THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 4048, 13 October 1931, Page 15

THE NORTH ISLAND.

GENERAL. Some lines of southern potatoes changed hands on Tuesday at Auckland at £s° 5s per ton, ex wharf, and the ex store prices are in the vicinity of £5 15s. This marks a rise of 30s per ton in a week. During the past winter the animals in the Auckland Zoo were given iodised salt, with the result that they have come through the cold weather in very much better condition than formerly. The feeding of iodised salt to dairy cattle is now a common procedure.

The dairy season has made a good start in the Gisborne district, and from all parts reports have come to hand of increases over the corresponding period last year. Grass is coining away fast, and the country is, if anything, understocked and stock values very firm.

.The percentage of lambing has been high throughout North Auckland this spring (states the Northern Advocate). As usual, there have been some abnormalities. At a station near Kamo 100 sheep in a paddock had 125 lambs. With prices so low these heavy yields are appreciated by owners.

Pukekohe is digging new potatoes (says an Auckland paper). With the cold weather experienced during the winter and spring, growth has not been heavy, and the yield from the earliest crops appears likely to be light. Orders are being accepted at 24s per cwt, f.0.r., Pukekohe. The price at this time last year was 32s 8d per cwt.

The Waikato Valley Dairy Company was recently fined 40s in respect of charges ,pf putting boric acid preservative in four different brands of butter sold by them on the New Zealand market (says the Hamilton correspondent of the New

Zealand Herald). The company was also convicted and ordered to pay costs on a charge of incorporating too much water in one of the sample butter which was tested.

~ ,indications along the west coast of the North Island point to a late season tor tat lambs this year. Speaking to a farmer a Wanganui Chronicle reporter was told that on many farms the lambs were showing signs of scour. Just at this time the lambs were beginning to eat a lair _ amount of grass, and as it had been wet for several weeks, they had been taking a large amount of water, thus producing the scour. That would hold the lambs back in condition. The lack of sun would also tell its tale. To have any bloom or finish at all they had to “ a \ e , a , lo , fc of sun, and so far that essential had been missing. Swiss methods of farming provided many novel features of interest for the party of New Zealand farmers visiting Lurope Every member of every family was busy harvesting, women working as well as men. The wagon loads of sheaves were drawn by cows instead of horses, and sometimes a cow and a horse were harnessed together to a wagon. Several Swiss farms were visited. The New Zealanders were interested to see a new breed of cattle, more like bullocks than cows, being very heavily boned animals suitaole for hill climbing and also for team work. Mr Runciman, of Papatoetoe, says he did not see any poor cattie in Switzerland; the animals were all in the pink of condition and very quiet.

MAMMITIS. The Live Stock Division of the Department of Agriculture is encouraging farmers to have the milk of their individual cows tested for mammitis. The farmer sends in a sample of each cow’s milk to one of the Government laboratories where it is microscopically tested. If the disease germ is found in the milk of any particular cow or cows, then the farmer knows these cows should be milked Last, so as not to pass on the trouble. Some authorities declare that such cows should not be bred from, as susceptibility to mammitis is hereditary. BUTTER PACKING. All-round advantages of considerable importance attach to a new method of placing bulk butter which has just been adopted by- the Masterton Co-operative Dairy Company. In place of the box hitherto in use, the company is usin- a lighter but strong box, stiffened with cleats and bound with wire. At the same time, the company- has installed a new butter bulking machine which turns out the block of butter for each box in a firm and thoroughly compact mass, accurately fitting the box. Considerable savings are affected. under the new methods as compared with those hitherto in vogue, and in addition the new methods ensure the butter reaching distributors and consumers in the best possible condition. FEILDING STOCK PRICES. At the Feilding sale recently Associated Live Stock Auctioneers. Ltd., offered a smaller entry- of fat sheep than usual, and while in the earlier part of the sale prices showed improvement, values later returned to the previous week’s rates The fat cattle pens were well filled, and included a number of handy-weight fat bullocks, but prices showed a slight decline all round. In the store sheep pens were several lines of turnip-fed wethers, and tor these and the general yarding biddin. was keen, and there was a decided rise in all classes, with practically a total clearance. Store cattle were fairly well represented. and with a strong demand nearly all lines changed hands to vendors’ satisfaction. The annual draft of twoDolled Angus bulls offered on account of Mr F. Krull attracted attention, and all were sold, but the prices realised. 7gns to 15gns, should surely be in buyers* favour. In dairy stock the majority of the entry was made of heifers, and generally prices showed little variation. Two and four-tooth forward wethers made 12s to 13s 4d; wether hoggets, 7s 9d to 10s 6d; ewe hoggets. 10s 10d to 14s 7d three and four-year ewes with black-face lambs, 17s 6d, 17s 7d; four and five-year ewes with black-face lambs, 13s lOd, 14s lOd. Threc-year polled Angus heifers, £3 17s ?d; , 2 o' year llc , lfers ’ £3 3s: 2-year heifers. ... 13 ® : r °ngh 4-year bullocks. £4 13slight, fat and forward bullocks. £6 5s- faircondition cows, £1 17s 6d to £2 16s; emptycows, £1 5s to £1 16s; yearling Jersey bu s, 3gns to 7gns; 2-year polled Angus bulls, /gns to lagns. Backward heifers, £3 5s to £5 12s 6d; springing heifers, £5 17s 6d to £9 10s; heifers, calved £4 15s to £lO 10s. . DAIRY FACTORY MANAGERS Dairying problems of many kinds were discussed at a conference of managers of factories recently in Auckland. An address was given by Mr G. M. Valentine, dairy- factory- superintendent at Massey Agricultural College, who dwelt at length on technical aspects arising out of experiments made at the college on acidity in cream and the effect of pasteurisation on the bacteriological content of butter-fat. “There may be a feeling that science is more or less playing yy-ith things.” said Mr Valentine. “We ought to take the broad view that there are all sorts of branches in butter-making, and that ey-eryone so engaged contributes something in theory- and practical experience.” Mr Valentine’s advice to factory managers regarding the question of acidity and its relation to the keeping qualities of butter was to make haste slowly. He regretted that there were considerably fewer factory students at Massey- College this year than yvas the case last year, and that there was not the same keenness to take the course which was noticeable yvhen the college opened. Speaking of cheese manufacture, Air Stevenson, Government dairy instructor in the Auckland province, referred to the recently- _ imposed regulation prohibiting the making of the standardised product after August 1. There might be some difference of opinion whether standardisation was responsible for the difficulties which had beset the industry. However, he predicted that managers yvould have no regrets as a result of the prohibition. They would n°yv have opportunity to mami-

H a ,nt Ure tbe , fu , H cream variety, which gave that waxy body which yvas so desirable.

GISBORNE STOCK VALUES. An improvement in Gisborne stock and P arfc l cu J a rly for young cattle and for wethers, is forecast by those conhhdmr “ t he . st °ck business. Prices are land lready 111 other parts of Neyv ZeaSo far as cattle are concerned, fair entries are being received for the fair to be held at Matawhero on October 13 and 14, and a good sale is expected The Gisborne district must be very short of young of lL a VJ eSUIt ° f ! the devastating Effect of the last very dry- summer. Youim good sJe ar -n larly ’ S hould mect 'vith a good sale. Jhe weather conditions have trtet f and U e ’ ln m ° S ‘ Parts of the distr ct, and feed is growing rapidly- i u the lower and more sheltered areas- ths should result in a good demand fo’r Im I locks suitable for fattening bul ’ It is too early- yet to give anv indication or the condition the animals are yards te but O t ’ F n • \ llen the 5' reach the J aids, but the fairly gooff winter ami spring should have given all classes of cattle an opportunity to recover from the drought conditions, although cattle feed in the high country- has been scarce the breeding cows in the back country are still showing the effects of the drom-ht v” nni , cr ’ but ‘•be improvement in feed s b° u bl soon bring them back to good store condition. I here are also encouraging si-ns "or di°tion lmv S ? £ SheeP ’ ? o °d -rather conditions hay e been experienced in most distiicts that draw from Gisborne, and they sheen 1 f ° abS ° r V large n,lmb ers of the !?l dy ! SOlne slieep have PO«e to the Lay of I lenty as a result of a buyer’s actn-mes at the Matayvai stock sale and Heved th-w “ lOnth , or ®° a S° v-as not belie! ed that an early demand would set in some of the stock men have altered th-ir Slr >ce then. The general change in the financial situation and rising markets to°sfml- a<l<l I ‘ e desire of flock owners the off l ‘ P i at values, while on sell m X i‘ and i th ? Se Who have sboep to st lei n b F r - elu f, tant to P a U with their stock so early m the season.