ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 22 January 1920, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. There was a very large yarding (251 head) of fat cattle at Burnside last week. The quality of the yarding was particularly good, being one of the best for a considerable time. As this number was in excess of butchers' requirements, a very decided drop in prices took place. Tho sale opened with prices fully 20s a head below the previous week, and as the sale progressed this drop was further increased. Towards the end of the sale they were back fully 30s. Extra prime bullocks £27 ss, prime £22 to £25, medium £lB to £2O, light £l3 to £l6, prime cows and heifers £l4 to £l7 ss, medium £ll to £l2 10s, old and light £8 to £lO 10s. Fat sheep: 1438 were offered. The quality of tho yarding was only medium, tho proportion of prime sheep being small. This number was hardly up to butchers' requirements, consequently a very keen sale resulted, prices for prime wethers being up 2s per head, while medium and light-weight sheep were up about Is per head. Extra prime wethers 51s 3d, prime wethers 42s to 45s 6d, medium wethers 38s to 41s 6d, medium and light 28s to 345, extra prime ewes 46s 9d, prime ewes 35s up to 38s, medium ewes 29s to 34s 6d, light ewes 24s to 28s. Fat lambs: A small yarding, only 228 being penned. The quality was fair. A very keen sale resulted, prices for all prime lambs being up about 3s per head. Prime lambs brought from 27s to 30s 9d, medium 25s to 26s 9d, light 21s to 245. Pigs: A largo entry of fats, and a medium offering, of stores was penned. There was a full attendance of buyers, who bid keenly for every pen. Prices for fats were on a par with previous week's values. At the Addington market there was a big yarding of all classes of stock. Prices for beef and mutton were easier than at the preceding sale, and lambs also showed a slight drop in values. The local freezing companies commenced operations at the beginning of the week, and freezing buyers were operating freely in beef, as well as in mutton and lamb. Prices paid averaged from about 8-J-d per lb to near 9d for lamb, and full Government prices for mutton. Store sheep were yarded in big numbers, a consignment from the North Island being penned. Values dropped very decisively, and a large number were passed in. Fat lambs: 2850 were yarded, compared with 700 the preceding week. Quality was moderate, and values were a few shillings easier. Extra prime lambs to 32s Gd, prime 27s 9d to 31s 9d, medium 25s 9d to 27s 7d, lighter 20s Id to 24s 9d. Fat sheep: A big yarding of good quality sheep, and prices were back to pre-holiday rates. A fair proportion of tho yarding went to freezing buyers. Prime wethers brought from 40s to 44s Gel, medium 32s (id to 39s 6d, lighter 24s to 31s, prime ewes 27s Gd to 325, lighter 22s 3d to 275, prime hoggets 35s Id to 38s 2d, lighter to 245. Fat cattle: 495 penned. Tho quality was somewhat above the average. Extra prime steers to £3O 15s, prime £2l 10s to £26 10s, medium £l6 to £2O, lighter £9 to £ls, prime heifers £l3 10s to £l7 17s fid, lighter £8 to £l2 15s, prime cows £l2 15s to £2O 17s Gd, light and inferior £9 to £ll 10s. Pigs: A large entry, and a good demand for extra heavy Baconers, which brought up to £9 14s 6d, heavy baconers to £8 10s, ordinary £5 15s to £7 (average price llfd to Is per lb), heavy porkers £4 5s to £5, ordinary to £4 (average price Is Id), choppers £'s to £lO. Messrs. Donald Iteid and Co., Ltd., report as follows on last-week's sale of rabbitskins, etc.: —Fair-sized catalogues were offered to tho usual attendance of buyers. Competition was keen throughout and prices were firm on last sale's rates. Prime winter does to 252 d, second winter does to 216 d, outgoing winter does to 169 d, prime winter bucks to 1625 d, winter bucks to IGOd, spring bucks to 113 d, spring does to 73£d, milky does to 52d, summers 38d to 54fjd, first winter blacks to 141 d, second winter blacks to 96d, outgoing winter blacks to 50d, winter fawns to Old, mixed fawns to 46d, and horsehair to 20;Jd per lb. WINTER OATS AND BEANS. No cereal feels the effect of a deficiency of phosphates more acutely than oats. The oat itself is well known to contain a considerable percentage of phosphoric acid, and if the plant is unable to obtain this from tho soil in sufficient quantity, the yield of oats is considerably decreased. It may be quite commonly observed that when oats are grown upon a black soil, or upon almost any soil heavily dressed with farmyard manure, many of tho heads havo a considerable number of blind or empty grains—i.e., husks, containing no kernel. This is entirely due to a, deficiency of mineral matter in the soil, principally of phosphate of lime. Basic slag will also bo found an excellent dressing for winter beans, either with or without farmyard manure. It not only increases tho yield of the beans themselves, but it may also be confidently relied

upon to increase the yield of the wheat or , other corn crop that follows them. This effect is due partly'to the residue of phosphoric acid left in the soil, -and partly to the fact that the increased crop of beans has been able to extract more nitrogen from the air, owing to its more vigorous growth, and has therefore left in its roots a larger residue of nitrogen in the soil. : '*'■•}'

PLOUGHING. ' •;■-.■■■-.■■; What is the object of ploughing? It may be said to be fourfold: (1) The loosening of the soil; (2) the stimulation of bacterial activity; (3) the destruction of weeds; (4) the burial of manure. The first is essential in order to prepare a good seed bed and to enable the plant roots to penetrate more deeply, so that they can get nourishment and moisture from lower strata of the soil. A further advantage of ploughing is that it opens up the soil to tho atmosphere, the oxygen of which changes the character of some injurious combinations, and renders them available for food-fertilis-ing material of a slowly soluble character. Not less important is the improvement of the moisture conditions of the soil caused by the loosening of the soil by ploughing. A friable soil allows the water to percolate down, and, on the other hand, the fine soil is able to retain more moisture, which otherwise, drawn from the lower soil by capillary action, would be lost by evaporation. Land must not be ploughed in a too wet condition ; otherwise it cakes still more. An important benefit of ploughing is the stimulation of bacterial life. This subject is now engaging more and more attention, and much remains to bo cleared up, but it is certain that light, warmth, air, and moderate moisture are all beneficial, and all these conditions are promoted by ploughing.