ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 35, 7 September 1922, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. There was a small , yarding of fat cattle at Burnside last week, of 172 head, consisting of a number of very prime stock. Prices opened at a considerable advance on the previous week’s sale, and improved as the sale progressed, although at the finish of the sale they were somewhat easier. On the whole, prices showed an advance of at least 30s on the preceding week’s rates. Extra prime bullocks realised up to £lB ss, prime £l4 to £l7, medium £ll to £l3, light £8 to £ll. Not many fat cows were yarded, and these brought up to £lO 2s 6d. Fat Sheep. 2232 head were yarded, consisting mainly of wethers. Owing to butchers being short of supplies, a good sale resulted, at a reduction of Is to Is 6d on the previous week’s extreme rates on all classes. There were some pens of good wethers, which provoked good competition, but lighter sorts, owing to absence of competition from graziers, were slower of sale. Very few ewes were 'forward. Extra prime ■wethers brought from 34s to 36s 3d, prime 30s to 325, medium 24s to 28s, light from 18s to 245. A few pens of prime ewes sold from 23s to 27s 3d, lighter to 21s, a small pen of hoggets realised 18s. Pigs. —A large yarding of both baconers and porkers. Competition was active at the opening sales at prices on a par with those obtained at the preceding week’s sale, but the market gradually weakened, and the closing sales indicated a drop of about 5s per head for baconers and porkers. Best baconers realised from sid to 6d per lb, and best porkers from 7d to 7£d per lb. At.Addington market last week there was a very large yarding of beef, other sections being of average size. The beef market held up remarkably well, whilst fat sheep were slightly easier, and store sheep improved. Dairy cattle met with a dragging sale. Fat Sheep. Ten races were penned, an average entry, which included some well-finished sheep. A good sale eventuated, although Is 6d per head lower than the strong prices ruling on the previous week. Three spring lambs sold at from 40s to 46s each, extra prime wethers to 33s sd, prime 26s to 28s 9d, medium 23s to 25s 9d, light 20s 6d to 22s 9d, extra prime ewes to 28s, prime 22s 6d to 265, ordinary 19s 9d to 22s 3d, prime hoggets 19s to 20s 6d, ordinary 15s 6d to 18s 6d. Fat Cattle. exceptionally big yarding of 450 head, including several North Island consignments. Notwithstanding the heavy entry, the market held up remarkably well, easing only by about 255 l per head. Extra prime beef made up to 37s 6d, good prime 33s to 36s per 1001 b, extra prime bullocks £l6 to £lB, prime bullocks £l3 10s to £ls 10s, medium bullocks £lO to £l3 ss, light £6 to £9 10s, extra prime heifers to £ll, prime £8 to £lO 10s, light £5 to £7 15s, prime cows £7 10s to £9 15s, ordinary £4 10s to £7 ss. Vealers.—Anything fit for butchers’ purposes showed another very strong advance. Runners made up to £6 12s 6d, vealers £4 to £5 ss, small calves from 5s upwards. Fat Pigs. —A better demand for porkers. Choppers £3 10s to £5, light porkers 38s to 455, heavy 50s to 555, extra heavy to £3 (average price per lb 7id to 81d), light baconers £3 5s to £3 15s, heavy £4 to £4 Bs, extra heavy to £4 15s 6d (average price per lb 6£d to 6|d). . ! MANURES FOR EXHAUSTED LAND. A complete manure is always necessary where land has become exhausted or impoverished (says a Home journal). Therefore where the soil is largely of a mineral character, and devoid of organic material, a good dressing of farm- > yard manure, to the extent of 15 to 20 tons per acre,' is the best application that can be given in support of plant growth. Should this manure be unavailable, much can be done towards improving the condition of the soil by the introduction of temporary leys, or by sowing such quick- ‘ ..growing .green crops as can be ploughed in without unduly . interfering with the rotation. , ! '

Having thus improved the mechanical condition of the , soil, we might then proceed t,o give a complete dressing of ' those concentrated fertilisers,' such as ; basic slag or superphosphate, which supply phosphates, with sulphate of potash or kainit, which supply potash, and sulphate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, or nitrate of lime, the latter' being "almost identical to nitrate of soda in its action. As regards the choice of any one of these particular manures, one must he guided solely by the character of the soil and the crops to which they are to be applied, not forgetting that in all cases lime is essential, otherwise there is a risk of applying an acid manure to an acid soil with more or less disastrous results. <X*X«X*><*X» GREEN CROPS FOR DAIRY COWS. - A bulletin dealing with the cultivation of green crops on arable land for dairy cows, issued by the Department of Agriculture, University College of North Wales, reports the result of experiments with crops of green crops to supplement a limited amount of pasture and to maintain a flow of milk in a dry summer. Of all the crops tried a mixture of oats and vetches proved the most satisfactory. To obtain a continuous supply one sowing at least should be made in the autumn, and two or three sowings at intervals in the spring. In most seasons satisfactory crops of rape or white turnips can be obtained after the autumn-sown mixture has been cleared. By sowing Italian ryegrass along with the spring sowings of oats and vetches, a useful second crop of vetches and ryegrass can be obtained in the autumn. * Where a comparatively large herd of stock is maintained, the sowing of a succession of such crops is strongly to be recommended as a means of providing a supply of green food. Even in a wet season, when grass is plentiful, the green crops need not be wasted, but may be utilised in different ways. At the same time the. variations in seasons make it impassible to lay down a strict time-table, or to forecast exactly the area required to meet the needs of stock at any particular time. Those who. have to provide for a large number of cattle are recommended to sow a larger area than is likely to be required. If the summer proves to be dry, cattle will be a profitable return even for large quantities, and if the summer is wet the surplus can bo used in other ways. VARIETIES AND MANURING OF POTATOES. A bulletin on varieties arid manuring of potatoes, being results of trials 1920-21 at the College Farm of the Midland Agricultural and Dairy College has come to hand (says a Home journal). The value of potash for potatoes is well-known, but there is little evidence to show which forms of potash produce the most satisfactory results. Trials were made to test this point. It is stated that the results clearly demonstrate the superiority of muriate and ' sulphate of potash as a source of potash for potatoes, the results from these kinds of potash being practically similar. Low-grade potash salts proved not so suitable; in the trials sylvinite and 20 per cent, potash salts brought about a remarkable depression, the yield being below that of the no-manure plot. - This was a trial of a very practical nature, because some .growers seem to think that the more manure a grower applies, the bigger the yield may be expected. This is not so, and the limit of producing a yield increase is soon reached. Up to a certain point it is more profitable to over-manure than to use light dressings. After, that point has been reached the reverse is the case. In the trials on. the College farm 12 tons of dung and 10 cwts. of artificials was the most profitable dressing. When the artificials were increased to 12cwts., 14cwts., and 16cwts. the yield fell off, the plants to which the heaviest application was made having a yellowish and stunted appearance. As a possible explanation of the cause, it is thought that the extra large application of soluble salts increases the concentration of soil moisture to such an extent that the natural function of the roots is interfered with and the - yield correspondingly reduced. - . :.C' ; V