District Jottings

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17407, 4 November 1930, Page 8

District Jottings

Tho market for Gisborne maize re maims lifeless. The profit from last Friday’s codec exceeded £IOO. Most maize, planting around Gisborne has been completed, Init the area is considerably smaller than last year. The Gisborne- district will lie without farm dairy instruction for at. least, another year, following the Kin Ora suppliers’ adverse vote and the failure of the Government to bring forward the national scheme. Early Lambs Judging - by reports from various parts of the Dominion, early lambs are likely to be scarce, with no doubt a corresponding increase in demand at Smithlioid. September and October weather put Auckland lambs bade, while districts south of Gisborne also suffered a.s a result of unseasonable conditions.

New Season’s Butter The present level of tho London butter market does not warrant the 'payment of Is per lb. on butterl'at. but if is expected that the new season’s supplies arriving on the market shortly will command a substantial premium over the stored article, which holders are endeavoring to quit. The first, shipment of new season’s butter left Auckland on Sepleuiber 2d, and should arrive in Loudon at, the end of this week, although it will probably lie another week before tho vessel completes discharge. The first of the Gisborne butter should arrive by next Tuesday, having left here by the Taranaki on September MO. Dairying Increase

In view of an Auckland telegram on Saturday indicating a. decrease in dairy production last month, it is particularly satisfactory to record an increase over the whole of the Gisborne district, compared .with a corresponding period last year. The Kia Ora factory’s butter production increased by l per cent, over October last year, the figures supplied by the secretary. Mr. -T. If. Sunderland, being .‘lO-Lbofl lb. last month and 28.1,003 lb. for October last year.

The comparatively backward condi lions of September and October wil be.the cause of the Hush of the sea t:on being later than usual, and the Ki: Ora Dairy Co. does- not expect, it: flush until about the middle of Do comber.

Cattle Shipping Facilities In appreciation of the erection of the cattle yards at. the Gisborne wharf, it is claimed by shippers that they are worth at least £2 per head of fat cattle shipped. Tho yards were completed at, a time when a. surplus of fat cattle remained in the district after the closing of the freezing works, and the existence of' the yards provided an outlet for large numbers, which otherwise would have caused a glut on the local market, The demand for the yards ordinarily will be only in the off-season, when the southern markets are sufficiently high to warrant shipment, but the experience to date has been that by being able to ship south .dealers have secured a return of about £2 a head more than by disposing of them locally. Forward Sheep Deals A small number of forward deals in sheep have been made in the Gisborne district, blit at values considerably below last year’s figures. A low fairly large lines of five-year breeding ewes have changed hands at from 12s (id to 13s 3d, while two-tooth owes have realised from 21s to 22s (id, all lines sold so far being star tots front flocks from which selections have been made for the Waikato in the past. The early sales last year realised 22s (id to 24s for Jive-year ewes and from 27s (id to 3Us for two-toot Its. In addition, two lots of two-tooth ewes have been sold 'to Hawke’s Bay buyers at 20s .to 22s (id respectively, there, being about 1000 cheep in each line.

AJI the sheep concerned in the above deals are for delivery in January. Only about half a dozen deals have been made altogether, so far as can be gathered, and other buyers are reluctant to come forward, advice from the Waikato indicating that buyers arc waiting for a reduction in prices. There is practically no demand for two-tooth wethers, although an inquiry was made recently from Hawke’s Bay at 13 s.

Fircblight Not Yet Apparent No grout, damage is expected from fircblight in the Gisborne district, this

season. “ Up to the present, there is un sign of new infection of .fircblight- in the orchards round Gisborne,” said the instructor, Mr. 1\ Everett, in discussing the subject yesterday. “The blossoming period of most varieties of apples and pears is now over, .which means that there will bo little or no blossom infection during the present season. Considerable Joss was caused by blossom infection doling flic past season, and growers are now greatly relieved of anxiety concerning the present crop. It is still possible l'or a certain amount of infection to show up in a few of the lute flowering varieties of apples, and I wig infection will probably become more or less general later in the season. However, this form of fircblight infection docs not. usually have serious consequences in apple trees. “The reason for fircblight being Inter in manifesting itself this season,” he said, “is probably due to the destruction - of numerous hold-over cankers caused by infection during the past- year, together with the excellent; manner in which all owners of hawthorn have attended to the trimming'of their hedges. It is also possible that climatic'conditions have not favored the early development of (lie disease. ’'