FARM AND MARKET

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21185, 7 August 1940, Page 11

FARM AND MARKET

WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL REVIEW

(By “Stockman")

Items of Interest, Enquiries In regard to Shews and Sales aDd General Comment from Readers will be welcomed. These should be addressed to "Stoetanau," Waikato Times, Hamilton.

Feilding, Hastings, Bay of Plenty, King Country and Hauraki Plains. Cows realised from £9 to £ls, the latter price being paid for a barren cow belonging to Mr H. Windsor. Prime fat bullocks brought from £l3 5s to £ls. a line belonging to Mr H. T. Gillies reaching the limit.” Sheep Again Advance The sharp rise in fat sheep values at the Frankton sale yesterday cannot be taken as an indication that such rates will be maintained. Yesterday’s supplies were the shortest seen at the yards this year and it was only natural that with the buying bench strengthened by several outside buyers prices should rise. A healthy tone continues elsewhere. Special entries of store sheep also command attention and values for these have shown little change. Current values for fat sheep are little different from those that ruled at the Frankton sale on August 6, 1915, exactly 25 years ago yesterday, as the following extract from a report on that sale will indicate:—“Sheep were in firm demand for all classes, fat wethers making from 28s to 37s 6d. The latter price was obtained by Messrs Madill and Bryant. Fat ewes went as high as from 25s to 295, ewes and lambs from 19s to 35s lOd, the top price being for a choice line of Lincoln skinned ewes from Mr J. R. Newton, Te Pahu. Full-mouthed ewes realised 26s up to 27s lOd, and hoggets, well-woolled and in nice condition, brought from 16s to 18s.” High Prices For Pigs High prices continue to be paid for fat pigs at Waikato sale centres, main activity being still confined to fatteners. Prices are often out of proportion to real value. This is particularly so in the store pig section where prices often appear to be unprofitable to buyers. At one sale no less than 39s 6d was paid for two pens of weaners. The pigs in question were unusually good sorts, but they certainly needed to be at this money. At the central yards yesterday, large stores were quoted from 40s to 555, this being typical of current store pig values in the Waikato. Successes in Africa The great interest taken in the goodwill shipment of pedigree sheep sent from New Zealand to Soutn Africa by Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., has been followed up by a fine series of successes in the leading show rings of that country. Four championships, in addition to the wool trophy and numerous othef prizes have been won. A l the East Griqualand Agricultural Show, Kokstad, the first show at which the New Zealand saock were exhibited, a Corriedale ram hogget bred by the Bushey Par* Escate, Palmerston South, was awarded first prize, and the championship. In the shortwool mutton class a Southdown ram hogget bred by Mr H. J. Andrew, Maheho, was awarded first prize, and in the long-wool mutton class a Romney ram hogget bred by Mr A. L. Wheeler, Leedstown, was second. At the important Maritzburg Show, where the larger portion of the shipment was entered for competition, further splendid successes were scored.

NOTES AND COMMENTS Roofing Iron Shortage i At tne New Zealand Pig Marketi ing Association's conference a reI mu was passed drawing attention to j the acute shortage of roofing iron. !In his monthly report to the Waikato Pig Council, the supervisor, Mr 1 C. P. Harington, said that the shortage was being overcome by using builders’ papers and other material, which, wnen treated with waterproofing, had made a satisfactory job. ; Testing in America i In tne United States of America in 1937 there were 992 dairy herd improvement associations with 20,- ' 75a members testing 495,997 cows. | Milk and butterfat are recorded for | two successive milkings once each j month; costs of production and inI come from dairy produce are rei corded; all animals are marked for I identification and breeding results j are recorded. ! Drive For Bacon j Waikato farmers were showing a ! keen desire to help in the present ! production drive and he was sure j that the figures for pig production I would show a big increase on last I year’s figures, said Mr C. P. Haring- ! ton, Waikato Pig Supervisor, in his report presented at last week's meeting of the Waikato Pig Council. Accommodation for pigs had been repaired and in numerous cases new layouts had been constructed. This would go a long way towards increased production by curtailing the already high death percentage. Growing Union The rapid increase in the growth of the Farmers’ Union in the Auckland Province Was described at the meeting of the Waikato sub-provin-cial executive in Hamilton this week by the organiser, Mr N. K. Taylor. He said that a record enrolment of new members had been made last month when 107 farmers joined the movement. In Huntly the membership was trebled from 62 to 186. The Waikato membership was now more than 2000. It was not very long ago that the entire Auckland Province had a membership under 2500 but by the end of the year it was expected that the Waikato area alone would have more than that number of members. Synthetic Wool Synthetic wool made from the casein of milk, according to a scientific report, is losing some of its popularity as a material for garments. The discovery has been made that certain bacteria attack casein even after it has been woven into wool. Fabric, which consists of half genuine wool and half synthetic wool, is still vulnerable to the casein bacteria. Copra For Pigs Because of the low prices ruling for copra in Fiji, attention has been focussed on it as a food for pigs. However, it is realised that copra by itself would be of no value as a foodstuff but it would have to be incorporated in some mixture. For some time now copra has been used in pig feeding trials at the Ruakura Farm, but it has been fed with other foods. Testing of Herds The approximate numbers of cows tested last season in the various districts over which the Auckland Herd Improvement Association operates were as follows: —North Auckland, 6600; South Auckland (Auckland to Hamilton), 25,400; Waikato, 28,500; Te Awamutu, 7000; King Country, 9200; Rotorua and Putaruru, 4700; Hauraki Plains and Thames Valley, 3900; Coromandel Peninsula and Waihi, 2900. Constituents of Whey Whey is much more diluted than skim milk, and, containing only 6.6 per cent of solids and being low in protein, must be fed to pigs in conjunction with foods rich in digestible protein. There is approximately 3.5 per cent of protein in skim milk, and whey contains only 1 per cent. ! but because of its soluble nature, it jis a valuable constituent. It must be added to, however, hence the reI commended addition of meat meal in the early stages of the pig’s life. It is essential to feed a little and often with whey, as being bulky in nature, the pigs must consume a big quantity to get the food value. Sows For Breeders Members of the Buttermilk Producers’ Association were holding a considerable number of sows for distribution to breeders, said Mr C. P. Harington at the last meeting of the Waikato Pig Council. It was hoped, I he said, that although an increase in sow population was assured, bettei management be given all sows so that a greater percentage of the pigs born were reared to maturity. In the past, it was safe to say, 33 1-3 pei cent of the pigs born never reached j the hooks. Testing Charges As a result of financial assistance received under the Dairy Board Herd Improvement Plan, the average test- . ing charge to members of the Auck- ! land Herd Improvement Association 1 last season (exclusive of any successive testing discounts to which they may have been entitled) was approximately 6d a cow below the actual cost of carrying out the work. In view of the fact that the scale of testing charges has not been increased for the coming season, despite certain increases in expenditure, the difference between the average cost and the average charge will probably be about Sd a cow.— 1 Mr S. J. Sheaf, general manager of the Auckland Herd Improvement Association in his address at the annual meeting last week.

Improved Seed Stripper An improved seed stripper, invented and built by a young South Canterbury man, is engaging the attention of farmers in that district. Some special features are claimed for the stripper, which has proved its utility by many trials carried out during the past four seasons. More than 6000 acres of ryegrass, dogstail and brown top have been harvested by the stripper, much of it on hilly country.

SHOWS AND SALES

OllU TT J rtill/ O/ALLJ Cambridge Stock Sale: Every Monday. Hamilton Store Sheep Sale: Every Wednesday. Te Awamutu Stock Sale: Every Thursday. Morrinsville Stock Sale: Every Friday. Te Kauwhata Stock Sale: Every Monday. Taupiri Stock Sale: Every second Wednesday. MILD CONDITIONS WEATHER IN WAIKATO EFFECT ON DAIRY HERDS BUOYANT MARKETS CONTINUE Fuller entries of fat cattle usually make firm to firmer rates. Store cattle ar ein keen request at full late rates. Dairy cattle quotations are repeated. Fat sheep are usually dearer. Store sheep values are generally firm. Light entries of fat pigs are still dearer. A sharp rise is reported for store pigs. Abnormally dry conditions have persisted in the Waikato and many farmers state that it is difficult to remember such an unusually mild winter. True, the night have been cold and frosty, but the days have been fine and sunny. Main benefit has been on the health of the stock and it has been many years since the dairy herds of the Waikato have entered the lactation period in such splendid condition. Early lambs ere doing particularly well, while a smaller degree of calving troubles is reported. Several Waikato dairy companies report that the new dairying season is opening up very satisfactorily, figures for June and July being substantially ahead of those for the corresponding months last year. A buoyant tone has continued to mark the Waikato stock trade. Excellent entries have been coming forward, and the quality of the stock on the whole has been of an unusually high standard. The latter fact is due principally to the mildness of the weather. The rising tendency in price levels is still apparent. It is interesting to note that stock prices in August, 1915, were practically identical with those ruling at present, the length of time after the outbreak of hostilities being practically the same in each case. Market For Beef A keen beef market has continued in the Waikato although values were just a shade down for ox at the central yards yesterday. On the whole, competition yesterday at Frankton was not marked by the same degree of enthusiasm, local buyers showing less activity. Yesterday’s entry was the largest for some time, and this was a factor telling against competition. At other yards there has been practically no change. Interest in store cattle continues unabated, and it is reported that there are several thousand head on the road from the Coast for sale in the Waikato. The following extract from a report on the Frankton sale conducted by the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company on August 6. 1915, gives some idea of the values ruling for beef in the second year of the last war:—“There were buyers present from districts north of Auckland,