ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 16 March 1922, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS.

At Burnside last week 219 head of fat cattle were yarded, which was principally medium weight, good quality cattle. Very few heavy bullocks were offered. The sale opened at about 10s to 15s per head under previous week's prices, and dropped towards the end fully 30s per head; in fact, a number of pens had to be passed out unsold. Prime heavy bullocks sold to £l2 ss, medium £8 to £lO, lighter from £6 10s. Prime heavy cows and heifers to £8 7s 6d, medium £5 15s to £7, aged cows from £2 10s. Store Cattle. —A small yarding, comprising mostly aged and low-conditioned cows. A few good-conditioned cows were offered, which sold up to £5 10s. There were no steers yarded. Prices can be quoted on a par with previous week's rates. Fat Sheep.—l7sß penned, principally good quality ewes and wethers, with a smaller proportion of medium wethers and old ewes. The market opened at about previous week's rates, and for some classes improved as the sale advanced. A few extra prime wethers sold up to 355, others 24s to 25s 6d, prime 19s to 225, medium 16s to 18s 9d, ewes (extra prime) 16s to 19s 3d, prime 14s to 16s, medium lis to 14s. Lambs.—679 penned. A short yarding, and, although freezing buyers were not operating so keenly, butchers took most of the yarding, and the sale was slightly better. Best lambs made to 25s 9d, good from 19s to 235. Fat Pigs. Choppers £2 10s to £3 15s, light baconers £3 5s to £3 10s, heavy £4 to £4 10s, extra heavy to £5 (average price per lb 6jd); light porkers 47s to 525, heavy 55s to 60s (average price per lb 8d to B|d).

At Addington market last week there was again an exceptionally big yarding, practically all the space in the yards being monopolised. There was an ,all-round casing, and more passings in both of cattle and sheep than previous week. Fat Lambs. —5040 were penned, a big proportion being lighter sorts. There was a further easing in values, the over-all price being 6£d per lb. Butchers secured the bigger proportion of the heavier sorts. Extra prime lambs 22s 6d to 255, prime 18s 9d to 225, medium 16s 3d to 18s 6d, light and unfinished 13s 9d to 16s. Fat Sheep. —An overflow yarding, three-quarters being ewes. Good prime wethers practically held their own, but all other classes were easier, particularly heavy ewes. Freezers secured the bulk of the light-weight sheep, values coming comfortably within their limits. Extra prime wethers to 29s 9d, prime 19s 3d to 235, medium 17s 3d to 19s, light 15s to 17s, prime ewes 16s to 19s sd, medium 13s 9d to 15s 9d, light and inferior 9s to 13s 6d. Fat Cattle.An easier market than previous week, and there were considerable passings in secondary quality beef. Extra prime bullocks £ls to £l9 ss, prime £lO 10s to £l4, medium £8 to £lO ss, inferior £6 5s to £7 15s, extra prime cows £8 15s to £lO 2s 6d, prime £5 10s to £8 ss, ordinary £3 5s to £5 7s 6d, prime heifers £6 to £8 10s, ordinary £4 to £5 15s.

FORAGE CROPS. Although forage crops can be sown at almost any time of the year in New Zealand, the present is generally considered the best time to sow most of the cereals for late autumn, winter, and early spring feed (says the Southland Weekly Times). Cape barley, oats, or emerald rye can be sown from now on to the end of March. Cape barley is the quickest growing of the fodders in use at the present, and provides the greatest bulk of autumn feed, but it is not so suitable as oats for leaving over winter; if the heavy frosts are experienced at that season, they have a detrimental effect upon the growth of the plant. For autumn feeding, however, it scarcely has an equal. It can be sown from the New Year until the end of February, and is ready for the first feeding off in about four or five weeks from time of sowing. It is palatable and readily eaten by stock. One thing that should be remembered about cereals is that they should never be 'allowed to grow too rank; they are more palatable and more nutritious in the young stage. If allowed to become too rank before feeding off, the sheep and other stock are apt to eat them in patches. They do not thrive

so well as when -the crops are fed off in the earlier stage. A- succession of sowings is, therefore, the chief object. Early sown Cape barley is of little value for feeding towards winter. It is not usually worth keeping for spring feed. Oats do not produce the same bulk of autumn feed as Cape barley, but they grow much thicker in early spring, and come in at a most useful time before there is growth on the grass. Oats intended for food can be sown from the beginning of the present month until April. The Algerian oat is the best variety for green feed. It grows very quickly in the autumn, and supplies a large quantity of autumn feed. -It is palatable in the green stage, and is very acceptable to stock. In the spring it is the first to grow, and stands a great amount of grazing. Many of the common varieties of oats, such as Cartons, Danish, and Canadian, are grown for green feed it will be found that they db not stand the same amount of grazing as the Algerian, nor will they produce the same bulk of feed. They require much longer to recover from hard feeding. One desirable feature about the Algerian oat is that it grows upright, and does not really lodge. Other varieties become laid, and in that state the feed is not palatable, and waste results. A further advantage of the Algerian oat is that all stock will feed it off in preference to most other varieties of this cereal. Italian rye grass is the most useful fodder for sowing in the autumn. It grows quickly, and it provides a quantity of most palatable food. For autumn feed it should be sown in January or February; it will then be ready for feeding in about two months after the date of sowing; that is, if the season is favorable. Lambs do exceedingly well on Italian rye. They fatten well upon it, and it is useful if rape or turnips fail.

SUITABLE PIG FOODS. Among cultivated crops suitable for pigs, lucerne gives the highest return as a flesh and milk producer (says a writer in the Freeman's Journal , Sydney). Rape alone or with barley or oats) or tares combined with a cereal give a balanced ration when fed off. In winter and early spring rape often gives attractive returns when grazed off. Experience gained during the past few years at Hawkesbury Agricultural College in growing Long Red mangolds for pigs indicates that, if sown in February and March at intervals on’' small blocks, the first crop is ready for use in December, and a cartload of sweet succulent tubers can be split in halves and distributed daily over the piggery paddocks, and through the sties. The animals evince a strong partiality for this class of root crop; the sugar-content is high, the flavor is rich, and the juicy matter affords the pig a tasty class of .moist food that takes the place of green food. The supply is kept up daily until April. This variety of mangolds grows well on any medium-class soil, and gives a crop ranging from 45 to 60 tons to the acre. . The value of all by-products from the dairy, such as skim milk, butter-milk, and whey, must not be overlooked, as these provide a daily basis of a most profitable nature in pig’s ration, the resulting pork and bacon being noted for quality, richness, and condition. No dairy farmer can afford to ignore the pig, and if he conducts his affairs on a sound business basis he should receive 25 per cent, of his nett profits from piggery annually. This food has to be supplemented with starchy foods, such as barley, oats, wheat, maize, or other grains. In flesh production 10 gallons of skimmed milk equal £ bushel of maize. This should give 41b to 51b weight of pork. In all cases a balanced ration is necessary in order to save feed and gain a relishable class of flesh, streaked suitably with lean meat. It is well to remember that 601 bof maize or wheat should produce 81b to 101 b pork, always providing that suitable changes are made to alter the flavor, and keep up the appetising and relishable character of the food. It is wise to change the food frequently. When kept too long on one kind of food, animals fail to assimilate it, and lessened daily increase consequently results.