ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 10, 8 March 1923, Page 51

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. There was a very large yarding of fat cattle at Burnside last week, 334 head coming under the hammer. The yarding consisted principally of well-finished steers of average weight, there being very few pens of extra heavy bullocks forward, while the balance of the yarding was made up of a large number of cows and heifers. This number was far too many for the local trade, and consequently prices opened at a drop of about 15s a head on the previous week's rates, while as the sale progressed prices receded even farther. Prime bullocks realised from £9 to £l2 7s 6d, medium bullocks £7 17s 6d to £8 15s, light £6 to £7 10s, prime cows and heifers £5 10s to £8 7s lOd, medium cows and heifers £4 15s to £5 12s 6d, old and inferior £3 15s to £4 7s 6d. Eat Sheep. There was another large entry, 3589 being offered. A large proportion of the entry consisted of good to prime heavy ewes, the balance being good wethers. Owing to the large yarding there was an all-round drop in prices of 2s a head, compared with the preceding week, this being most pronounced in the case of ewes. Extra prime wethers realised up to 42s 6d, prime from 34s to 365, medium 29s to 32s 6d. light to 28s, prime ewes 27s to 36s 9d, medium 24s to 26s 6d, old and inferior 18s to 21s. Eat Lambs.—l2oo head were offered. The quality was only fair, there being a good number of pens offered which were unfit for freezing. Competition was good for all well-finished lambs, but unfinished sorts were a shade easier than on the previous week. Extra prime lambs realised up to 39s 6d, prime 30s to 34s 6d, medium 27s 6d to 295, others 21s to 255. Pigs.— large entry, all classes being represented. There was a good demand for all prime sorts, especially baconers. The prices realised were about on a par with the preceding week's high rates. Prime baconers made from 6kl to id, and .prime porkers from 7id to 8d per lb.

At Addington market last week there was a record yarding of store sheep, approximating from 35,000 to 40,000, about 75 per cent, being ewes. Fat Lambs.— penned. A good sale at the previous week’s values. Prime lamb sold at lOd to 10d , extra prime lambs 33s to 365, a few special at 38s lid, prime 30s to 32s 9d, medium 27s to 29s 9d, inferior 23s 6d to 26s 9d. Fat Sheep.—A bigger yarding than for some months, and a further easing of about 2s on wethers and 2s to 3s on ewes. Extra prime wethers to 375, a few special at 395, prime wethers 31s to 345, medium 28s to 30s, light 25s to 27s Od, extra prime ewes to 355, prime 26s to 29s 6d, light 20s to 22s 6d, old Ids to 19s 6d. Fat Cattle. —460 yarded. Good beef sold at about late values, but cow beef was easier. Best beef 29s to 32s per 1001 b, secondary 25s to 28s, extra prime steers £l4 10s to £l6 12s 6d, prime £ll 12s 6d to £l4, medium £9 7s 6d to £ll 10s, light £6 12s 6d to £9 2s 6d, extra prime heifers £lO to £ll 12s 6d, prime £7 10s to £9 10s, ordinary £4 to £7 ss, extra prime cows £9 10s to £lO 7s 6d, prime £6 15s to £9, medium £4 12s 6d to £6 10s. Vealers. —Anything good sold well at an all-round advance of from 5s to 6s per head. Good runners to £5 2s 6d, ordinary vealers £3 5s to £4 10s, small calves from 8s upwards. Fat Pigs. —A good demand, and late rates just about maintained. Choppers £2 to £5 19s, light baeoners £3 15s to £4, heavy £4 5s to £4 10s, extra heavy £4 15s to £4 19s (average price per lb 6d to 6Jd); light porkers £2 10s to £2 15s, heavy £2 17s 6d to £3 5s (average price per lb, 7£d to 8d),

THE CULTIVATION OF LINSEED. Half a century ago the linseed crop was a very important one in the United Kingdom, but foreign competition killed it except in Ireland, where it is still a considerable industry. In England and Wales it is now grown on only about 6000 acres, bub present conditions indicate that this acreage could be increased with advantage to the-growers. The product of the crop yields an economical food for

calves as a source of easily digestible fat, and farmers know that if linseed oil has to be bought for this purpose it costs a lot of money. The crop is not a. difficult one to cultivate. The land should not be in a very high condition, otherwise the crop may lodge. Artificial manures play a large part in the successful cultivation, and require to be judiciously selected. Potash appears-to be an essential constituent; the Irish Department for Agriculture recommend the application of sc\vt of Kainit or ljcwt of muriate of potash per acre. For the seed production of the crop —and this is the object we are now consideringthe following dressing can be recommended: Sulphate of ammonia, i to 3cwt superphosphate, and i cwt of muriate of potash per acre, applied just before seed sowing. Farmyard manure is not good applied as a direct dressing to this crop, but of great advantage if applied to the previous crop. By growing the crop farmers can certainly expect to get a supply of valuable feeding stuff at an economical cost. THE STRAINING OR FILTERING OF MILK. The usual method of freeing milk from dirt and other foreign matter that may have fallen into during the process of milking is that of passing it through small-meshed wire gauze. Needless to say, this straining process is quite inadequate, as will be noticed by the fact that a large amount of sediment is deposited at the bottom of the vessel in which such milk is allowed to stand. It is questionable ('•ays a contributor to a Home paper) if there is any better or more effective or sanitary means of straining milk than through thin pads or layers of cotton wool fixed in the bottom of the ordinary strainer, in which case a new pad must be used each morning and evening. The only objection that can be raised against this simple means of freeing the milk from dirt is the expense of the cotton wool pads, but these are now produced so cheaply that no such objection can be raised. Perhaps the only real objection to the cotton wool pad is that as soon as it gets fairly well charged with sediment the milk flows through it very slowly, but this can be obviated to a certain extent by first allowing the milk to pass through several layers of butter muslin in the ordinary way. While straining undoubtedly removes the coarser impurities like dust and dirt particles, it is unable to resist the passage of small organisms. In the ordinary course of dairy farming the farmer has little or no control over the latter form of life, and all that he can do is to keep his herd healthy, which means good housing under more modern conditions, also to see that those who, are responsible for the care of the cows" are themselves clean in person. It will be noticed that the cloths, including those used for filtering the milk, often give off an offensive odor, owing to lack of thorough washing and cleansing, and there can be no doubt that where utensils are wiped out with cloths in this condition the milk is easily contaminated. Where butter muslin is used for filtering the milk it should be well rinsed out in clear water and wrung out in the open air, otherwise it is bound to become very objectionable, thereby constituting anything but a fit medium through which new milk should pass.