ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 3 June 1920, Page 43

ON THE LAND

. , “ . MARKET REPORTS. • o ) There was a very heavy yarding of all classes of stock at Burnside last week, and selling was continued-until dark. Fat cattle: There were 284 yarded. The yarding was of ordinary quality, no cattle of special merit being forward, as has usually been the case at the sale preceding Show Week, and prices were on a par with late rates. Prime bullocks made from £2l to £24 2s 6d, medium £lB to £2O, light £ls 10s to £l7 10s. Fat sheep There were 4800 yarded, the quality on the whole being of a higher standard than recent dings. Prime heavy sheep met with good competition, selling at in some cases a slight advance on late rates, while medium sorts were about on a par with last sale. Extra prime heavy wethers made up to 735, prime wethers 48s to 60s, medium 35s to: 455, light and unfinished 25s to 30s. Fat lambs: There were 1433 yarded of mixed quality, including a few lots of extra special merit, these latter selling under keen competition. Extra prime heavy lambs made up to 575, prime. freezing lambs 30s to 40s, medium 24s to 275, lighter sorts 18s to 225. Pigs : There was a good yarding of pigs and good competition, bacon curers being well represented. All good-quality animals sold readily at prices on a par with late ruling rates. Prime baconers, lOd to lid per lb, prime porkers 10-)-d to 11-J-d per lb. At Addington market last week there were slightly smaller yardings of all classes of sheep, but fat cattle showed an increase. Prime beef and mutton maintained good values, and there was an advance in prices for both prime and secondary, but store sheep showed a distinct easing. Fat lambs: For prime the market was good. Extra prime lambs brought from 35s 9d to 40s, prime lambs 28s to 33s 6d, medium lambs 25s 6d to 27s 6d, light and inferior 20s lOd to 24s 9d. Fat sheep: The market closed very firmly at an advance on recent sales. Extra prime wethers brought from 47s to 55s , 9d; prime wethers 39s 6d to 45s 6d, medium wethers 34s 9d to 38s 9d, lighter wethers 30s to 34s 6d, extra prime ewes to 51s, prime ewes 37s 6d to 42s Cd, medium ewes 31s 6d to 375, lighter ewes 22s to 31s. Fat cattle: The yarding included a good proportion of well-finished beeves, for which the market was firm, showing an advance of about 0s per head on the preceding week. Lighter beef was also in better demand, and the market for all classes closed firm, particularly for prime stuff. Extra prime steers brought up to £29 ss, prime steers £l9 to £26 2s in’ medium steers £ls 10s to £lB 15s, lighter steers £8 lUs.to £l4 10s, extra prime heifers £l3 17s 6d to £l6 17s Si’q I rnary heifers £lO 16s 6d to £l3, extra prime cows ±*l3 10s to £ls 17s 6d, ordinary cows £9 2s 6d to £l3. + keener demand. Choppers brought from £6 + W i- ght bacon £5 15s to £6 10s, heavy baconers t -,? nnif- extra beavy baconers £8 7s—average price ? er , nr . ’ b&bt porkers £3 5s to £4, heavy porkers £4 £>s to £o—average price per lb lid to ll|d. The use of chaffed lucerne as a constituent of the morning mash for poultry has been advocated for the past 20 years (says the Sydney Telegraph). With the high price of feed, and the certainty of still higher prices, its use becomes f n eSS ? tia economy. The State poultry expert, Mr. Hadlmgton, points out that it takes 15,000,000 bush+n °<L P ° Uard an ? bran annually to feed the poultry of th?rd Sta f e ‘ + n And .H Slgmficantly adds that “at least one- ° f 8 giea 1 t total could be replaced by lucerne grown on the poultry farms.” PITTING POTATOES. it If potatoes are to be pitted, rather than consigning them right away to the stores, care must be taken in selecting a level piece of ground, situated so as to ensure drainS* ™ P°l es ° saplings are placed on the surface, parallel to each other and four feet apart; and the potatoes are emptied in between these so- as to form a wellridged heap. The potatoes are then (continues the N.S.W. Agricultural Gazette) covered with a thatch of straw or other suitable material, and this again is covered with sods of earth. It is important that the sodding should be done from the ground upwards (as in shingling a roof). When completed the whole is beaten well down with the back of a spade, and a drain cut round the pit to carry off any water in case of rain. If weather permits it is as well to let a fortnight or so elapse before earthing up completely so that the sweated moisture may be carried out, )