OUT AND ABOUT

Otago Witness, Issue 4006, 23 December 1930, Page 13

OUT AND ABOUT

THE WEEK IN OTAGO. Although high winds prevailed for some time during the week in Otago,* the conditions generally were favourable, and the prospects for fine weather during the holidays apnear probable at the time of Writing.

1930-31 WOOL SEASON. The following is the list of sales and allocations for the 1930-31 wool selling season: — 1931. Bales. January—7—Wellington 30,000 12— Napier •• 27,000 17— Auckland 2U.000 20— Wanganui 25,000 26—Christchurch ~ .. 25,000 „ 30 —Invercargill 25,000 February—3—Dunedin .. 30,000 6—Timaru 18,000 13— Wellington 30,000 18— Napier 24,000 23—Wanganui .. .. .. 23,000 March — 2 —Christchurch223)oo 9 —Dunedin 25,000 11 —Invercargill No limit 18—Wellington 30,000 23 —Napier 20,000 27 —Auckland No limit .31 —ChristchurchNo limit April—--1o—Dunedin0 —Dunedin .. No limit 13—Timaru .. .. .. .. No limit 21 — Napier No limit 17—Wellington No limit 23—Wanganui .. .. .. No limit BURNSIDE MARKET. The sale on Wednesday at the Burnside Metropolitan Market may be deemed a “ double ” market, despite the fact that a small sale will be held on Tuesday, the 23rd, and, in consequence, the entries of fat stock were comparatively large. With the exception of lambs’, all other classes met with an indifferent demand, and

prices were generally easier for all but prime stock. The supply of fat cattle, 308 (294 last sale), comprised a very fair proportion of prime bullocks, and a number of prime cows and heifers, together with a few extra choice animals. The demand was weak from the outset, and a reduction of 15s per head ensued early in the sale, easing further as the eale progressed, medium stock slacking considerably. The decline, on the run of the sale, may be quoted as stated, beef making to 39s per 1001 b. An entry of 1700 fat sheep (1980 last sale), was made of three-parts shorn sheep, the balance being in the wool Quality was not conspicuous, and with the exception of some pennings of prime shorn wethers the yarding was a very average one. The demand was fairly good for best shorn wethers at the previous sale’s rates, and a shade better at times. Medium quality was not wanted, while woolly ewes were easier by Is to Is 6d a head. Fair conditioned woolly wethers sold rather better than a week ago, but sales were of an irregular nature throughout. Shorn prime wethers made to 4Jd, and in places to 4|d per

The yarding of over 1500 fat lambs (350 last sale) was all required. Early in the sale prices were none too bright, but later on butchers got busy and there was a good clearance at rates commensurate with the best ruling at the previous sale, the rise from values early in the sales varying from Is to 2s 6d a head. Lamb may be quoted as making to 7LI per lb at the highest point of the The store cattle section was moderately supplied with some 40 fair sorts of three-year-old bullocks, a number of medium steers, and an average lot of cows and young cattle. Bidding was not brisk, passings being frequent for bullocks. A few medium tbree-year-old steers made £5 16s to £6 17s 6d, and a pen of very fair yearling steers (dairy type) made £2 17s 6d. The entry of fat pige, 114 (90 last sale), evoked a spiritless demand. Porkers were dearer by 7s 6d a head, but baconers were not wanted, and declined 15s to 20s per head, porkers making to Bd, and baconers to 6Jd per lb. Small stores, 114 (116 last sale), moved off like hot cakes, weaners making 25s to 35s per head. The usual sale of fat stock at Burnside will this week be held to-day (Tuesday), and the next sale on Wednesday, January 7, 1931.

COUNTRY STOCK SALES. GORE. The fortnightly stock sale was held at Gore on Tuesday' before a fair attendance of farmers and buyers. Only fat sheep were penned, of which there were 263, and although there was not much inquiry at auction, a good many sales were made by private treaty at fairly firm prices. Good fat wethers changed hands at from 26s up to 32s 9d, and shorn wethers up to 17s, while medium woolly sorts made up to 235. Sales of fat ewes were Recorded at from 12s to 17s 6d. No store sheep were offering. There was an entry of 4C head of cattle, mostly fats, and the demand was slacker at slightly reduced values. Prime heavy bullocks made from £l4 5s to £l6 10s, and medium sorts £9 5s to £l4, while fat cows realised from £6 12s 6d to £ll. In the store section cows, bulls, and a few yearlings made up the entry, and sales were is favour of the purchasers. WILD HORSES. It is announced in Calgary, Canada, that a horse-killing plant and abattoir will be started in that city soon as a result of the recent Order-in-Council passed by the Dominion Government, which provides for Federal inspection of horse meat products. It is stated that the main commercial product of the plant will be horse flesh for human consumption in the European markets. None of this meat prepared for human consumption will be offered for sale in either Canada or the United States. Other products will include fertiliser, fox and dog food preparations, and various uses for the hides and horsehair. It is estimated that there are

approximately 250,000 wild horses on the ranges in Western Canada. These wild “ broomtails ” have very little commercial value, and stockmen will welcome a complete elimination of them from the ranges. Not only will this help the market to a certain extent for the better grade of horses, but it will also provide a substantial amount of grazing facilities for other live stock.

TASMANIAN MEAT BOARD. Tasmania’s Meat Industry Encouragement Act, which is now in force, confers wide powers on the meat board which has been constituted under it. The board consists of five members, four of which are elected by owners of more than 30 sheep, and one is elected by the Central Executive of the Agricultural Bureau of Tasmania.

This board may carry on any business relating to the breeding, growing, purchasing, slaughtering, freezing, chilling, and marketing of meat, and the treatment and disposal of any by-products therefrom; and it may engage in storing primary produce or other goods, or act as agent for the marketing, selling, or disposing of any goods; it can buy, sell, let, or take, or lease land, and purchase, rent, construct, or erect buildings, and purchase or acquire machinery. The board is empowered to enter into such contracts for the treatment, preparation, .and processing of meat, and with such persons as it thinks fit; it may purchase, build, and establish freezing, canning, and other works for the treatment and processing of meat. The Governor may, on the advice of the board, lay down any conditions as to the quality, slaughtering, treatment, inspection, etc., under which any chilled or frozen carcass mutton or lamb may be exported from the State, and may prohibit any such exportation except on such conditions.

Under the Act a fund is created from annual contributions by sheep owners to enable the board to encourage and promote the production and preparation of fat lambs for export, and for the betterment of the meat industry generally. Provision is made for the payment by sheep owners in the State to the board of an annual contribution of one penny for every head of sheep owned by them. The Governor is authorised to grant leans to the board for the purpose of the Act, to be payable as provided. The loans must not exceed £39,500 in the aggregate.

A BRITISH FRIESIAN WEEK. The Dairy Show week in London maybe summed up, for more than one reason, as a “ British Friesian week ” (eays a Home exchange) The coveted Bledisloe Trophy—the award for the best all-round of six cows —was their rightful prize, as the elaborate calculations concerning milk and butter weights testified. But from a non-competitive standpoint the week was one of historic interest to breeders who love the stately black-and-white cow. The Society celebrated its coming of age m the usual convivial fashion of a dinner This event calls to mind —as did some of the speakers at that function —the development of Friesian cattle in this country. It is no exaggeration to say that the story of its expansion is a romance in the world of live stock breeds Take, for instance, the phenomenal sale in 1914 of imported Holstein Friesian cattle. This was a purely speculative effort on the part of the society which, if it is associated with one characteristic, is always coupled with courageous optimism. The sale, held at the time of the outbreak of the war, left the handsome profit of over £lO,OOO in the pockets of the society, and herein certainly lies the foundation stone upon which the meteoric progress of that society has been developed. The prices paid at that sale, without exception, were all over lOOgns. The British Friesian Society throughout its career has always attempted to strive after the highest goal. Their idealism is admirably suggested in the words of Mr Trevor Williams, when giving his last presidential address. He said: “I imagine a society 7 strong enough to go to each of its members and say,

* We will have your herd valued by competent valuers; we will have your herd tested for tuberculosis, and we will take away the animals that are not sound under that test, and the full price at which they were valued prior to the test will be paid you.’ Can you imagine your society in that position? ” One cannot allude to the breed’s story without recalling, in a word, the name and work of the late Mr Hugh Brown, of Colton, Dunfermline. Mr Hugh Brown—one of the original four persons that met ■at the historic first meeting in 1909 from which sprung the present society—was one who gave of his utmost in time and labour for its advancement. To him, along with two others, was allocated the difficult task of examining animals for entry in the newly-formed British Friesian Herd Book. His reward, however, for a life devoted to the breed was as handsome as it was well earned, for the sale of his Colton herd in 1919, it will be recalled, averaged £552 16s Bd. The breed has, taken as a whole, been a powerful factor in agricultural affairs in the last decade, and none can be more rightly proud than its popular secretary, Mr George Hobson.

PENINSUL \ SHOW. The championship in the female section of the draught horse classes at the Peninsula Show was won by Mr E. Y. Aitken’s entry, and the reserve championship went to Mr M. Geary. The Clydesdale Society’s medal for the best yearling or two-year-old was won by Mr Geary. HERD TESTING. The Southland and Otago Herd-testing Association’s season is now properly launched, and it is gratifying to note that despite low returns for dairy produce

more farmers have elected to have their herds tested. During the month of November the number of cows under test was 7871 in 256 herds, compared with 7724 cows in 246 herds for the same month of last year. "In addition to this large number, 334 cows in 31 herds were tested under the own-sample system during November of this year. The association has two new groups operating this season, and special arrangements have been made in order that dairy farmers with smaller herds will be encouraged to have their cows tested. The progress of the movement can be expected to have a very material effect on the prosperity of the dairying industry.

SCOTCH SHORTHORN SALES. The Bushey Park breeder of Scotch shorthorns, Mr J. A. Johnstone, has just disposed of two of his young bulls. The first sale was to Mr Dickson Jardine, of Kawarau Falls station, Queenstown, who has acquired Bushey Park Golden Mint, a two-year-old by Bushey Park Diamond Butterfly out of Bushey Park Rosedew 2nd, by the imported sire Rothiebrisbane Diamond, himself by the late William Duthie’s celebrated bull Collynie Ranger. The dam of this young bull is by Millhill’s Royal King, who was one of the best sons of Cupbearer of Collynie, one of the greatest Scotch Shorthorn sires ever bred. The second sale was that of Bushey Park Grand Courtier to Mr Joseph M'Lean, of Duart, Westland. This young sire is by the Bushey Park herd sire Bushey Park Lavender Royal, out of Bushey Park Eliza. He is out of the same cow as Bushey Park Eliza 4th, who won the championship at this year’s Canterbury Show, and he himself won the championship for bulls at the North Otago Show last month, being placed second to one of his kinsmen at the Dunedin show. JOTTINGS. Values of beef at the Burnside Metropolitan Market receded sharply during December. On November 26 beef touched 50s per 1001 b, and to-day realises in the

vicinity of 39s per 1001 b; say, £3 to £4 per head decline within a month. In South Otago graziers are feeling the pinch in the matter of summer feed, and it is generally feared that the warm sunshine necessary to reasonable growth will not be experienced in time for the season’s lambs to be sent away to the works fat off their mothers. Last year at this date beef was selling at the Burnside yards at 50s per 1001 b, but receded early in January, 1930. Fat wethers were making in 1929, out of the wool, last December, up to 51d per lb. To-day’s values for butchers’ wethers range from 4|d to 4|d, while lamb last December was making 9|d per lb and to-day 7Jd per lb. The president of the Free State Wool Growers’ Association (South Africa) states that owing to the drought the lambing season has been disastrous. Fifty per cent, of the lambs are dead, and serious losses in cattle have been experienced. It is felt that the Government will be forced to give relief. In view of the very heavy drop in all freezing works by-products, it would seem that either charges would have to be increased or rebates lowered. The companies are reluctant to adopt the former course, and it seems probable that the rebates will have to be very much smaller than they have been in the past.

Information lias been received that an A grade Friesian three-year-old heifer, owned and bred by Messrs Muff Bros., of Oliapi. Orari, has produced 92.601 b fat for October, under the Waikouaiti and Waihemo Herd Testing Association. This return is believed to be a record for the association the next best known record being 82.41 b Beauty, the heifer in question, produced 1261 b milk during the two-day test with a 4.9 per cent. test, making her milk production for the month 18901 b.

One of the interesting evidences that the public gains of the good work being performed by the Southland Boys’ and Girls’ Agricultural Clubs’ Association is the competition at the shows of the members of the calf-rearing clubs. Special classes are provided in the schedule for the boys and girls to enter their calves, and this class drew no fewer than 24 entries at Invercargill this week. The children and their friends took a really live interest in the judging of the class, and when the reasons for the awards were explained to them, they followed the remarks of the judge with close attention. At the suggestion of the Prime Minister, a trial shipment of fully-flavoured butter will be sent to England (states the Wellington Evening Post). This will act as a challenge to those who. comparing New Zealand butter with Danish, assert that the former is flavourless. The 100 boxes of flavoured butter that' will be despatched during the next few months will be made under carefully controlled conditions. The Dairy Research Institute, the Dairy Board, and the Dairy Division are all co-operating in this experiment, which, if successful, may modify dairy practice throughout New Zealand.

Following an adverse report by the Tariff Board, the Federal Ministry’s proposal to impose an export duty 7 of LI a pound on sheep skins has been dropped It is estimated that the proposed tax would mean an annual burden of £150,000 on the pastoral industry in Australian. In place of the duty, the Ministry is expected to offer the felhnongering industry a bounty for three years. This course is favoured by the Tariff Board, which has evidence that, by an expenditure of £62,500 on the bounty on skins, in excess of the average production for the past few years, an expenditure of £275,000 in wages could be obtained. Claims for a new vaccine were put before the International Veterinary Congress in • London recently during a discussion on foot-and-mouth disease. Pro fessor J. Lignieres (formerly director of the Bacteriology Institute to the Argentine Republic) said, that enormous progress had been made in. the research work in the Argentine. With regard to a certain type of virus, he claimed to have found ' an active vaccine for its destruction, and

he asked the congress to elect a committee to investigate the claim. He brought forward his proposal with the consent of the Argentine Government. The first consignment of Canadian cattle sent to Birkenhead (England) for ten years was landed recently. It consisted of 250 head sent by Mr Pat Burns, Calgary, Alberta, and was "followed by another lot of 400 from the same source, <uid it the experiment is successful, consignments will be continued. English farmers many months ago realised 'that "J'™ V?J erica made higher the tariff wall gainst Canadian store and fat cattle there f V 10v ? to re-establish the 6 trac J e of . Canada with England. Sactl Jf° re ff the . Government dln S ° high a g ai nst Canato sonH H a ® more Profitable vVs 4 U ,-° England and “ chance ” n f Hf-M they -Ifahsed upon markets in competition with home-fed cattle. In reply to his inquiries, Mr L. O. iripp stated at a meeting of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, he nad been informed by the secretary of the Farmers’ Union that the branches of the union in favour of the removal of protection of stoats, weasels, and ferrets were Wanga““t z? e '? ru i s dis?tr iet, North Canterbury, Mid-Canterbury and Marlborough. The Otago branch replied that the matter would be discussed at the next meeting of the executive. Hawke’s Bay Wellington Central (Feilding). Southland and Oamaru were not in favour of the protecti°n being removed. He had suggested to the Director of Agriculture that the protection should be removed in those districts where the farmers are agreeable. 1 rotection should also be removed in all sanctuaries and scenic reserves Personally he thought that the protection should be removed aloaether.

Insects are said to be man’s most dangerous rival for possession of the earth, but meanwhile New Zealand, principally through the Cawthron Institute, is endeavouring to harness them to her own uses (says an exchange). If success attends the experiments being made, to set insects to destroy plant pei-ts such as blackberry, gorse, bracken, ragwort, and other land pirates, entomologists may yet achieve more in the way of settlement than Mr Ransom, the unemployed, and the treasury combined. Maurice Maeterlinck has lately published a third volume on the I’ie of the ant, a companion to his previous and famous works on the bee and the white ant. At the outset he remarks: “I have realised that in respect to the ant—as indeed m respect of everything on earth white we think we know everythin" 7 we really know hardly anything; and the little that Yve do learn tells us, at all events, hew much remains to be learned?'- If entomological problems are approached in that humble spirit of research, w e may yet live to regard insects as the allies rather than the enemies of mankind.