ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 4 September 1919, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET? REPORTS. 7v,\' ,_ > '."|i At Burnside last week there was a medium yarding of 160 head of fat cattle, included in which were several, lots of prime cattle, but the bulk of the. entry was composed of medium sorts. Competition was keen throughout, and towards the end of the sale prices were 20s per head in advance of the previous week's rates. Prime bullocks £24 to £29, medium £l9 to £23, lighter sorts £l6 to £lB, prime heifers £l7 to £l9 7s 6d, medium £ls to £l6, light and aged £l2 upwards. Fat sheep: 1331 yarded. The yarding consisted of more wethers than has been the case of late, and the bulk of these were very good quality. Prices opened on a par with last sale's high rates, and firmed considerably as the sale went on, prime sheep advancing fully 5s per head, while lighter sorts advanced about •3s per head. Extra prime heavy wethers to 84s, prime heavy wethers 58s to 67s 6d, medium 48s to 565, light and unfinished from 38s, extra prime heavy ewes 66s 3d, prime heavy ewes 45s to 49s 6d, medium ewes 39s to 445, light and unfinished 245. to 355.

At Addington last week the yardings were smaller all round in the beef and mutton sections, and there is little change to report in values. Butchers took most of the fat sheep offering, prices being a little easier. Beef was a trifle firmer. The fat cattle yarded totalled 325. the quality being mixed, and ranging from prime to indifferent. Competition for good stuff was keen, and prices showed some advance. Extra prime steers to £3B 10s, prime £2O to £25, ordinary £2B 17s 6d to £29 15s, extra prime heifers to £23, prime £ls to £l9 10s, ordinary £8 to £l3, extra prime cows to £25, prime £l2 10s to £lB 10s, ordinary £9 10s to £l2. Of fat sheep there was a smaller yarding than in the previous week, and the quality ranged from prime, wellfinished ewes and wethers to indifferent.' The sale opened well, and remained steady, but prices showed a . slightly easier tendency. Extra prime wethers to 62s 6d, prime 45s to 56s 3d, medium 39s to 425, lighter and -unfinished 35s to 38s, extra prime ewes 60s, prime 43s fo 52s 6d, medium 36s to 40s 6d, lighter 31s Id to 34s 6d, hoggets 28s 6d to 34s 6d. A fair entry of fat pigs met with reasonably good competition. Extra heavy baconers to £9, heavy £7 to £8 ss, medium £5 10s to £6 10s (equal to lOd to 10}d per lb), heavy porkers £4 10s to £5, medium from £3 5s to £4 5s (equal to Is per lb), choppers £6 to £l4. There was a big entry of store pigs, and these met with a very fair demand.

Donald Reid and Co., Ltd., report having held their fortnightly rabbitskin sale on Monday, August 25. The following were prices realised:. —-Super winter does 193 d, first winter does 176 d to 184 d, second winter does 150 d to 170 d, outgoing does 97d to HOd, prime winter bucks HOd to 129 d, second winter bucks 96d to llOd, outgoing bucks 86d to 107 d, springs 58d to 68id, incoming winters 98d to 103 d, autumns 70d to 80d, racks 28d to 32d, first winter black 180 d to 190 d, second winter black 140 d to 150 d, autumn black 80d to IOOd, first winter fawn 90d to 99|d, small 12d to 16|d, hareskins 35d to 42-H, horsehair 15d to 17|d, catskins 6d to Is 3fd. Trees of the peach, nectarine, apricot, fig, etc., should be firmly planted in good, loamy soil (if possible), without any manure, at the foot of a sunny wall.

THE USE OF SALT ON THE FARM. Very rarely is anything written concerning ?*h alt - and its use oh the farm, although it is used as a stimulant to plant life, for checking disease and insect pests,. and is ; also partaken of, by cattle in much the same way as we ; ourselves relish a little salt with our food (says Farm, .'Fields and Fireside). There is a lower quality of salt, often described in very similar, terms, that may be had .■ at a somewhat lower price than r the clean "broad" salt, which at best is of second quality and the dearer article as regards profit to the: farmer and gardener. . Lump ; rock salt is a .specially;.selected article for the use of cattle, the importance of a constant supply of. salt for cattle being often overlooked. To have it in some form is regarded as necessary to health, and it : is generally better to allow, stock free access to it rather than to mix it with their food, and' so force them to take it whether■■' they wish or riot. Freedom from "rot" in large flocks of sheep has- in some cases been traced to a regular supply of salt. Salt is also believed by many to supply an effective remedy for the disease. Rock salt'is used for application, to the ground in ground form, and is sometimes slightly lower in price than the white. The ground rock salt does not contain, as a rule, 111 ore than per cent. moisture, and the 3 to 6 per cent, impurities that give it the reddish color are the reverse of objectionable: for agricultural and horticultural purposes, as shown by the following analysis:Chloride of sodium 96.86 per cent., chloride of calcium .49 per cent., sulphate of lime .74 per cent., insoluble matter 1.58 per cent., water .33 per cent. The ground rock salt is, all points considered, the best for application to land, though some may prefer the clean white or "broad" salt. The use of salt is generally to prevent an excessive growth of stem and leafage. In the case of grain crops, especially on wheat, to brighten and toughen the straw, and to prevent "rust." The action of salt upon soils, especially those very rich in nitrogen, has not until very recently been clearly understood. Now, it is known that in many soils potash, lime, and magnesia can be made available for plants by an appliction of common salt. Its action is to decompose the double hydrous silicates ,of calcium, potassium, and magnesium, and thus serve indirectly a very useful purpose. Salt displaces first lime, then magnesia and potash, and some phosphoric acid. It is thought by some that the physiological action of salt in checking the growth of straw and stalks on land highly charged with nitrogenous manures may be due to the chlorine in the salt, which acts in restraining the growth, rather than the sodium. Others contend that the salt may kill or hinder the development of the nitric ferment, or some other organism that makes the soil nitrogen active, or that perhaps the effect of the salt may be due to a general weakening of the plant. Up to the time of blossoming plants may grow well without chlorides, but then in their absence starch is formed in the leaves, and the transference of the starch from the foliage to the flower and fruit is rendered impossible; in other words, chlorine (in combination with potassium or calcium) is necessary to—in fact, it is the agent of—this transfer. We may therefore conclude that when salt is used upon cereals to stiffen the straw, usually at the rate of ' 2|- to scwt per acre, it acts in the transference of the starch from the blades or leaves to the fructifying organs, and in consequence furthers the boldness and maturity of the grain, while from the bleaching property takes away or transfers the nitrogenous matter to the fruit or grain.