On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 14 September 1911, Page 1830

On the Land

A small farmer near Masterton informed a Wairarapa Age reporter that he had had the splendid yield of 125 per cent, of lambs from his flock this season. Beports from all round the district indicate high percentages should the weather not become too cold.. Never use coarse salt in salting butter intended for market. It will be impossible to properly distribute the salt through the butter, and if the salt is not distributed perfectly the butter can never command anything like a respectable price on the market. Most dairy experts advise salting the butter in the churn when it is in the granular form. However, excellent results are obtained by salting when the working is being done. There was certainly no evidence at the Burnside sales last week of any scarcity of cattle in the country (says the Otago Daily Times). There was a yarding of 250 head, as against 195 head last week, and 250 head in the preceding week. While last week's yarding was comprised for the most part of medium quality animals, it included some exceptionally prime beasts of great weight. They made up to as high as £lB 10s per head, but while the run of prices for these animals was seemingly high, values of prime cattle were actually weaker than those ruling last week, probably to the extent of 15s per head. For half-finished and inferior cattle the market showed a drop of about 25s per head. The yarding of cattle was a big one, and it was expected that on that account prices would be a good deal lower, but anticipations in this direction did nob altogether materalise. A total of 3046 sheep, including 150 hoggets, were penned, and there were some good wethers forward, but there was a large percentage of inferior sheep, which showed lack of feed. .Prime wethers made up to 26s 9d and prime ewes up to 23s 9d. Prices for prime sheep were practically on par with those ruling last week, but for inferior sorts values receded to the extent of from Is to Is 6d per head. Hoggets sold up to 16s 6d. At the Addington market last week there were moderate entries of stock, and a fair attendance of buyers. Prime fat cattle were firmer. Store sheep met with a rather a dragging sale, and fat sheep opened at about Is per head in advance of previous rates, and then went back to the level of the previous week. Pigs did not meet with such a good sale. There were 276 head of cattle penned, and the quality was very mixed. There was a keen demand for prime quality animals, but unfinished were dull of sale, as they were too dear for graziers and not in sufficiently good condition for butchers. There were a number of prime North Island cattle offered, and they sold well, steers making from £ll 5s to £l4 2s 6d, a line of 30 averaging nearly £l3 per head. The general range of prices was as follows:—Steers £7 2s 6d to £ll 10s, extra to £l4 . 17s 6d, heifers £5 10s to £l2 10s, and cows £4 17s 6d to £ls. The yarding of fat sheep would have been very small had it not been for consignments from the North Island and Southland, mostly from the former. The market opened at prices about, Is per head in advance, but towards the close the demand eased off. The range of prices was as follows: Extra prime wethers 31s 6d, prime 22s 6d to 25s 6d, others 15s lOd to 22s 2d; prime ewes 18s to 23s 9d. ' There were 24 new season's fat lambs offered, and they made from 16s 3d to 19s 9d. There were large entries of pigs, and all classes of fats, except porkers, were easier. Choppers sold at from 45s to £4 15s, large baconers from 60s to 755, suckers from 45s to 555. *