FARM AND MARKET

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20597, 7 September 1938, Page 13

FARM AND MARKET

Weekly Agricultural Review

SHOWS AND SALES ! Hamilton Stock Sale: Every Tuesday. Morrinsville Stork Sale: Every Friday. Cambridge Stork Sale: Every Monday. Te Awamutu Stock Sale : Every Thursday. Spring Horse Fair, <Cambridge: September 6,7, 8 and 9. Hamilton Horse Fair: September 16. Ohaupo Horse Fair: September 2* and 29. National Dairy Show and Sale: September 14 and 15. Waikato Combined Breeders' Bull Fair: September 21, 22, 23. BUOYANT TONE MARKETS IN WAIKATO BEEF AND MUTTON FIRM PIG QUOTATIONS DROP ■/ Average numbers of fat cattle make firm to higher rates. Keen values are sometimes reported for store cattle. Dairy cattle are often dearer. Prime sheep are quoted higher at some centres. A negligible trade in store sheep Is experienced. Fat pig values have dropped sharply. Store pigs are cheaper at all centres. Trade has been healthy in most seotions of the stock market in the Waikato since last review and usually where there has been any recession of values this has been comparatively negligible and has hardly portrayed any downward trend in the market. Fat pigs, however, have received a sharp setback. All centres have been better supplied and at the yards the bulk of the business in the fat sections' has again been in the hands of butchers who have continued to pay advanced prices for top quality llnea. Dairy cattle have provided the busiest section at the yards and values j have sometimes advanced, although at | some sales the lack of quality has j tended to depress values. The spring- ; like conditions that have been ex- ; porienced recently throughout the dis- j triot should make for increased buoy- ! anoy in roost sections and the next j few week 3 should see greater business I handled by all branches of the stock market. Pastures are beginning to | show the effect of the warmer condi- j tions and growth is apparent in most districts. Keen Beef Market There has been no sign, of any 4 'Weakening in the beef market and alt Indications point to even increased buoyanoy. The market at the central yards has been steadily growing in strength during the past four weeks and it is apparent that peak values have yet to be reached. A feature of recent yardings at all Waikato centres has been the materially improved quality of the cattle forward and this has naturally stimulated competition. Both at. Te Awamutu and Morrinsville last week the quality of the beef sections was on a high plane and values at both these centres were on a par with those set at Frankton. A similarly keen demand has been experienced at Westfield. The current keen inquiry for fat cattle is a happy augury for the coming spring cattle fairs and » already the buoyant tone in the fat section is being to an extent reflected in sales of store cattle, although there has been no great trade in this class to date. With the spring growth beginning to come away, graziers and farmers should be keen to operate at the spring fairs. Improvement In Quality The Frankton yards have continued to provide practically the only indication of the fat sheep market in the Waikato. A distinctly brighter tone was evident in the market at the central yards yesterday, but'this could be contributed mainly to the considerable improvement in the quality of some of the entries. The lack of quality has been the prime factor in keeping valeus down, but better values ran he expected if the quality of the entries continues to improve as kern competition for choice lines is not without its influence on the inferior lines. Practically no trade in store sheep has been experienced during the week, the occasional few lines forward usually proving difficult to quit at vendors’ reserves. Sharp Drop For Pigs General disappointment has been expressed \vith the opening export schedule for pigs which came into operation this week. The schedule had the immediate effect of depressing values at the yards, this being illustrated by the sharp drop in quotations yesterday at Frankton. Values have been gradually declining during the past few weeks, hut the decline has been accelerated hv the appearance of the export schedule. At the central yards yesterday values for both porkers and baconers dropped by as much as is per he. -I. Shire pig values also receded and a weaker market for this class will probably be experienced at the smaller centres. The present tone of the pig market is in marked contrast with a lew weeks ago when an unusually lone period of exceptional buoyancy was nearing its end Foot-rot In Sheep The cause of foot-rot in sheep is a toxin or ppteon secreted by certain micro-organisms which ha\c gained entrance to the affected foot. The predisposing or contributory causes are: (1, An injury to the soft tissues between the claws, seen especially when the sheep are d q slur*<l on long rank grass, or «m p "U- <1 land where particles of grit may • a>il\ ifnd their way into the inter-digital space and cause abrasion or injury, however slight, to the soft tissues in the cleft; c2) a weakening of the horny substance of the foot by excessive moisture. seen rsp. • i •!!> in wrl seasons, at periods when !;■ i\\ dews are prevalent, and on wet land. When the weaning season is in progress all ewes | hhould be inspected lor any sign of

(B y“Stockman“) Items or Interest, Enquiries in regard to Shows and Sales and General Comment from Readers will be welcomed. These should be addressed to "Stockman." Waikato Times, Hamilton.

NOTES AND COMMENTS New Pig Club A pig club has hpon form at Te Kovvhai and there is every indication that it will be a strong and enthusiastic body. The chairman ami custodian s Mr E. C. Hockin, and the secretary Mr A. R. GilTord, while Mr F. G. Roberts has been appointed delegate to conferences. The decision to rorrn a club was made at a wellattended meeting at which Dr. H. E. Annett. of the National Council, and Mr C. P. Harington, district supervisor. were present. On the Road Large mobs of cattlp are now on the road from the F'.ast Coast to the Waikato for the early spring fairs. With the desire to keep away from Ihe main highways and heavy traffic, East Coast graziers had a worrying time arranging suitable routes. As the result of heavy rain some of the backblock roads have been badly flooded and some mobs have had difficulty in getting through. Otherwise conditions have been satisfactory for travelling. although the absence of roadside feed has been a handicap, and the cattle are expected to arrive in excellent condition. Conical Haystacks A Waikato farmer, who has favoured the conical haystack rather than the oblong stack, states that the conical stack has much to recommend it. He points out that there is less possibility of its firing owing to the greater Surface to exposure, while the steepness of the roof allows it to shed water more easily. He contends further that there is less waste in the conical stack than in the ordinary oblong stack. National Jersey Sale The leading Jersey studs in New Zealand will be represented at the sixteenth National Jersey Show and Sale at the Claudelands Showgrounds on September 14, when 145 Jersey bulls will be submitted. The bulls have been specially selected from forty of the leading studs in the Taranaki, Manawatu, North and South Auckland, ■Waikato, Wairarapa, Horowhenua, King Country, Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay and Bay of Plenty districts. It is reported that this year’s offering sets a record for butterfat backing. Breeder’s Importation The Otorohanga Jersey breeder, Mr Fred Phillips, who lias one of the most extensive pedigree herds of the breed in any part of the world, is importing another sire from North America. Bright Dracom’s Royal, the hull about to be landed for the Meadovwale herd, was bred in one of the leading show and test herds in U.S.A. Three previous imported sires used at Meadowvale. all bred on Jersey Island. have left noted winners there, one. Floral Dance’s You’ll Do, siring a row ttu»t was champion at the English Rofal Show. Pig Breeders’ Field Day An educative and enjoyable fieldday at the extensive pig plant of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company was held on Friday by the South Auckland branch of the New Zealand Pig Breeders' Association. Members were welcomed by the branch president. Mr Geo. Jamieson, who referred to the rapid progress being made by the pig industry in the Dominion. A feature of the field-day was Ihe judging demonstration, five senior judges fTrst of all judging the animals and awarding points. Junior judges were then called upon to judge the same animals and the points allotted by the two sets of judges were then compared. Educative Demonstration The five senior judges were the well-known breeders, Messrs R. Chilcott, Geo. Jamieson. A. Rogers, G. Mexted and H. Webber. The junior judges were afforded an admirable opportunity to compare their own judging efforts with those of experienced men and they profited by the valuable advice given them after the demonstration. The appointment of junior judges has much to recomment it for such a system will provde the foundation of a sound judging system of the future. Combined Breeders’ Sale No fewer than 480 pedigree bulls will lie on offer at the annual Waikato Combined Breeders’ sale to be held in the Claudelands selling pavilion on September 21, 22 and 23. The total entry comprises 303 Jerseys, 64) Ayrshire*. 40 Milking shorthorns and 38 Fricsians. Cattle from Waikato’s leading herds will he available for buyers and a perusal of the catalogue loaves no doubt as to the high quality of Ihe entries at this year’s big fixture. Apart from pedigree buyers, the sale holds a special interest for dairyfarmers who have been in the habit of selecting their herd sires at this sale. Exports of Stock In addition to sheep and cattle a number of horses and pigs have been imported from Australia on behalf of New Zealand stud breeders The export of New Zealand bred pedigree stock has greatly increased during the recent months and shipments of animals to nearly all parts of the world have been made. Included in these shipments, made through the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Limited, have been Gorrie- - eep to South Africa, Japan, Uruguay. Argentine, Falkland Islands, and Australia. Romneys have gone to Uruguay. Argentine. South Africa. Falkland Islands. Australian States and Tasmania and also Japan. Lincolns have been shipped to Uruguay, Argentine and Australia. Southdown sheep are also finding favour overseas, num-

' hers being consigned to South Africa, Australia. ITuguav , n d Argentine, Mil l, 1,.'i.-f-sters have been sent to Vnstralia and South Africa. >ince 1 •• ginning of the year a number of Cheviot and Hyeland sheep have also been shipped to‘Australia. Aberdeen Angus, sii"fthorn. Hereford and Bed Poll rattlp have hepn purchased from New Zealand by breeders in South : Africa. Falkland Islands, Fiji and Aus- : tral a. New Zealand horses have been j shipped I-- Australia, Singapore, Samoa ; and England. Pigs and Disease j Most of the actual diseases, and even 1 ! minor ailments, from which pigs suffer are contagious or infectious, and failure to recognise this fact may lead to serious loss. An important point in this connection is to take care that whenspecimen. is brought in from outside they should never be allowed to come into contact with those already on the place until one can he quite certain they can he given a clean bill of health. This rule applies chiefly, of course, to animals bought in the open market, or t.o those which have come from a distant and unfamiliar source. On every up-to-date pig farm there are isolation pens, and it is in these the newcomers should bp kept under observation for about a fortnight. And these pens should be thoroughly disinfected every time they are used. Bovine Tuberculosis It is asserted that experiments conducted by the Hannah Institute in England proved that over 60 per cent of calves fed on milk contracted bovine tuberculosis. If that is the case in Great Britain, where an intensive campaign has been aimed at the extermination from dairy herds of tubercular cows, how much higher must be the incidence of disease transference to calves and pigs in this country, where tubercular cows arc not sought out by a complete test of all members of the herd, and where the skim milk and whey is hulked before being fed to the young stock. One dairy cow in the herd having tuberculosis in the udder will infect the whole skim-milk output on the farm, states a British authority. Under these conditions every pig and calf is subjected to a grave risk of contracting the disease. It is stated that the most widelyspread disease among cattle in Germany is tuberculosis, the disease being estimated to affect 30 per cent of all cattle, and causing an annual estimated loss of 1,500,000,000 marks. New laws are now being enforced which aim at the prevention and suppression of animal diseases, and also to Increase the resistance of stock to disease through breeding for sounder constitution.