CANTERBURY BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3995, 7 October 1930, Page 16

CANTERBURY BUDGET.

(From. Our Own Correspondent.) WEATHER STILL VARIABLE. The week past has not been singular from the point of view of weather. It has been variable all through the spring, and this week there was a storm, which was reminiscent of July, and very low temperatures, and then again Sunday was the warmest day of the spring so far. So it varies. There is still a drought at Lake Coleridge, and it seems the nor’westers, which in days gone by have been so typical of the weather in Canterbury, have deserted us. and their loss is serious sb far as the supply of power is concerned, and in this the farming community are affected, for dairying folk and many other farming people rely upon electricity for farm power.

UNATTRACTIVE STORE SHEEP. In the month of October it is usual for ’ the entries at the Addington Saleyards to increase considerably, especially the supply of ewes and lambs, but on Wednesday last there was an increase of dry sheep. Hoggets formed the bulk of the entry, and there was a rather slow sale for them, though the values were much about tbe same as they were a week previously. Maybe the weather affected the sale, for the day previous was wretched, and Wednesday was bitterly cold. The way in which the clerk of the weather swings us from mid-summer to ■ mid-winter is certainly disconcerting. Growth was never slower than it has been of late, and everything is backward, and there were losses of lambs on Monday and Tuesday. One farmer who has a moderate-sized ewe flock close to Rangiora lost over 20 lambs on Monday and Tuesday night, and where sheep were lambing in exposed paddocks there were losses. This winter has brought home to many over the Canterbury Plains the value of shelter belts. More than half the sheep which have passed through Addington in recent weeks have been of the very plainest class, and this was so on Wednesday. Old and lowconditioned ewes and weedy hoggets form the great majority of the lines passing through the yards, and the market is not tested out well with good sheep. It is hard to say what the value of good sheep is. An exception to the general rule was a pen of ewe hoggets, which brought 23s 9d. They were three-quarterbreds, in good order and very well grown, and the price, in view of the wool conditions likely to rule in November, when the sales open, was quite satisfactory. Even in a depressed market there are always farmers who are prepared to pay a fair figure for good class sheep. Several of. the other ewe hogget lines were interesting. One lot from the southern end of the island, mixed in quality', sold up to 16s lOd. Another draft of about six trucks, which were fine in tbe wool, sold at 17s 6d. Well forward wethers continue to sell with some freedom, and there was one pen of sixtoothed sheep this week which made 21s, and a couple of trucks of four and sixtoothed sheep which brought 19s 3d, A few pens of ewes and lambs gave some sort of indication of what this class of stock are worth, though the ewes were all of the aged variety, and would have to be fattened after the lambs were weaned, and some of them would take very soft feed to fatten them. The better sorts of the ewes and lambs sold from 10s to Ils 9d on an all-counted basis. Most of the inferior sorts were below 9s. GOOD PENS OF BEEF. The sales of fat cattle of late at Addington Saleyards have been very interesting, and tbe Canterbury Province has had to rely more upon outside sources for its supply of spring beef this year than has been the case in the last 10 years or more. The entries have been decidedly below the usual average, and many of the butchers operating at Addington are not buying beef with the freedom the trade is used to. It may be that the slacker demand for meat means that the housewife is economising with the butcher’s bill. Over 60 head of the cattle were from the North Island, and some very good cattle were railed up from Southland. Prices were better for the good class beef, and some of the best heifer lines were within two or three shillings of £3 per 1001 b. Two steers sold on account of C. Smaill, of Moa Flat, sold at £25 2s 6d, and the average for eight was £23 12s fid. A Southland vendor, whose name was not disclosed, sold the best priced cow, which brought £lB 17s fid, and the best priced heifer, which sold at 5s less. Mr Simon Mackenzie, of Otumarama, who has topped the market on several occasions lately for wetherg, again sold the best line, 51 bringing from 28s fid to 37s 6d, a pen of eight bringing the latter figure.

SALE OF PEDIGREE CATTLE. What is for Canterbury an innovation was a sale of pedigree bulls and a few females at the show grounds on Thursday. There was need for such a sale. It was unfortunate for the promoters that the year has been such a difficult one financially for farmers, or the sales no doubt would have been better in regard to price and more frequent. About 70 head were sold, and fairly good bulls were generally in the 12gns J®„2ogns range. Some of the young bulls forward were very low in condition, but on the other hand other vendors sent their animals forward in wonderful order. A case in point was the Herefords sent -forward by the estate of the late D. D. Macfarlane, of Lyndon. These cattle were a credit to any breeder, and would have brought good money in the North Island. A Southland Hereford breeder bought several of the yearling bulls and heifers. Jersey heifers ranged up to 27gns. The sale would be more popular with farmers if held at the end of October instead of the beginning.

OTAGO SUCCESS REPEATED.

The draught stallion which won the championship at the Otago Horse Parade repeated his success at Christchurch on Wednesday last. The members of the Draught Horse Committee of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association were keen to hold a parade again after it was allowed to lapse on account of poor support last year, but the entry was again poor. Although there were only three horses paraded in the aged class, one three-year-old and one two-year-qld, they were of good quality. Mr J. Tisdall, of Oamaru, who made the awards, gave the championship to the Medrox Print horse Windermere Obligation, owned by Mr D. G. Wright, of Ashburton, Had there been a reserve championship it would have gone to the tw’O-year-old colt. The awards were as follows:—

DRAUGHT STALLION, foaled prior to June 30, 1927. First £6, second £3. Mr D. G. Wright’s (Windermere) Windermere Obligation, syrs, by Medrox Print (imp.) from Rosa (imp.) 1 Mr H. Peach’s (Methven) Ray of Hope (imp.), 7yrs, by Dunure Ernest from Nancy of Balgray Maine 2 Mr D. C M'Arthur’s Greenhill Again (imp.), syrs, by Greenhill Print .. 3 Mr John Young’s (Otago) Brunstane Duplicate was entered, but did not parade. The winner (Windermere Obligation) was adjudged champion at the Otago A. and P. Horse Parade recently. He is a horse of outstanding substance, particularly good in the forequarters, if inclined to be weaker from the loins backward. The second horse, Ray of Hope, was champion at the last Methven Show. Though not carrying the substance of the winner, he is a particularly level horse, and a freer mover. The third horse was not brought out well, but he showed excellent action.

The winning horse earned the association’s Diamond Challenge Shield for best draught stallion, three years or over, and champion ribbon of the parade. The owner of the winner holds the shield for one year, and on its return is awarded a gold medal. Recent winners are:— 1923 — M'Lenaghen and Watson’s Ringleader 1924— Not awarded. 1925— J. D. Wyllie’s Bold Buchlyvie. 1926 — J. M. Smith’s Bonnie Bahnedie. 1927 — Wills and Watson’s Lord Brilliant. 1928 — W. Letham’s Scottish Blend. 1929 — No parade. Only one colt paraded in the three-year-old class—Mr C. Hale’s (Lyndhurst) Fairview Impression, by Expression 11, bred by the owner. One entry also came forward in the two-year-old class—Messrs Wills and Watson’s (Riccarton) Rosendale, by Rosencraig from a Baron Bold mare. The colt is a particularly promising sort, and should furnish into something beyond the ordinary.