On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 18 May 1911, Page 934

On the Land

At the Burnside market last week (says the Otago Daily Times ) there was the big yarding of 4430 sheep, and prices were easier to the extent of from Is to Is 6d per head for wethers and to the extent of fully 2s per head for ewes. Notwithstanding this weakening in the market, freezing buyers displayed no anxiety to operate. The market in respect of lambs was about on a par with the previous week; About 150 head of cattle were yarded, and although the quality was not good prices were firmer than in the previous week. Good quality bullocks were scarce, and realised up to £l3 15s per head. The yarding of cattle consisted largely of stock of inferior quality. There was a good demand for pigs, and baconers made up to 4?d per lb. Breed and condition have an influence on the rate of increase in weight of pigs which are being fattened. A great deal, too, depends on the kind of pigs, for, needless to say, quick-growing and strong-constitutioned animals increase faster in weight than those slow in maturing and delicate in constitution. The temperature and time of year has its influence, and experiment shows that it takes nearly Mb more food to produce 11b of pork in winter than it does in summer, and that pigs eat very little more in winter than they do in summer. A much larger quantity of food is also required to produce a pound of pork as the animal grows older, and thus it has become recognised that the fatting of young and immature pigs is more profitable than fully-grown pigs in fair condition. The charge has been laid at my door (says the Practical Dairyman) that because I admire and appreciate a dairy cow-, no matter of what breed, that I have ceased to love the Jersey. Nothing could be further from the truth. I admire and love her. I believe there is no cow so perfect in type, so beautiful in udder, having the same tenacity in milk, who can average so high a percentage of fat, and who will make as economical a yield of a hundred pounds of butter as the Jersey cow. She breeds true to type as no other breed except the Ayrshire does She responds to good care and requires it. Her globules of fat being large, the grain of her butter cannot be excelled. Her butter remains firmer in heat than that of any other breed, her milk creams readily, and there is a perfect separation between cream and milk. As a butter-maker she is preeminent, and in her symmetry of form and beauty she is the aristocrat of the dairy world. How to Kill Pigs.—Mr. W. Smith, the pig expert of the Victorian Department of Agriculture, gives the following useful hints on the slaughtering of pigs;—In killing the pig, he says, throw him on his right sine by taking hold of the near or left fore-leg. Still holding the leg with the left hand, take the knife in the right hand, and cut the neck in a direct line with the chin, but not too near the shoulder. When making the cut, always draw the knife after insertion back towards the chin by doing so there will be less likelihood of shouldering. Two buckets of boiling water to one of cold make a very good scold (140 deg. Fahr.). As soon as the hair will come off the ears clean them well. Then turn the pig over in the tub with back up take all the hair from back and belly, leaving the head and feet until last. Clean the skin well in hot water before putting cold water over the pig. Hang up as soon as possible, shave off all loose hairs, and scrub well with scrubbing-brush. Open the pig down the belly and through the breastbone, clean out the inside well, lift the flares or leaf lard while the carcase is hot, so as to let the latter cool properly. Leave the pig hanging in a cool place until the following morning. At the Addington market last week there was a large entry of stock and a good attendance. Eat cattle sold at the previous week’s rates. Store sheep and fat lambs were much firmer. Fat sheep sold well, notwithstanding an exceptionally large entry. Store cattle and. pigs were dull of sale, but dairy cows were in active demand. The yarding of fat lambs totalled 7199, of very mixed quality, ranging from prime down to inferior. The sale was a brisk one, and prices showed an appreciable advance on late rates. The rise was due to cable advice of a rise in wool, and the coming in of the winter freezing rates and freights. There were 6856 taken for freezing at 9s to 16s 7d, and one pen at 18s Id. The varding of fat sheep was a very large one, and the quality was on the average a better than of late. The bulk of the entry consisted, how -w ever, of ewes, wethers again being in short supply. The ** range of prices was: Prime wethers, 16s 6d to 21s 6d'extra, 23s 9d; prime ewes, 13s 6d to 17s lOd. There were 324 head of fat cattle penned, of generally good quality aiM including several lots of very prime heavy bullocks! J here was a steady demand throughout, and the late prices were well maintained. Steers made up to £ll. There was a fair entry of all classes of pigs. Choppers made up to 70s ; heavy baconers, 50s to 555; and smaller, 35s to 47s 6d —equal to 4d per lb; large porkers, 27s to 325; and lighter, 22s to 2os—equal to 4£d to 4Jd per lb. b