On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 9 March 1916, Page 59

On the Land

i GENERAL. Lands set apart for selection by discharged soldiers in Hawke's Bay, Wellington, and Auckland districts, amounting to some thousands of acres in each district, are gazetted* * . "■.<■'.' . / .. The Waverley Co-operative Dairy Company has again put up a fine record (says the Wanganui Herald); suppliers having received the large amount of 19d per lb tor butter-fat, and in addition five-eighths of a penny 'is how being paid out as a bonus. , ' - A serious epidemic has broken out among*horses in North Canterbury. Animal? are being . iatally attacked with paralysis in the legs; They fall down; and do not rise again. : There is pain in many, and the symptoms are those-of tetanus, without the lockjaw. The disease is highly infectious. Aniamls should be isolated when attacked. ',; • ■■ -"-4r* £\ : /■; 4.. The milk: supply at the Edendale and surrounding factories is being well maintained and records are certain to be established for the 1915-16 season (says the Southland Times). The sugar of milk factory is reported to : have received"several large orders—one of 100 tons—for its produce. ' Should the present weather conditions keep up no difficulty is expected in fulfilling the requirements.- \ : - Complaints have reached the , Government that dealers are reducing the price of fat cattle by 2s per 1001 b on account of the embargo on the export of hides. Producers claim that there is no justification for' so substantial a reduction, and contend that they "are being exploited by dealers. The Prime Minister stated that he asked Mr. Reakes, head of the Stock Division of the Agricultural Department, to report- on the subject. Mr. Reakes points out that at the Wellington hides sale day, alter the prohibition had been gazetted, prices really showed a slight increase, and at Auckland, 11 days later, good prices were obtained. Mr. Reakes says that the market conditions so far do not warrant,, any reduction. It is worthy of consideration in the ■ prices for fat cattle on the hoof, even in the extreme case of a possible, though unlikely, fall of values to the extent of l|d per lb for, hides, the consequent reduction of the value of a 9001 b bullock on the hoof would only equal Is per 1001 b. ; At Addington last week there were larger entries of sheep, especially stores, and average yardings in other departments. Fat cattle were in keen demand at advanced rates, and fat lambs were very firm, while store sheep sold at late rates, the demand being keen except for inferior sorts. Fat sheep were a shade easier, and store cattle were in fair demand, while pigs sold better. Fat Lambs.— prime, to 25s 9d; prime, 20s to 23s lOd; medium, 18s to 19s 6d; lighter, 15s to 17s 9d. Fat Sheep. Prime wethers,. 25s to 28s; others, 16s 2d to 24s 6d; merino wethers, 18s 7d. to 21s Id; extra prime ewes, to 325; prime, 24s to 295; medium, 19s to 23s 6d; lighter, 15s to 18s 6d; merino ewes, 17s 6d. - Fat Cattle.— ■• prime steers, to £l9 10s; ordinary, £lO 5s to £l3 ; extra prime heifers, to £l4 ss; ordinary, £6 ; 10s to £10; extra prime cows, to .£ls 7s 6d; ordinary, £6 to £lo—price of beef per 1001 b, 32s 6d to 50s, and extra to 555. Pigs.—Choppers, 60s to 1245; extra heavy baconers, 100 sto 105 s; heavy baconers, 75s t 0.955;.955; light baconers, 60s to —price per lb, 6jd to 6fd; heavy porkers, 46s to 525; light porkers, 38s to 445-—price per lb,' 7|d - to 7fd; best stores, 45s to 50s; medium, 28s to 40s; smaller, 16s to 265; weaners, 7s to 12s. ] ■ '; : - v

JI At Burnside last week 156 head of fat cattle were yarded. - There were * few prime heavy bullocks for- ;' ward, but the majority were-medium and light-weight steers, and a few well-finished cows and heifers. Prices the start of the sale were about 10s to 15s per head below the previous >;week's values; and a good : number N of cattle were passed. 'Later on the demand improved;-•-: and at the end of the" day values were almost on'a par > with the previous week. > ;; Best prime bullocks sold oat frpmi £l7 10s to if £ 19 ''; extra prime-heavy ; bullocks , to

■ t £2O 15s; medium do, £ls to £l6 10s; best cows, £8 to £10; extra prime, to £ll 10s; best heifers, from £9 to £lO 10s; extraprime; from £l2 17s ; 6d to £l6 5s. r Pat Sheep.lß6o penned. ' .; . The quality was very mixed, only a few pens of prime heavy wethers being forward. The sale opened with prices almost equal to those ruling \ at previous sale, but towards, the end * ': of .. the' day, when the trade's requirements were : t filled, Prices' began : <% to recede. , Taken all over, "; prices l were easier than previous week. ; Quotations: - Best wethers . sold at from 26s to 295; extra prime, at from 30s to 365; medium, 23s 6d to 255; light, 21s to. 22s 6d; best ewes, 25s to 295; extra prime, 29s 9d to 32s.:■■■• Lambs.B7o penned; small yarding. ,: The usual ex- * port buyers were operating, and a clearance was readily effected. Prices much the same as at late sales!' Best lambs realised from 20s to 255; extra prime, 25s ; 9d to 365; medium, 17s to 29s • stores, 12s to 14s. Bigs.—: There was a medium yarding of fat pigs* and the usual attendance of buyers. Everything was readily cleared under, the hammer. Quotations: Prime baconers, 65s to 80s; light baconers, 55s to 655; prime porkers, 40s .to 50s; lighter, 32s 6d to 425. ...■■■■ ~:,;. V i _' , ; Y THRUSH IN HORSES. :: Thrush in horses is really an inflammatory state • of the secreting membrane of the frog, and is r usually a result of the continual standing in wet and dirt in a filthy stable. In some cases there appears to be a tendency to it; thus it is more often seen in badly-bred cart horses, whose legs are inclined to be greasy. Treatment in the first place (says an exchange) consists of removing the cause. Keep the animal, under clean, dry conditions. The feet should be, attended to, and all the loose horn pared off the foot. Poultice the feet for a couple of days to get them clean. Bran,; in which a couple of handfuls of powdered charcoal has been mixed, is as good as anything. Then wash' the feet thoroughly, and when dry apply calomel to the parts, working, it into the cleft of the frog and dusting it over the other parts. Then pack with tow, and keep • it in position by two narrow, strips of iron wedged crossways between the sole and the shoe. Change the dressing every day, and keep Che feet perfectly dry, A few dressings are usually sufficient to arrest the discharge. ■:. " • . ;.'-'.° ... '• - "' '.;.. -•';. ':] EXPORT OP FOODSTUFFS. : Since the inception, one year ago, of the scheme for ,the Government purchase of New Zealand meat there have been shipped to Great Britain 484,407 quarters of . beef, " 2,596,477 carcases of mutton, 3,688,454 carcases of lamb, 52,917 bags of beef, 297 pieces of beef, 9004 bags and crates of mutton, and 197,175 legs and pieces of mutton. The "steamer Clan Mactavish, reported sunk by the enemy, carried meat valued at £4755. Payments made by the Imperial Government's supply branch for meat purchased in New Zealand during the year totalled £7,326,841. -This represents shipments from districts as follow: —. ' , Auckland, £534,968; Poverty Bay, £802,040; Hawke's Bay, £758,250; Taranaki, £304,255; Welling- , ton, £1,985,776; North Island, £4,385,290. l Marlborough, £47,669 /Nelson, £26,947; Canterbury, £1,712,608 ; Otago, £602,281 ; Southland, £552,044 j—total, South Island, £2,941,551. ''■'- .. The quantity of meat in store at the inception of the scheme was 1,383,781 carcases. £ This gradually increased to 2,187,659 carcases on July. 3. The supply , of insulated tonnage then began to overtake the killing, till, on November 13, the stores held only 102,932 car- .'... cases. Now the season. is in full swing, and the stores . were holding on. February 12 (the latest stock-taking) •, • 1,411,364 carcases. . Six steamers - are -loading, 'six .». more will load this month, and* eight others are due ' ; during the next six weeks, for later loading. >.-■''.:.. '? ;! "■:'?. ,--■ Cheese bought since September is valued at. • £485,564. "• - - " - '

'■■':- ;'•;' .Government forwarded 88 tons of sheeltte, on which £17,101 had been advanced." 7// ■_ ' :< •->'.'^y~s(3 ■':-;.