmer of the Dominion to-day. It had been stated that an animal husbandry and dairy institute division would be incorporated in the establishment of the Agricultural College, and with these instituted and also in conjunction with the Department o,f Agriculture the Research Department would work in the - solving of any. problems that had arisen within the dairying industry, and it was hoped that with the expert scientific research available any difficulties would be successfully met. A survey of the fundamental scientific work- to be done showed that there was much that at present would not have any great economic bearing bn the industry in the early stages, but a certain amount of scientific facts had to be worked out and a basis established before any honest attempt could be made on the solving of the farmers’ every-day problems. The department was very anxious to have it .realised that the work being done in the various centres and by various bodies was materially assisting the main purpose of the department’s desire to work in cooperation with these bodies so that •> more satisfactory amount of work could be done. It was resolved to ask the Government for a small subsidy to help the group herd-testing associations. Mr F. Mills asked for the definition of breeder of an animal, and it was stated by the representatives of all the breed associations that the owner of the dam at the time of birth of the -animal was deemed to be the breeder. TOP-DRESSING DEMONSTRATION. In June, 1925, the Morton Mains branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, under the supervision of Mr M'Gillivray, Instructor in Agriculture, selected an area of pasture land for the purpose of carrying out some manurial experiments in topdressing. Many of those interested were doubtful if any improvement could be effected, as the pasture was so old and impoverished as to be only fit for the plough, but the instructor was anxious to show just what was possible with a pasture which appeared to be beyond redemption. Since the plots on the area were laid down they have been visited by farmers from all parts of Southland, as well as parts of Otago. The scheme of experimentation is as follows:— (1) 44/46 superphosphate. 2cwt per acre; Nauru phosphate, lewt per acre; sulphate of ammonia. Jcwt per acre. (2) 44/46 superphosphate, 3cwt per _acre.

(3) 44/46 superphosphate, 3cwt per acre; carbonate of lime, Iton per acre. These plots were repeated, and there are numerous intervening control plots forth? purpose of comparison. The fertilisers this season were applied in July, and in addition to the above, another experiment was laid down in 1926 to try out various phosphates along with high-grade superphosphate. These plots were repeated several times, and there were the usual controls necessary in carrying out experimental work. The phosphates tried out in this experiment were superphosphate, basic slag, Nauru, Ephos, and Seychelles. On a recent afternoon the promoters of this experimental plot held something in the nature of a field day, and fully

of Southland were present .to inspect and see the weighing of the products of the 100 farmers from the south-eastern district plots. After doing so, Mr W. M. Barron, chairman of the Farmers’ Union, Morton Mains branch, called upon Mr M’Gillivray to address the gathering. Mr M'Gillivray said he was very pleased to again address so many on the second occassion on which they had weighed up the Morton Mains experimental plots. The area in - 1925 was a worn-out one, and probably those who said at the time that it should be ploughed up wffre not very far wrong, but at the same time they had to acknowledge that this experiment had cleanly shown what could be done by top-dressing under the worst conditions, and sometimes it was not convenient to plough up and re-sow. He strongly advised them not to let their pastures reach the wornout stage, but to begin treatment while they were still good, and so keep them good. He stated that the growth of clover in the various blocks was not quite so good as it was last year, but that was accounted for by the rank growth and the late cutting last season, which was not conducive to a vigorous growth of members of the clover family. If we were going to keep our pastures in the best condition, we would have to keep them moderately short, and in that way maximum results would be obtained. In experiments carried out in Europe pasturage kept continuously short by mowing was analysed periodically, right through the growing season, along with rank growth from the same field._ It was ascertained that the short grass was twice as rich in protein as was the rank grass, and that state of affairs continued throughout the grazing season. The short grass was highly digestible, and its nutritive value did not decline as the season advanced. In the case of the pasturage allowed to run away to seed, the lignification stage was soon reached, and feeding value rapidly declined. Pasturage kept reasonably short possessed the character of a concentrate, and was rich in vitamines, and under good treatment supplied the mineral matter required by animals. Under top-dressing, pastures became storehouses of plant food, and pastures will not be permanent until there is considerable storage of fertility in the topsoil. Referring to the effect of improved pastures on stud stock, Mr M'Gillivray said that without doubt there was going to be a free demand in Southland, in the future, for stud stock for export, and in connection with this business he impressed upon his audience the fact that good pastures were the foundation on which the export trade would be built up. In conclusion, he announced that in the older experiment superphosphate and carbonate of lime had given the best results. Super, Nauru, and sulphate of ammonia,,cam.e second, and super alone was a very good third. In the new experiment super was first, with Seychelles in second place.