ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 4 March 1920, Page 43

ON THE LAND

, MARKET REPORTS. At the Burnside sales last week there were large yardings in all departments, with the exception of pigs. Prime quality animals realised good values, and inferior quality -were easier in prices. Pigs were very dear, and owing to the short supplies extreme rates were realised. Eat cattle: 308 yarded— largest and best yarding of cattle forward for many months. Prices opened at a reduction of about 15s per head on the previous sale, and gradually dropped until at the end of the sale good cattle were selling at fully 30s per head under the preceding week’s rates. Extra prime bullocks sold at from £2O to £25, prime from £lB to £2O, medium £ls 10s to £lB, lighter from £ll 10s to £l4, unfinished from £9, extra prime heifers from £ls to £l7 10s, prime £l3 to £ls, medium £lO 10s to £l2, light and unfinished from £B. Eat sheep: 3129 penned—the largest yarding at Burnside for a long period. There was a fair demand for prime sheep, but at reduced prices. Prime heavy sheep were easier by about 2s 6d, and lighter sheep from 2s to 4s per head. Extra prime wethers sold from 43s to 48s 9d, prime from 37s 6d to 425, medium from 34s to 37s 6d, lighter from 28s to 345, unfinished from 245, extra heavy ewes made up to 48s, prime 35s to 40s 6d, medium 27s 6d to 335, lighter 20s to 255. Lambs; 1569 penned —a large yarding, and freezing buyers were handicapped by a temporary block in the works caused by an over-supply. Prices were considerably easier, and second quality lambs were hard to sell. Extra prime lambs sold up to 355, prime from 26s 6d to 325, medium from 23s to 265, light and unfinished from 18s to 225. Pigs: A small yarding. Competition was very keen, and prices for prime pigs were 15s per head higher, best baconers Is o*d to Is lid per lb, best porkers Is lid to Is 3d per lb. At the Addington stock market last week there was an average yarding of fat sheep, a larger one of fat cattle, and a much smaller one of fat lambs. Prices for fat sheep more than recovered the previous week’s drop, whilst fat lambs sold at recent rates. Beef was easier. Store sheep were forward in large numbers, comprising the biggest yarding of the season, including a considerable number of Marlborough sheep, which did not meet with the vendors’ ideas of values. Lambs comprised a smaller proportion of the entry than usual. The sale throughout, in spite of the large yarding, was equal to that of the preceding week. The rain was a factor in keeping values up. Forward lambs 22s to 24s 7d, ordinary 18s to 21s 9d, lowconditioned 14s to 17s 9d, good four and six-tooth ewes 30s to 36s Id, good two-tooth 29s to 325, two;- four, six, and eight-tooth ewes 23s 6d to 27s Id, aged forward ewes 19s 6d to 25s 6d, good four, six, and eight-tooth wethers 28s to 30s 3d, ordinary 23s 6d to 27s 6d, inferior 17s 6d to 22s 6d. Fat lambs: 4870 were yarded, compared with 7800 on the previous week. The entry included several pens of exceptionally prime lambs, which sold at 42s and 40s for small lots. The market was firm, and recent rates were realised throughout for the whole yarding. Extra prime lambs to 42s Id, prime lambs 29s 6d to 34s lid, medium lambs 29s 6d to 34s lid, medium 25s to 28s lOd, lighter 21s to 24s lOd. Fat cattle; A larger yarding than usual and a weaker sale. Freezing buyers were not buying so strongly as in the sheep section. Extra prime steers to £26 10s, prime £2l 15s to £25 ss, medium £ls 2s 6d to £2O, lighter steers £l2 2s 6d to £l4 2s 6d, prime heifers £l4 2s 6d to £l6 ss, lighter £9 to £l3 2s 6d, prime cows £l3 10s to £l7 ss, light and inferior cows £8 7s 6d to £l2 15s. Vealers: An average yarding, with a 'good demand. Runners to £B, medium to £6, good vealers £3 12s 6d to £4 12s 6d, small 9s to 30s. Pigs: A fair entry, with a moderate demand. Extra heavy baconers to £9 6s, ordinary £6 to £7 —average price per lb lid to Hid, heavy porkers £5 to £5 15s, ordinary £4 to £4 15s —average price per lb Is Id to Is lid, choppers £7 to £lO. Messrs. Donald Reid and Co. report as follows regarding last week’s sale of rabbitskins, etc., Small catalogues were submitted by the various selling agents. At the commencement of the sale prices were considerably easier, owing to the unfavorable reports from America, but as the sale progressed the market improved. On an average summers, racks, and small can be quoted at from 3d to 6d per lb below last sales’ rates, while winters, of which there were very few offered, were back from 15 per cent, to 25 per cent. Quotations; Spring does 113 dto 120 d, summers 60d to 76id, prime racks 71d to 88d, light racks 62d to 78Jd, runners and suckers 35d to 54d, milky 40d to 46d, horsehair 20d to 24^d.

“CHARTLEA” LAND SALE. The Gore Town Hall was crowded on Saturday afternoon, February 21, fully 600 farmers being present, when

Messrs/ Wright, Stephenson, 'and Co., Ltd., offered the Chartlea Estate for sale. This is situated near Balfour, and is the property of the late Mr. W. M. Hailes. The estate was subdivided into 16 farms, ranging from 220 to 1572 acres. Mr. P. C. Gray read the conditions of sale, and briefly described the special features of each lot, and the estate as a whole. Mr. R. W. Mitchell-was auctioneer, and the following sales were effected. Price per acre is in parentheses :—• Lot 1.—243 ac. Ir. 26p., Cody Bros. (£l4 ss); lot 11. 236 ac. Or. 37p., Mr. Varcoe (£l3 10s); lot 111.—393 ac. 2r. 12p., Jos. Brown (£11); lot 365 ac. 2r. 9p., Hailes Bros. (£11); lot V.—s32ac. 2r. 24 p. Hailes Bros. (£l4 os); lot 321 ac. Ir. op., Mr. McTaggart (£l6 2s 6d); lot V11.—447ac. 2r. 28p., passed in; lot Vlll—22sac. 2r. 4p., Mr. Muir (£ll 12s 6d); lot IX.—2l9ac, 2r. 27p., Mr. Muir (£ll 12s 6d); lot 219 ac. 3r. 36p., Mr. McLean (£ll 15s); lot X1. 507ac. 3r. 27p., passed in; lot XII. 907 ac. 2r. 20p., James Thomson (£5 ss); lot X111.—636ac. 2r. 14p., passed in, but subsequently sold to James Thomson (£5 15s); lot XlV.—so7ac. Or. 37p., passed in; lot XV. 1221 ac. Or. 17p., passed in, but subsequently sold to James Olive (£7 Is); lot Homestead Block—ls7lac. 3r. 18p., passed in.

A NEW WHEAT. A report from Wellington, New South Wales (says the Melbourne Catholic Advocate), states that Mr. Salter, of W estover, has, for a number of years, been experimenting as a hobby with the crossing of various wheats, and now, after five years of careful work and attention, has produced a new wheat, which he has termed “Westover.” His object has been to originate a standard wheat, with good straw and a good square ear of grain. He states (remarks Ttalgcti/ s Review) that we have cattle carrying beef from tail to head, and ho wants a wheat that will carry grain from “stem to tip.” without the “rats’ tail.” Each year W estover is crossed with other varieties, and he is now getting the hardening process, for he has got the perfect ear of grain, plump and fat from bottom to tip, without any appearance of the “rat’s tail.” Westover is not yet a distinct typo of its own, but Mr. Salter expects it to be before long. In his experimental plots he has all the varieties known to the millers and wheatgi oners, including Australian, American, Indian, and Bgj ptian types, this is the first year the Indian wheat has been grown, but Mr. Salter is using some of the varieties to pollinate for hardening purposes. Mr. Salter selects good, healthy plants, and may inoculate each strain with a different variety, using only the lower part of the ear for the purpose. After pollination has taken place, he binds up the lower portion of the ear for about a week, and then each ear is labelled with the variety with which it is inoculated. He has about 150 rows of wheat all labelled and ticketed off, and of this number 95 have been pollinated this season. The plots have not been irrigated, but are on dry soil, thus making the conditions practically similar to the open field.