CANTERBURY BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3889, 25 September 1928, Page 25

CANTERBURY BUDGET.

(From Oub Own Corbespondent.j FAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS. Odd showers in some districts ranging to heavy downpours in the hill country ]' Ith1 th C a r, go ? cl , deal of wind been the lot ot Canterbury in the past week. For the most part the winds have been from the nor -west and no.cl-east, but there were a couple of sudden squalls from the sou’west. Generally the weather has lieen very satisfactory, and the growth has been good. Lambing is well advanced, and there are quite numbers of shorn sheep about. A SHADOW OF FORMER DAYS. The progress mechanical traction has made on farms was demonstrated at the horse parade held under the auspices of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association on Wednesday. In years "one by there were often 40 or 50 stallions on parade, but this year there were five entries on the card, and one colt was not brought forward, with the result that about 400 people gazed on a Clydesdale quartet. It will probably be the last horse parade held in Christchurch. In the aged class there was only one animal, and this was an imported stallion bred in Scotland and shown by Mr Walter Letham (Lauriston). He was sired by Perfect Blend (20633). He is a roan foaled in 1925 with plenty of substance, and was the only horse to fill. the conditions for the Diamond Jubilee Challenge Shield, which demands 17 hands if over three years old, and 16.3 hands if under three. The championship went to the only entrant from Otago, a black colt sired by Rosencraig. This colt. Golden Knight 2073), was bred by Mr W\ Haugh (Crookston), and was shown by Messrs Coubrough and Hamilton (Kelso). Second to him was a North Island-bred colt by Bonnie Dene (840) owned by Mr G. E. Thompson (Darfield) from a Buchlyvie mare. He is one that promises to furnish well.

STOCK FOR THE ARGENTINE. Mr E. St. C. Haydon, who is well known to New Zealand stud breeders, is at present making a tour of the Dominion buying sheep for the Argentine. Mr Haydon is a Canterbury man who went to the Argentine some years ago, and has purchased a large number of sheep on behalf of estancieros in the South American Republic. His purchases have not been confined to the Dominion, but he has bought largely in England both for his own properties and for disposal. On this occasion Mr Haydon is interested in Corriedale, Romney, and Lincoln sheep. He finds some difficulty with sheep from the Dominion buying for sale in the Argentine in that it is rare for stud breeders to do any hand feeding. Consequently the sheep going on board on to dry feeding do not do very well, and consequently land at Buenos Aires not looking their best. On the other hand the Englishbred sheep do fairly well on the trip across, and consequently are much more saleable when lamjed. Just whether New Zealand stud breeders would be wise to cater for this special trade is a matter for breeders to decide themselves, but it would necessitate a fairly radical change in farm management. A great value of the New Zealand-bred sheep has been their ability to thrive under natural conditions and the export trade available, except to a few breeders, hardly warrants a drastic change in methods of feeding. Of late there has been a tendency for the Argentine buyer to favour size, and in this connection the English Lincoln and Romney has an advantage. However, it would be a distinctly retrograde step so far as New Zealand is concerned if breeders were to swing towards the excessively big-framed sheep to the detriment of wool. New Zealand has evolved a Lincoln and a Romney which is almost a separate breed compared with-the Eng-lish-bred sheep, and the sheep now bred

wim ,c P om * n >°n fill their requirements. ” hile the export trade is lucrative to a few stud masters, it would not be wise for many to cater for this trade if the (New Zealand type evolved in New Zealand purposes is not suitable. A shipment of 25 specially selected Corriedale sheep is to leave Lyttelton on Monday..far the Argentine. There are indications that other purchases will be made at an early date, but there is a good deal of difficulty in securing the transport facilities to South America. VALUES OF STOCK UNCHANGED. During the week gone by the weather conditions have been such that there is no difficulty on most farms in regard to feed, 'and the fact that the spring has been early was well demonstrated at the auctions of stock. As lias been remarked in this column on .several occasions lately, it appears that the ewes and lambs which have been passing through the saleyards ot late oner the best hope of a good return for the money invested. At some clearing sales in the past 10 days or So there was very spirited competition for tne better class lines, and there have been s ale« °f strong-wooiled ewes of mixed ages at 455. SMALL OFFERING IN THE YARDS. It is not unusual that the month of September sees very small offerings at the Addington 1 ards. With the shearing ot dry sheep commencing, it is common practice for a would-be vendor to hold off the market until his sheep are out of the wool, and this is happening so far as dry sheep are concerned. Some of the vendors are inclined to open their mouths verywide for ewes and lambs, and on Wednesday at Addington they were not all sold. ~ three-truck lot of crossbred ewes from tl lrl^a ma de a few pence over £2, they were sound-mouthed ewes running strongly to the English Leicester. Thev were not big in the frame. A few less /than a truck load running stronger still sold at 39s Id. Some of the ewe and lamb sales were quite good. A truck load ot ewes with rather more than 110 per cent, of lambs sold at 20s lOd, and they were light clippers at this money. Shorn wethers were- a trifle harder to sell than was the case at the sale a week earlier, r rom 23s to 25s was the market value of them, but there seemed to be fewer buyers for this class than for aliyot the other lines offering. Odd pens of fairly good ewe hoggets sold moderately well, and the best price at Addington for this class was 36s for some three-quarterbreds which were in fair condition.

Those who have fat sheep and cattle to sell have little to complain of in regard to recent markets. Outside districts'’are sending in good numbers, and the West Coast, the North Island, and Southland were well represented this week. Eight heifers, sold on account of jlr_'V Diedrich (Kokatahi), averaged £l5 17s 3d. the best of them selling at £l/ 17s 6d. Steers bred the same way of the draft made £l9 10s. A shipment of Wanganui cattle brought from £l9 12s 6d to £2l is 6d. Mr W. Black (Fairlie) topped the market, selling steers at £24 7s 6d to £25 7s 6d. A fine line of 23. on account of Mr H. B. S. Johnstone (Otaio). made prices which averaged out at £22 3s 6d. Fine lines of fat sheep were plentiful, and the best price for wethers was secured by Mr L. Oakley (Rakaia), a pen of seven selling at 53s 7d. Good spring lambs are still bringing better than-£2 a head. EXPEDITING THE RAM FAIRS. For some years past it has been difficult to finish the sale of either the flock or stud rams in one day at the Main Ram 1* air conducted by the Canterbury Agricutural and Pastoral Association. In March last the flock ram sale was not finished on the first day, when an adjournment was made, and some breeds of flock rams were sold on the following day. which is usually reserved for the stud sheep. The stud sheep sale on the second day was also drawn out until after darkness had set in, and very few" were left at the fair. With a view to expediting the sale, several changes are decided upon, and in future each "salesman will have a certain time allowed to offer the run of sheep. This will allow the salesman more time to establish a standard of price on the first pen or so, and it will also save the time of buyers, as it will be possible to advertise approximately the time at which each breed will be offered for sale. Another improvement which buyers of stud sheep particularly will appreciate is that stud rams offered for sale have to be single entered and certificates forwarded to the sale. This will obviate a great deal of trouble in connection with the securing of transfers.