OUR CANTERBURY BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3869, 8 May 1928, Page 20

OUR CANTERBURY BUDGET.

A FEW SHOWERS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) During the past week Canterbury shared in the easterly storm which visited most other parts of the Dominion, and the figures now show that we are ahead of last year so far as rainfall is concerned, but the total fall is no better than 4in, but for the first four months of 1927 the total was only 3.7 in, and this year the distribution has been good, maintaining an even growth. At the week-end there were ripe strawberries on sale in-some Christchurch fruit shops. This is common enough in the latter part of March and early April, but into May it may be taken as showing the mildness of the season. The preparation of land for grain crops and the sowing of them has proceeded apace BUYERS FOR STORE SHEEP. During the past week at the country auctions and the metropolitan yards the demand for store sheep shows not one sign of abatement. This position is not to be wondered at, for in the past week after the rain of the early days of it the feed has continued to come along. In the past few days there has been 'a spurt in the growth of grass and this in May. The districts which shared in the easterly storm were mostly in need of a shower. Rarely has the winter been approached with more feed in the province than is the case to-day. Drills are still at w-ork over the countryside sowing wheat and various catch crops, and the soil is in the condition to give a splendid tilth. Small wonder, then, that the great majority of farmers are in need of a few more sheep. Prices have advanced in the case of dry sheep especially to a point where the more cautious are stopping to consider where any margin of profit is to come from if purchases are made at the rates which rule to-day. When halfbred wethers are selling at from 27s 6d to 32s 6d, naturally there is some doubt as to whether the prices of mutton in the later winter and sprin** justify the values current now. To give prices such as these with the inevitable cost of railing or driving to the farm and the railage back again makes a very high cost once they are placed in the fat pens. Many shrewd farmers are paying these figures, but there is the natural antipathy most farmers have to allow any feed to waste that has to be reckoned with. Where ewes could be bought with mouths suitable for turnips it looks as if they are easily the best buying at the present time. A decided increase in the number of sheep placed before the ring of buvers in the store section at Addington may be recorded this week, but this was after the small offering of the previous Wednesday, when the cessation of the railway services of Anzac Day caused the ■vendors to hold off sending their stock

forward. Many good lines of half bred wethers were forward, and as stated the prices ruling for this class made the peak for the season. The high rates are by no means isolated instances, for the day before the Ashburton sale there was a consignment of wethers from the south penned, and they sold at figures round 325. Needless to say, they were good class sheep. Skins at the present time aie worth big money. Wethers from Gola Peaks sold at 32s Id, and a draft from Mount Fyfe, another w’ell-known ooj Canterbury property, brought 29s 9d. A fine pen on account of Mr G. O. Rutherford (Lochiel) brought 28s Bd. Sheep off the Hossaek Station, one of the harder northern properties, maxle 275. Generally the prices were from Is to 2s a head better than anything paid at Addington in the past few weeks. A decided firming in the price of store lambs was recorded, with very keen buying of anything at all forward. Values were higher by Is a head, and there was the usual number of buyers prepared to pay long figures for ewes, but this class of lamb was not plentiful. One pen sold at 29s 6d. Coarser-skinned ewe lambs brought round 25s to 26s GJ, but they had very little in their favour from a quality standpoint. GOOD EWES ARE SCARCE. Once the rams are out it is the exception to see good class ewes in the saleyards, and this was the case at Addington. With odd little lots of fair sheep the great majority were failing and broken-mouthed, and what had sounder mouths were mainly of the cull order. Some two-toothed three-quarter-bred ewes from a Peninsula property was one of the exceptions, but they were on the small side, and the price was 33s 3d. A useful pen of three-quarter-bred ew'es, which were mainly four and five years old, stopped at an odd penny or two before the 30s mark w’as reached. Good prices the previous week caused the farmers with fat cattle on hand to send forward many lines, and 10 years or so ago the entry of 670 head would have flooded the market, but the consumption of beef in Chrischurch has increased astonishingly in that time. Despite the big yarding, and the fact that, there was a short stipply at the previous sale, with a consequent increase in the figures paid, the values did not vary very much, and it was noticeable that the buyers were willing to bid up freely on the heavy cattle. The best of the beef W'as round the 40s mark. A consignment of 14 very good bullocks, on account of Mr W. F. Parkinson (Kaituna), sold at figures ranging up to £2O 17s 6d. The latter figure was for a pen of three, and the average worked out at £lB 15s 9d. GOOD FOR FAT LAMBS AGAIN. At Addington and the country auctions the price of fat lambs was again highly satisfactory, and the end of the season is proving the best so far as prices of lambs is concerned of what is a record season in many respects. Peak prices for the season were paid, and the exporters were going the full limit of the increased rates they have published in their schedules. The best price this week at Addington was paid for seven sold on account of Mr R. T. M'Millan (Irwell), his draft of 18 bringing from 33s Id to 37s lOd. The good average of 35s was secured by Mr C. Sutherland (Fernside) for 48, and Mrs Allan (Rotherham) received 33s Id for 78. For the best of the wethers at Addington this week there was as high as 7id paid, and generally the market was" better than the preceding week. Good sheep up to 56’s sold as high as 7|d, and up to 40s 4d was realised. The latter figure was for the best pen of a line sent forward by Mr A. Cowie (Woodgrove), 14 bringing this price. TUBERCULOSIS IN STOCK. It is not often that the discussions of the Christchurch City Council have an interest for the man on the land. No doubt he reads them from a pinnacle of disinterestedness with just a little contempt and often amusement. The discussion at the last meeting of the council upon the incidence of tuberculosis in the stock slaughtered at the Municipal Abattoir has a special interest for all stock raisers. The report of the Abattoir Committee directed attention “to the somewhat alarming prevalence of tuberculosis in stock slaughtered at the city abattoir.” The report went on to explain that of the total number of 17 cows condemned by the Government inspector during March, 13 were on account of tuberculosis, and that five steers and seven pigs were condemned for this reason. Alarmist statements of this description can only have one effect, and those who know the facts are, aware how ridiculous monthly comparisons of this kind are. Naturally a farmer gets rid of his cattle of the cast milk cow variety before the winter sets in, and a high proportion of old cows go through the yards and to the abattoir in March and April. It is in this class that the. rate of condemnations are heavy. The cows may be any age at all. To suggest that this shows an alarming prevalence of tuberculosis is entirely wrong, and the facts as disclosed by the figures for the past fotn- years show a decrease in the stock condemned. The figures are as follows:—

This shows that there has been a steady decline in the stock condemned and the percentage attained this year, close to J per cent., demonstrates that we are nearing the desired goal of the ultimate elimination of tubercular disease from the herds of the Dominion. WHEAT EXPERIMENT RESULTS. Some very interesting information on results of wheat experiment was conveyed

to the Wheat Research Institute by Mr A. H. Cockayne. His report was as follows:—

“ For some years past the fields division has been conducting field trials in connection with wheat production, mainly along Jfche lines of manurial requirements. Apart from manurial trials, yield trials of different wheats in various localities and yield trials with seed treated for the control of disease, are also being conducted. As this work can be viewed by the Wheat Research Committee as coming within the scope of its operations, it is imperative, in the interests of co-ordination of such work, to come to. some satisfactory arrangement with this committee so that unnecessary duplication of effort need not arise. “ I make the suggestion that this committee approve the carrying out of field trials with wheat on farmers’ farms under the direction of Mr A. W. Hudson, crop experimentalist, of the fields division, In order to safeguard the interests of the Wheat Research Institute I suggest that the programme of work to be undertaken should be approved by the director of the Wheat Research Institute in consultation with myself or Mr Hudson, and also that the director of the Wheat Research Institute be kept fully aware of the progress of the work during the season, by personal contact with either the chief instructor located in Christchurch or with Mr Hudson.

“In a series of experiments carried out in . five localities in mid-Canterbury and Canterbury super showed a profit of 17s per acre, basic super 14s per acre, Ephos 4s 6d per acre, and Nauru 2s 9d per acre. When nitrate of soda was used in addition to super, the profit per acre over super alone rose from 17s to 31s. When potash was used in addition to super, the profit per acre over super alone fell from 17s to ss. When potash was used in addition to super and nitrate the 31s per acre ' profit fell to Bs. However, with field experiments the results of a single season, or of a limited number of trials, are often of no value whatever, and it is essential that a great deal of experimentation on all. types of wheat soils over a number of years must be carried out before finality can be reached. Our work has already shown that certain soil types are apparently non-responsive to manurial treatment, and others, on the contrary, are highly responsive. “ It is proposed, during this season, to conduct from 20 to 25 series of careful experiments on various types of wheat lands with various phosphates, and with phosphates in conjunction with nitrogen and potash. In addition, owing to the fact that nitrogen is apparently highly promising, it is intended to conduct some hundreds of trials with nitrogen applied to wheat crops. If, however, the committee is in agreement with me as to the division carrying out this work, final arrangements can be made at once with your director.”.

Total Killed Condemned Percentage 1925 28,424 227 0.798 1926 29,607 214 0.722 1927 28,235 206 0.703 1923 26,293 158 0.600