SOUTHLAND NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3961, 11 February 1930, Page 17

SOUTHLAND NOTES.

WEATHER AND WORK. INVERCARGILL. February 8. Our summer has at last arrived, and we are now experiencing what we describe to visitors as “ typical Southland weather.” Shearers are making up for lost time, but in different districts large mobs of ewes can still be seen with the wool on. However, another week of sunshine should see the last of this season’s shearing operations, and certainly’ not before it is time. The bulk of the ryegrass crop is now in stook, and reports indicate that the frosts at New Year did more damage than was anticipated, so growers with a good sample look like getting a payable price for their seed. Threshing from stook will be starting any day’, and northern buyers arc already making offers for seed for forward delivery, but this form of gambling is not very popular down among Scotchmen., An odd paddock of autumn-sown oats has been cut, but the main crop will not be ready for at least a fortnight. It is no exaggeration to say that there are paddocks of oats in Southland this season that have never been equalled in the Dominion, and if they will only stand up there will be some threshing tallies worth talking about. Turnips show n before Christmas are looking well, but later crops will .soon require a shower. It would be remarkable weather that would suit everybody.

THE STOCK MARKETS. With the exception of fat lambs there is not much movement in stock, ami yardings at country sales are smaller than usual for this time of year. Competiition for prime freezing lambs is still keen, and both Canterbury and Southland representatives have handled larger quantities than last year. Heavy’ fat wethers have sulmped badlly, and at last Wallacetown sale sheep of this description were sold at under 4d per lb. A few lines of forward lambs are changing hands at round about 18s, but there is no doubt that there is not the usual quantity’ of lamb feed in Southland this year, and when yardings become larger buyers of store lambs should be able to buy them well worth the money. As far as breeding ewes are concerned prospective buyers seem to be waiting to see what the other fellow is going to do, and so sales have been made that could be quoted as a fair basis of value. In spite of the amount, of grass that is practically going to waste store cattle have cased in price, and graziers appear to have realised that they were paying 21s for a pound.

THE WOOL SALE. Taking every into consideration our wool sale on January 30 was neither better nor worse than was to be expected, although there is no use saying that prices were satisfactory, because they were not. The drop in prices, as compared with the corresponding sale last year, was in practically every case over 50 per cent., and a large proportion of the ewe wool so'd realised between 6d and 71d per lb, figures which will not pay the interest on a good many properties, to say nothing of working expenses. It would not be far off the mark to say that quite half the catalogues were passed at auction, although a fair quantity was sold afterwards at the buyer s bid. Our dry’ spring and consequent shortage of feed was reflected in a lot of the hogget wool, which had a decided break, in addition to being earthy, and it was noticeable that when lots free from these faults were offered competition from all sections was keen. Two lines of Romney hogget were sold at Is per lb. but these can hardly be quoted as an indication of the market, as one, at least, of these lines has been noted for vears as being among the best lots of its class offered at any sale in the Dominion. Several big station clips were withdrawn before the sale and pot submitted at auction, the vendors evidently having made up their minds not to accept the low prices ruling, and a number of farmers who had not shorn in time for the sale now intend shipping their clips to England direct. The operations of several Dominion speculators were a decided help to the sale, especially in the lower grades, and wool at to-day’s prices certainly looks a fair proposition for a gamble to anyone who can afford to sit tight and wait for an improved demand.

GENERAL. Ibis season has certainly not suited everybody, but it seems to have been -deal in one direction, and that is growing gooseberries, 'Die local newspaper offices have been rushed with samples from every’ part of the province, and the specimens in many cases weigh about an ounce each. Some enterprising editor should run a competition of this kind for all classes of fruit, and appoint the whole Htan as judges. One overseas wool buyer, who in previous seasons has been operating in a large way, mentioned in Invercargill that so far this season he had not bought a single bale in New Zealand. The returns of several dairy factories up till the end of December show that although the price paid out is below last season's the total amount paid to suppliers is higher than that of 12 months ago. the increased intake of milk having more than made up for the lower prices ruling. The lower Mataura valley is generally considered the best cattle country in Southland, and it is noticeable that on several occasions recently beef from the Titiroa district has easily topped the market in Burnside. Wethers fattened on Morton Mains have also been among the top lots sold in that centre. Farmers do not have to be told to cut. their, coat according to their cloth. The output of lime from the various kilns for

the month just ended is a long way behind that of January 12 months ago. A well-known farmer in the western district, who operates extensively’ in fat stock, bought over 1000 bales of wool at the local sale. Good luck to him. , The late Mr W. E. Tait, whose death in England has just been reported, was one of the best men in his own line of business we ever had in Southland. When he owned the Woodlands Meat’Works they provided employment for a large number of men, and he bought thousands of cattle and sheep that would otherwise have been hard to give away. He sold pure bonedust to farmers in the district at practically cost, and even to-day there are properties on which the results of Tait’s manure can be seen. His methods of doing business, and his treatment of his employees were on a level not often reached nowadays and he was never afraid to bad: his judgment either of markets or men.

THE FERNHILLL SETTLEMENT. The Government has issued plans of another Southland purchase in the above estate, and the ballot is to take place on February 18. This land, which is situated about 10 miles from \\ inton and two miles Irom Centre Bush Railway Station, cons’lsts of 1000 acres purchased from Mr John Cunningham and 500 acres from Mr t. , , , If has been subdivided into live blocks of from 256 to 320 acres, and the rents, taking into account the instalments to be paid on buildings, vary’ from about 17s to 23s per acre. Part of the and is at present in wheat, and promises to yield a heavy crop, but this belongs to the former owner, and the turnips now growing on the property have to be taken over at valuation by the incoming tenant. 1 aimers with a lite time experience in the surrounding district have expressed the opinion that the rents asked are much too high to give tenants a chance of payiim then- way, and after the poor demand’ for the lamatea property, which is infinitely better land, there does not appear to be any prospect of a rush of eager applicants .However, it is to be hoped that the sections are all taken up, and that the tenants make good, as alter all f. 1 ® , (tle , t: ‘ x Payer, who is paying cash for this land to the owners—that is, if this season leaves any loose money 'to pay taxes with. 1 ’