STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Volume 1851, Issue 3809, 15 March 1927, Page 21

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weakly Stock Sales. Barnside, Wednesdays. Addington, Wednesdays. Walareka Railway J unction, Tuesday a Fortnightly. Blrersdals, Fridays (March, April, and May). Wallacetown, Tuesdays, i Ashburton, Tuesdays. Heriot, Thursdays. Winton, Thursdays. Wyndham, Thursdays. Clinton, Thursdays. Balolutlia, Fridays. Gore, Tuesdays. Monthly. Edendale, Ist Monday. Palmerston, 4th Thursday. Winton, 4th Tuesday. Mataura, Ist Thursday. Tokanui, 4th Monday

Monthly (continued). Duntroon, 2nd darWoodlands, Ird Wednesday. Milton, 2nd Tuesday. Balfour, Jrd Thursday. Thornbury, Ist Friday, i. Oiautau, 2nd Wedneoday. Riveradale, Brd Friday (except March, April, and May). Waikaka, last Friday. Clydevale, last Friday Periodically as Advertised. Ln-nsden, Mossburn, Orepuki, Waimahaka, Waikouaiti. Riven ’. ton, Ngapara, and Otago Central Sales.

! OTAGO. Weather conditions during the week have been pleasant, with little or, no wind or rain to worry about, while in Central Otago ideal days have been featured. Next week the Burnside fat stock sale will be held on Tuesday, the 22nd, the following day being Anniversary Day. Matters in the stock world will engage attention during this and the following week, of interest in Otago. At the Central sales some thousands of surplus sheep will be marketed, while ram fairs will engage attention immediately—Canterbury on the 24th inst., then Otago on the 31st, and North Otago on April 6. COUNTRY STOCK SALES. At Milton on the Bth some 4500 sheep were yarded. There was a good attend-, ance'of buyers, who cleared the entry at slightly cheaper rates than have been ruling lately. Good two-tooth crossbred ewes realised 33s’ 7d. two-tooth halfbred ewes 30s 3d, full and failing ewes 17s to 21s 9d, rape lambs 17s 9d to 19s 4d, fair mixed sexes 15s to 17s 6d, wether crossbred lambs 15s to 18s, and medium sorts Us 7d to 14s 3d. At Palmerston about 5500 sheep met with a dull demand at the following values:—Fair ewe lambs 21s 6d, small wether lambs 13s 6d to 14s, good sorts to 17s 6d, full-mouth ewes (not guaranteed) 19s 9d, fair 14s 7d to 18s, good soundmouths 23s 9d, old IJs 9d. At Balclutha on Friday an entry of about 3000 sheep met with a draggin" demand, and buyers were few. There was a consignment of ewes and lambs from the North Island. Prices were down Is to 2s per head, ewes in particular being overlooked. Some prices obtained include: Wether rape lambs 18s to 19s 3d, good mixed sexes 20s to 22s 6d, small ewe lambs 16s, cull 10s to 12s, mixed young wethers 21s, sound-mouth ewes 21s to 255. failing 16s to 19s. aged 10s to Ils od, and ‘ has beens” 3s lOd to 4s 9d.

BURNSIDE MARKET. Some 260 fat cattle were yarded at Burnside, compared with 266 the previous week, the quality being for the most part good. Some very nice heifers and a fair number of heavy cows were included in an entry in which prime bullocks were not wanting. There was a slack opening demand, which failed to brighten. Some cattle were passed in the early and late stages of the sale. Generally values ranged from par to 7s 6d (and more at times) cheaper than at the previous sale. Beef may be quoted as making up to 33s per 100’lb. The entry of fat sheep totalled 1929 against 2457 the previous week. Consignments came from far afield, and comprised a good proportion of prime heavy wethers, some light and heavy ewes, together pennings of medium-weight wethers and inferior ewes. The openin" demand was bright at about Is 6d better than average rates of last sale, and on all classes, with some irregularity, there was a firmness, which, however, faded out, and at the last race values receded to the average of the previous week. J.here was no quotable change on the run of the sale, butchers’ wethers making up to 4-}d per lb and ewes around 3d per lb. The entry of fat lambs totalled 636 compared with 679 the previous week: borne fair quality lambs were listed, but many pennings lacked finish or were overweight. Export lambs met with a very iair demand, and generally prices were unchanged, lamb making to 84d per lb. About 200 store cattle, mostly good sorts of cows, were yarded. The onlv two yards of steers penned were passed at auction, but subsequently a pen of forward three-year-old bullocks made £9 10s. Boners met -with a good demand, but conditioned cows were unchanged. A moderate entry of fat pigs met with a good sale, with stores selling at unchanged values. Baconers made to 74d and porkers to 8d per lb.

STOCK NOTES. . U >e , Biarket at Burnside has not yet indicated a stability worthy of the term, tat bullocks (owing to the heavy yarding ot prime cows and*-heifers) meeting with an irregular demand. Butchers in a . measure are able to secure a fair proportion of their requirements from the temale section, with the result that values of bullocks are adversely affected. Fat sheep, both wethers and ewes, are coming forward freely, and have not yet appreciated, with the result that store wethers and lambs are in slack demandchanging hands certainly, but with no Keenness in the buying. Breeding ewes sell fairly well, few straight young sorts coming into the yards. However, the recent wool sales having finished so well may induce more movement in store sheep in the near future. -Sheep-worrying at Wyndham some time on the sth inst. is reported. A pack of dogs, it appears, worried over 40, many of them dead, and out of a flock of 169 ewes only 16. were to be seen. The others, more or less hurt, were scattered tar' and wide. The January merit list of the New Zealand Friesian Association shows that the leader in the four-year-old class was Mr T. R. Eades’s (Edendale) Bainfield “osch, while in junior two-year-olds

Messrs North and Son’s Rosevale Queen Daphne Triumph heads the list with 64.171 b fat and 155.471 b in 80 days. It is interesting to note that H. North and Son’s (Omimi) five-year-old Friesian Rosevalue Queen Sylvia Triumph has produced 927.101 b butter-fat during her 334 milking days to date. This cow met with a set-back, I understand, earlier in her test, otherwise she probably would have been ranging alongside the record Dominion Friesian cow (11451 b fat). In the North Island very fair competition continues for breeding ewes. Beef is slightly cheaper, and best dry sheep change hands at unchanged rates. Medium-class stock is not in favour at the present time, but well-bred steers if young are readily placed. Llr R. Stuart, owner of the Kirkland Shire Stud, near Garstang, England, has just sold another Shire stallion at a fourfigure price, by name Kirkland Mimic, a three-year-old. At the London sales last February he received 1050gns for Seedsman, a three-year-old. Within the past few weeks over 700 rams- have been purchased in the North and South Islands of New Zealand for export to Australia. Of these. over 400 were purchased by a well-known Australian buyer at the recent Feilding rain fair, and were practically all locally bred. Uns consignment is being shipped (says an exchange) to Sydney in charge of Mr B C. Waldegrave, of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company (Ltd.). A select lot of young Friesian cattle were recently consigned from Melbourne tor lasmama to C. J. Hay, of Lindisfarne, Hobart. They were a four-year-old cow, four young heifers from four to six nJ, 011 H ls an< l a nine-month-old bull lhe females were all bought from Mr J. 1. Iweddle, of the Winlaton Stud, at Sunbury, and the bull from Messrs Flack and Gamble, of the Burnbank Stud, at Berwick.

A correspondent writing to a Sydney daily says: In these days of cancer research surely it is a duty to draw public attention to a fact of every r -day life in Australia which is not only disgraceful in its cruelty to helpless animals, but carries its natural retribution in its danger to ourselves. It is only too wellknown that the poor sheep and cattle sent from the country arrive in Sydney' owing to the atrocity of packing them into inadequate trucks, in a bruised condition We are, therefore, all feeding upon bruised meat. Cancer originates through the non-circulation of blood caused by- bruises. Will those who are interested m fighting the dreaded disease give consideration to this perilous evil ’ ” IJ.I i-1 announced in Nottingham, England, that final arrangements are now in the hands of a local firm of solicitors foi the sale to the Prince of Wales bv the present ownei\ Mr Percy Woolley, tb Cottage Farm, on the banks of the I rent, at Lenton, near Nottingham. nrodu eStC<l Vl Woolley’s efforts to produce milk under perfect hygienic conditions, the Prince inspected the farm and was greatly impressed. It is understood that one of the herds of cattle from tne Princes Cornwall estate will be transported to the farm. The head of the film of solicitors which has the business in hand states that the Prince’s m wisl e°- r r ak ; nS P^chaSe is tha ‘ ie wishes to show his interest in the anion" 5 ? f th< i fa I rmers of the Midlands, among vihom he hunts to such a large Sim 71 tle < J ecision to take some of ins Shorthorns from Cornwall to the

MEAT PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA. A Queensland authority writing on the subject of meat prospects, says, inter alia:- • !?. car J l,s t passed showed a decrease m the operations of the various meat works of 517 320 head from that of 1925 e o?z l £J lgures for the 1925-26 season ■weie 943,710 quarters of beef, compared with 1,054,147 for 1924-25. compared In 1924 and 1925 most of the meat” works started in January. In 1926 April came in before operations properly commenced, inis year an early start is projected all round. As the stock routes are now mostly open. Gulf and Northern Territory cattle can come in and as those areas have not had much trouble with drought conditions, heavy bookings are expected. There should be a substantial rise in the price of all ciasses of cattle during the next season in the south as well as the north. borne cattle men Dredict that Queensand will be unable to supply sufficient beef for its own markets for two or three years. One of the results of the late dry weather is likely to be a serious shortage cf beef throughout Australia. In normal seasons New South Wales and Victoria and South Australia either directly or indirectly provide for their requirements from Queensland’s surplus beef. Within the next twelve months it is possible, that this state will have little meat for export or for the southern states, hi fact, some owners of cattle predict that Queensland will not have sufficient beef to provide for its own requirements for two or three years. Tn arriving at this estimate the extent of the losses of cattle last year has to be taken info account, and definite calculations cannot be made.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE

An important letter was recently addressed to the Minister of Agriculture from the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board supporting the policy of the Department of Agriculture in regard to preventing the entry of foot-and-mouth disease into the Dominion, and strongly urging the prohibition of the importation of hay, straw., and seeds from countries where the disease is prevalent. The letter states that the board at its last meeting “had before it the information that the United States Department of Agriculture had again called attetnion to the new regulations prohibiting the entry into the United States of fresh and frozen meats from countries having rinderpest or foot-and-mouth disease. The United States Department of most recent statement says that the combined effect of all present regulations is to admit fresh and frozen meats after January 1, 1927, from only Canada, Ireland, Norway, Australia, New Zealand. and Japan The countries affected by the new order are Argentine, Brazil, and Uruguay. “For many years Federal regulations have restricted or prohibited the im-

portation of live animals/ hides, skins, wool, hay, straw, etc., into the United States from countries where dangerous animal maladies exist. “When considering the foregoing the board passed a resolution very strongly supporting and commending the activities of the department in preventing the entry of foot-and-mouth and -other diseases into this Dominion, and the board further resolved to submit for the very favourable consideration of the Government, the following resolution:—‘That this board, while strongly supporting and commending all that is being done by the Department of Agriculture to prevent the entry of foot-and-mouth disease into New Zealand, begs to urge as strongly as possible that the Government prohibit the importation of hay, straw, etc., from the Continent of Europe, South America, and other countries where foot-and-mouth disease exist, and also give consideration to the question of seeds from the same point of view.’

“In connection with the foregoing regulations of the United States, it may also be pointed out that New Zealand and Australia are now the only large exporters of meat who could effectively supply the United States market, and as there is every possibility of this Dominion developing a market there for, not only meat, but also other primary products, every precaution should be taken to keep this country free from this dreaded disease by excluding the importation of any farm products, etc., from countries which are affected.”

SCOTTISH LIVE STOCK IN 1926.. In the table below are given the numbers of pedigree cattle, horses, and pigs, and also the numbers of rams and ram lambs sold by auction at the principal 'sales in Scotland during 1926, together with the averages and the total amounts realised. CATTLE. Breed. No. sold. Average. Total.

HIGHEST PRICES. Some of the highest prices paid in Scotland during 1926 were:—Shorthorn bull £3780, Shorthorn bull calf £1155, Aberdeen-Angus bull £556 10s, Blackface ram £4OO, Clydesdale stallion £325 10s, Cheviot ram £315 (twice), Shorthorn cow £315, Shorthorn heifer £315, Hackney mare £262 10s, Aberdeen-Angus heifer £241 10s, Border Leicester. ram £2OO, Shorthorn heifer calf £l7B 10s; Clydesdale two-year-old colt £l7B 10s, Hackney gelding £l7B 10s, Clydesdale yearling colt £l7O, Ayrshire bull £146. British Friesian bull £136 10s (twice), Hackney stallion £l3l ss, Clydesdale mare £l3l s*. Clydesdale two-year-old filly £l2O. Ayrshire cow £llO, Highland pony stallion £llO, Galloway bull £lO5 (twice), Clydesdale yearling filly £lO5, Blackface ram lamb £lOO. Galloway cow £99 15s; fat bullock £9B, British Friesian cow £94 10s,’ Aberdeen-Angus cow £B9 ss, Highland bull £B4. Border Leicester ram lamb £BO, Clydesdale filly foal £6B, Clydesdale colt foal £65, Hackney pony colt £59 17s, Highland cow £55 13s, Oxford ram £55, Suffolk ram lamb £54 12s, Dun Galloway bull £54, Aberdeen-Angus heifer calf £52 10s, Hackney pony stallion £52 10s, half-bred ram £5O, fat Ayrshire heifer £5O, Clydesdale gelding £ll6. OMARAMA SALE. The annual sale of station sheep took place at Omarama on Saturday. The attendance of buyers was not as large as in previous years, and a considerable number of the lines offered were passed in, as they did not reach the vendor’s reserves. A line of mixed-sex halfbred lambs off the Rob Roy Station sold at 13s 4d. Merino wether lambs brought 14s and 14s Id. A line of 209 wethers, of which 102 were two-tooth, realised 13s 9d. Another line of 121 very forward eighttooth halfbred wethers was knocked down at 20s 9d. Among other wethers sold were the following:—22o eight-tooth merino, 13s 7d; 125 sound-mouth merino and halfbred wethers, 14s; 115 failingmouth halfbred wethers, 10s; 72 failingmouth halfbred wethers, 4s 7d; 450 six and eight-tooth, halfbred wethers, 16s. The prices offered for ewes did not, in many cases, come up to the owner’s expectations; 120 full and failing-mouth ewes broughUl Is; 100 of the same class, 8s 6d; 157, 7s 3d; and 150, Us Id. A line of 260 merino ewes, full and failing-mouth, was sold at 7s Id, and 42 of the same class at 4s. _Of the rest 420 sound-mouth halfbrqd ewes realised 19s 6d; 111 failingmouth halfbred e.wes, 5s 6d; 183 failingmouth merinq ewes, 3s 9d; and 306 full and failing-mouth ewes, 19s. The best price of the day was 29s lOd, which was secured for 44 two and four-tooth halfbred ewes.

Aberdeen- £ s d £ s d Angus 1942 43 8 0 84,284 10 0 Shorthorn 1537 50 11 7 77,744 0 0 Ayrshire SG3 25 15 J L0 22,260 15 0 Friesian 735 28 2 1 20,057 0 0 Galloway 288 28 7 Y 8,173 e 0 Highland 87 32 12 2 2,837 r: 0 Dun & Belted 31 20 8 0 633 ib 0 Red Poll 13 22 15 0 295 15 0 RAMS AND RAM LAMBS. Blacktace 8832 8 4 •7 72.6S2 10 0 BorderLeicester G310 9 11 R 60,350 10 0 Cheviot 1739 13 6 4 23,160 10 0 Oxford 1470 12 1G G 18,855 0 0 Suffolk 1084 8 17 1 .0 9.625 0 0 Halfbred 210 14 10 0 3,045 0 0 Others 178 11 7 9 2.027 10 0 STALLIONS AND COLTS. Clydesdale IS i L10 14 0 1,992 12 0 Hackney 17 44 1 0 749 14 0 Shetland 72 9 7 1 G73 12 0 At the principal sales of wo; rk horses ' :G2 Clydesdale geldings made prices of £f 10 and over, and averaged £60 17s Od. PEDIGREE PIGS.’ Large White 2G9 15 8 1 4.144 0 0 Large Black 182 14 13 4 2.G69 r: 0 Middle White 78 12 10 5 976 15 0 *At Stirling, Edinburgh, and Perth. At other sales, chiefly' at Aberdeen, for which full details are not available, 140 Large Whites realised £5 1095, and ; averaged £14 19s 3d.