ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 2 June 1921, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. . There was another big yarding of fat cattle at Burnside last week, 220 being penned. Prices started slightly higher than those of the previous eek, but as the sale regressed declined to that week’s parity. Medium and light cattle at the end ,of the day were down about 15s per head. Extra prime heavy-weight bullocks, £lB 2s 6d ; prime, from £l4 10s to £l7 12s 6d; medium, £ll 10s to £l3 2s 6d; others, from £8 upwards; best cows and heifers, £l2; medium, £lO 2s 6d to £ll 10s; others, from £6 2s 6d upwards. Fat Sheep. —4Bls were penned. This was a big yarding for so late ,in the season. All classes sold at up to the preceding week’s rates until about the end of the sale, 'when values for ewes and light wethers receded from Is to Is 6d per head. As usual, high prices were realised for : a few pens of extra prime wethers suitable for exhibition during Show Week. A few extra big heavy show wethers sold from £2 17s to £4 13s; extra prime wethers, from 28s 6d to 37s 9d; prime wethers, from 22s to 275; medium, 18s to 21s; light, from 15s 6d to 17s; prime ewes, 18s 3d to 21s 6d; medium, 14s to 17; light kinds from 7s upwards. Fat Lambs. —3456 were penned. A large yarding and , although one of the largest exporters was not operating there was liable, if any, alteration on the previous week’s prices. Extra prime lambs, 27s 6d; prime, from 21s 6d to 255; medium, from 15s to 17s 9d; inferior kinds, from 11s upwards. Pigs.—A small yarding, and all classes met with good competition. Suckers were dearer, and the average advance for bacon pigs was equal to 10s per head. Values ranged from,B3d to 9Jd per lb. At- the Addington market last week there was an improved sale in the principal sections. Fat and store sheep showed an advance, and beef was firmer. Fat lambs maintained late rates. Fat Lambs. — Values were practically the same as on the preceding week. Extra prime, 24s to 26s 3d; prime, 19s 6d to 22s 7d; medium, 16s 6d to 19s 3d; light, 12s to 16s. Fat Sheep. —A big yarding and an improved sale. Freezers operated up to 4d per lb for wether mutton. Extra prime wethers up to 27s 2d; prime, ( 20s 9d to 255; medium, 18s to 20s 3d; inferior and light, 14s to 17s 6d; prime ewes, 17s 6d to 20s 6d; medium, 14s 6d to 17s;' inferior and light, 9s to 13s 9d. Fat Cattle — sale opened weakly, but improved, and finished strongly. Prime steers, £l3 5s to £ls 10s; medium, £9 5s to £l3; light, £6 15s to £9; prime heifers, £7 17s 6d to £lO 2s 6d; ordinary, £4 12s 6d to £7 10s; prime cows, £7 to £ls 10s; ordinary, £4 10s to £6 15s. Fat Pigs. Choppers, to £6 10s; baconers, £4 10s to ? £6 (average price per lb 7d to 7£d); porkers, 45s to 70s (average price per lb 9d to 9£d).

*—— — J VALUE OF SOLUBILITY IN BASIC SLAG. In no manure has a greater change ..of opinion taken place during recent years than as regards the action - of basic slag (says the Farmers’ Union Advocate). It used to be considered that its real agricultural value' depended on —(1) High percentage of phosphate (2) high percentage . of solubility in weak acid; (3) fine grinding; and slag that in quality did not conform to the requirements of such a standard was frowned on by officials and experts. The dogma received, however, from time to time ■ a shock, when, it was often found in practice that slag in action did not conform to this theoretic standard, • and that lowgrade slags produced results on haylands comparable with the , results obtained from high grades. Well, said the /critics, this unexpected effect must be due to the greater percentage of lime in the low-grade slags, and a large number of tests were made of different slags to test this theory. It was shown that there was no uniform relation between the grade of slag and its contents of lime. Some high-grade samples contained much lime ; some lowgrade contained little lime, and vice versa all depended on the composition of the materials used for the steel, of which slag is a by-product. l So at the present time, by devious " ways, and after v much experience, the

conclusion has been come to that there is little difference in the fertilising value of the different*. grades, and that 4- n y»m nvc non Kn oiatt o rl/\ /vP 'oln ty nriP-li ‘ onnfirlanna OO 1 /ATI n* laiuiuio t/uiii, ii»uj waij giM-uv v/i ouig turn v-w**uuv**wj wv as the fineness of grinding is up to the recognised standard. - /■ ’ \ .

HARVESTING LUCERNE. To determine the correct time to harvest lucerne for seed requires- the exercise..ofya considerable amount of judgment (says a writer in a receht number of the Agricultural Gazette). The December cutting is generally selected for seed purposes, and should be harvested when the majority of the .pods are yellow. Should the crop be left until the majority of the pods are brown, a large quantity of seed will be shed. In very hot districts an earlier or later cutting than the December one may be taken, as the flowers are not so likely to suffer from- wilting due to very high temperatures. The- harvesting of the seed crop requires to be carefully carried out, as rough handling will result in a loss of seed. When harvesting small areas, cut the crop with a scythe, as the material will then be carefully handled and is left in neat swaths. Where a mower is used, a swath-board should be attached in order to leave the crop in wind-row?. The swaths or wind-rows are later drawn into heaps with a pitchfork. Less shattering of the seed occurs when the crop is cocked while the material is still on the sapfiy side than when handled in a dry condition. If a reaper and binder is used for harvesting a seed crop, the bundles or sheaves must be stocked and allowed to become thoroughly dry before stacking and threshing or the machine may be adjusted so as not to bind the crop, simply allowing the cut material to be dropped into heaps by means of the sheaf carrier. A certain amount of seed is likely to be dost where the binder is used, as some of the pods are likely to be knocked off when the crop is passing over the elevators. From five to ten days (according to weather conditions) will be necessary for the crop to become thoroughly dry before stacking or threshing. If rain falls on the cut crop the cocks will require to be turned a couple of times to allow of thorough ' drying. Rain ill cause the seed of a cut crop to become discolored, seed pods to burst and shatter, and the crop to heat if stacked while damp, thus affecting the vitality of the seed. Particular care requires to be exercised in handling the seed crop when it is ready for,‘stacking or threshing, as the pods are dry and the seed shatters easily. Strong cloth sheets, tarpaulins, or corn sacks sewn together, should be used to cover the bed of the dray or waggon, in order to collect any seed which falls during the process of loading. If the cocks have been made small, they can be easily and carefully handled with the pitchfork . when loading, unloading, and stacking. The stack should be made in a similar manner to that for lucerne hay, building it with a good foundation of straw, so as to keep the lucerne seed, crop from directly resting on the, ground. Very little tramping of the stack should be done, and when completed the top of the stack should be well covered with tarpaulin or sheets of iron, etc., to prevent rain entering. Small quantities are threshed .. with a flail. * Up-to-date grain threshes may in most cases be fitted 'with special lucerne sieves, but where seed raising is gone in for extensively a lucerne seed thresher is generally available for dealing with the crop. Four to eight bushels of seed are obtained in a good season on good quality lucerne land; on medium class land, two to three bushels.