ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 15, 19 April 1923, Page 51

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. At Burnside last week 389 head of fat cattle were yarded, which was an abnormally large yarding, approaching to, if not actually, a record for fat cattle at Burnside. All grades were fully represented, and a lot of really prime quality bullocks were amongst the lot. Prices opened considerably under the previous week's rates, being fully 20s to 30s per head decline on that sale, this being more accentuated as the sale progressed. Good bullocks made £6 os to £lO, extra to £l2 15s, good heifers up to £7, cows and light sorts £3 10s upwards. Eat Sheep. There were 3085 yarded, of fair average quality to medium, a few pens of extra heavy wethers, and good wethers made a fair sale with little difference on the previous week's. Ewes, however, of which there was a big proportion, were slow of sale at a depreciation of Is to Is 6d per head, and got weaker, particularly towards the close of the sale. Prices: Extra prime wethers made up to 46s 9d, prime heavy 35s to 375,. other sorts up to 345, ewesextra prime up to 365, prime to 265, others from 13s upwards. Fat Lambs. —A fair yarding of 1372, comprising a lot of well-grown and prime lambs, with sprinkling of unfinished animals, some of which should not have been in the fat pens and can only be classed as inferior stores. A good sale resulted at rates equivalent to the preceding week's. All exporters were operating fairly keenly, but graziers were very slow in bidding for unfinished lines. Fat Pigs. Pigs were forward in fairly large numbers. The entry, however, consisted mostly of baconers. Competition was very keen, and prices showed an advance of fully 10s per head. Prime baconers sold up to £5 Bs. The prices realised are on a basis of 7Jd per lb for prime baconers and BJd per lb for. prime porkers.

At Addington market last week there were larger yardings. Fat lambs improved in. price, and store sheep showed a rather decided drop for old ewes. Other classes were little changed. Fat Lambs. —3250 penned. There was a recovery of Is per head over all, the price being fully 91d per lb, and in some cases touching 9-J-d. Extra, prime lambs 32s 6d to 35s 9d, a few special to 37s 6d, prime 28s 6d to 31s 6d, medium 25s 6d to 27s 9d, light 23s to 25s 3d. Fat Sheep.—A bigger yarding, and values for good mutton were ulaltered from the previous week. Extra prime wethers 33s 6d to 40s, prime 29s 9d to 335, medium 27s 6d to 29s 6d, light 24s 6d to 275, extra prime ewes to 355, prime 26s to 28s 6d, medium 22s 6d to 255, inferior 18s to 21s 6d, old, 15s to 17s. Fat Cattle. —An exceptionally heavy yarding of 513 head. A dragging market. Extra prime beef made up to 28s 6d per 1001 b, averaging up to 275, good beef 24s to 265, medium 22s to 23s 6d, rough to 12s 6d. Extra prime bullocks £l4 to £l6 15s, prime £ll 5s to £l3 10s, medium £8 5s to £ll, light £6 to £B, extra prime heifers to £lO 7s 6d, prime £6 5s to £B, ordinary £3 15s to £6, extra prime cows to £lO, prime £5 15s to £7 15s, ordinary £4 to £5 10s, old cows £2 15s to £3 17s 6d. Vealers. —A large entry. Good runners to £5, ordinary £3 15s to £4 15s, small calves from 8s upwards. Fat Pigs.— A large entry. Porkers were in over-supply, and there was a decline in price for both porkers and baconers. Choppers £2 to £5 10s, light baconers £3 5s to £3 10s, heavy bcaoners £3 15s to £4 5s (average price per lb 6£d to 62d); light porkers 40s to 475; heavy porkers 50s to 58s (average price 7-2-d to 81d).

The usual fortnightly rabbitskin sale was held on Monday week, and medium-sized catalogues were offered to a full attendance of buyers. Competition was keen, and prices for incoming and autumn skins were firm on late ruling rates. Off-season and inferior sorts w-ere also in keen demand, and showed an advance on the previous sale’s prices. • Incoming to 51d, autumns 43d to 45£d, early autumns* 35d to 38d, racks 29d to 3Ud, light racks 26d to 27Jd, summers 22d to 26£d, springs to 231 d, milky does to 20d, small 16d to 18d, autumn black to 271 d, fawns to 37d, horsehair to 23d.

LIVE STOCK AND NEW HAY. Many farmers (says a Home journal) consider that the feeding of new hay is attended with risk, as liable to give rise to various disorders, such as irritation of the digestive organs, colic, and nervous trouble. On the other hand, it is urged by many practical men that it is not the use but the abuse in feeding the hay which leads to trouble. Indeed, there are said to be certain advantages in using it quickly, as new hay possesses the maximum of nourishment and aroma, only be Judicious. The quantities supplied to stock should be moderate and adjusted to.their requirements. New hay should be added gradually to the ration, and should be mixed with old hay or chopped straw. The old fodder is improved by the mixture, and its value is relatively increased.

CUTTING OF CALIFORNIAN THISTLE. In view of" certain statements that Californian thistle is checked far more effectively when cut in flower than is the case with earlier cuttings (says the N.Z. Journal of Agriculture) the Department recently carried out tests on selected areas in Canterbury. Cutting at the respective stages was done last season, and the results, after the lapse of a year, have now been duly observed and recorded. Neither area gives any indication that late cutting results in the reduction of tho thistles, there being no apparent, difference between the late and early cut patches. Taking everything into consideration, including the obvious risk of allowing the thistle to flower, the Department cannot endorse the method of late, cutting.

CLEANLINESS IN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. Tidiness in a garden (says a writer in Farm, Field, and Fireside) does not necessarily mean good crops, for it has no actual bearing on the general, welfare of the crop unless untidiness takes the form of weediness, which may be so great as to choke the growth and rob the soil of plant food to the detriment of the legitimate crop. But, mindful as we are that the real purpose of a garden is the production of a continued supply of good crops, we cannot) but know that as a general rule tidiness is an outward and visible sign of keen interest, and the. man who is interested in the appearance of the garden will also be solicitous as to the excellence of his crops. In a word, a tidy garden betokens a productive garden. If the garden be put into good order now it will remain clean practically all the winter. A great amount of untidiness is caused at this season by the fall of the leaves of neighboring trees or the leaves of fruit trees. Most of these will have fallen by now, and may be swept up and put in a heap to rot and to be again returned to the garden. Those leaves in the cultivated portion of the garden may at once be dug in. Dead leaves should also be removed from green crops such as Brussels sprouts and, besides making the garden tidy, the crops also will be benefited by their removal. The burning of a large portion of the rubbish heap and the. removal of the decayed portions to the garden to be dug in will all tend towards greater cleanliness. The cleaning operations should be extended to the gravel paths, Which may be repaired and resurfaced with gravel. Turf edgings to borders may be trimmed into shape, box edgings may be repaired where gappy, and generally a tidy appearance made to prevail.