ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 18, 10 May 1923, Page 51

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. • At Burnside last week there was a fair yarding of 269 head of fat cattle, comprising a few pens of well-finished steers, the quality on the whole being lower than usual. As evidently there was a shortage of supplies on hand, . competition was fairly good, resulting in an improvement in prices of 10s to 15s per head in comparison with the previous week’s rates. Extra prime steers made up to £l2 17s 6d, prime £9 10s to £ll, medium £7 to £8 15s, light and unfinished to £5 15s. Fat Sheep.An average yarding of 2795 head T, as penned. The yarding comprised a limited number of prime quality wethers, the bulk of the entry consisting of light-weights and several pens of well-finished ewes. Butchers were short of supplies, resulting in a fairly keen sale, particularly in the early part, but prices receded towards the finish. Values in comparison with the preceding week’s rates improved to the extent of 2s on the average. Extra prime heavy-weight wethers 43s to 465, prime 36s to 40s, medium 27s to 30s, light and unfinished 21s to 235, extra prime heavy ewes made up to 36s 6d, prime 25s to 28s 6d, and medium 19s to 225. Fat Lambs.— A small yarding of 500 was penned. Owing to export buyers operating at reduced limits, prices were a shade easier in comparison with those ruling a fortnight ago. - Extra prime made up to 32s 3d, prime 26s to 295, medium 23s to 245. Fat Pigs.—There was a large entry of pigs, all classes being represented. Competition was keen, and prices were about on a par with late rates. , Best baconers realised up to 6£d, and best porkers up to 7d per lb. A large number of small pigs were offered, and these also sold at satisfactory prices. At Addington yards there were generally smaller yardings last week, and a sharp rise took place in both fat cattle and fat sheep. Fat lambs sold at about the same Fat Cattle. A yarding of 420, mostly medium to good station beef. There was a sharp rise of 25s per head. Primes! beef sold at up to 30s per 1001 b, good to prime 27s to 28s 6d, medium 24s to 265, rough 10s to 15s. Extra prime steers to £ls 7s 6d, prime £lO 10s to £l3 10s, medium £7 15s to £lO ss, light £4 10s to £7 ss, extra prime heifers to £lO 2s 6d, prime £0 5s to £9, ordinary £4 to £5 15s, prime cows £5 10s to £8 7s 6d, medium £ 315 s to £5 ss. Vealers. offering was insufficient to meet the demand. Prices were better than at recent sales. Good runners to £5 15s, ordinary heavy vealers £3 5s to £4, medium £1 to £2 10s, small calves 3s to 18s. . Fat Lambs. yarding of nearly 3000. Values were from 9d to 9id per lb. Extra prime lambs 31s 6d to 38s, prime 28s to 31s, medium 25s to 27s 9d, inferior 20s to 24s 6d. Fat Sheep.—A light yarding and a sharp rise of from 2s 6d to 4s per head. Prices were too high for exporters. Wether mutton sold on a basis of 6£d to 63d per lb, ewe 4’d to s|d. Extra prime wethers 35s to 38s, a few special at 40s, prime 31s 6d to 34s 6d, medium 29s 3d to 31s 3d, light 26s to 295, extra prime ewes 31s to 345, prime 27s Gd to 30s Od, - medium 24s 6d to 27s 3d, light 20s to 23s 6d, old 16s to IDs. Fat Pigs.—The demand was slack, with a fall in price of both pork and bacon. Choppers £2 /s 6d to £4 Bs, light baconers £3 to £3 10s, heavy baconers £3 12s 6d to £4 ss, extra heavy baconers £4 12s (average price per lb, 4]-d to s|d), light porkers £1 16s to £2 2s 6d, heavy porkers £2 5s to £2 12s 6d (average price per lb s§d to 6£d).

GARDENING NOTES

(By Me. J. Jotob, Landscape Gardener. Christ church.) WORK FOR THE MONTH OF MAY. The Vegetable Garden.—This month usually marks the approach of the winter season, and, as a consequence, very little work will be found to do in the vegetable garden. The cleaning-up of fallen leaves and vegetable refuse should he attended to; this when collected forms valuable fertilising material. Every practical gardener knows the value of this material; it is nature’s help to the renewal of energy to vegetation. The soil in due course requires enriching by the process of vegetable waste-matter being returned to it, hence "the value of saving such throughout the year andapplying it at the proper season. The application of de-

cayed matter as manure to the soil Is an essential to successful cultivation. Dig all the vacant spaces in the garden, using plenty of manure but not burying it too deep if kept close to- the surface the rain will wash in and mix the fertilising matter with the soil. Ground thus treated will be in perfect order for spring sowing. Clean the asparagus bed by cutting away the spent growth; fork the bed over and draw the soil into the furrows, and then cover with a good coating of well-rotted stable manure. Some of the soil may be thrown over the manure to keep it in place, and a good sprinkling of agricultural salt will be servicable. Asparagus being a seaside plant delights in a salt atmosphere. The bed may remain in the condition mentioned above till the spring, when it should be again forked over and the remains of the manure (or part of it) raked off. Celery and leeks should have their final moulding up. Old clumps of rhubarb require to be taken up and separated; each portion to have a few eyes or shoots. These, if replanted in rich soil will grow into profitable plants. Other clumps if retained intact may be covered with boxes or barrels for early forcing, placing over all fresh stable manure to exclude the cold air, frost, and rain. Plant seakale as soon now as possible. The Fruit Garden. —The pruning of apple and pear trees should be gone on with as soon as all the fruit is gathered. Old trees should be dug out and replaced with more suitable ones after leaving the holes open for a time to sweeten the soil. Hedge clipping, lopping of useless branches and similar work needs to be don© now. - A lady reader of the Tablet has written to me asking for information regarding the cultivation of strawberries. She was very successful (she writes) during the two first seasons but the third was a failure. For her information as well as for others I may repeat the instructions given in this connection in previous notes:—To grow strawberries successfully, choose a sunny situation with a good depth of loamy soil (new ground if possible). This must be deeply dug using rotten manure at the time but keeping it near the surface. Then plant firmly in lines two feet apart and 18 inches from plant to plant, and then give them a good watering. Keep the plot and plants free from weeds dining the season of growth, also watering occasionally if required. Cut away all the runners the first year, and, for the second season dig between the furrows blit not interfering with the roots of the plants. A top dressing of fine manure will be servicable at the same time. Cut away all the runners during the summer, leaving about two near the base of the plant; these will be the best plants to form a new bed. Some straw, or grass from the lawn should be spread around each plant to protect the fruit from becoming soiled, and at the same time providing a cooling mulch during the summer heat. The third year the plants will become exhausted, so that to keep up a succession a new bed should be made every two or three years, and, as before stated, the best plants to use are the two first runners from the parent plant. A nice crop of strawberries is worth having, and the small amount of labor required to produce such is well spent. A few good °!d standard varieties are Melba, Fillbasket, Marguerite, an Mikado. Different localities may favor other varieties, and the most suitable sorts may be selected having regard to local conditions During the time I have been writing gardening notes for the Tablet I have treated practically mth every matter connected with the subject. I would recommend those interested to cut out the notes as they appear in print and paste them in a scrap book for future

- . rhe Flower Garden.-Mew and roll the lawn frequently .•lining the winter. Cover up the blooms of chrysanthemum, to prevent the frost spoiling them. Propagate violas, ana place all tender plants under cover. Finish planting bulls; replant Primroses and auricula-, cut away the old of ? .a* ? ahhas “t by nm my have finished growing. 'nt shiubs, roses, etc., as required.