ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 31, 23 July 1924, Page 45

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. At Burnside last week there were 312 head of fat cattle yarded. The quality was not quite up to the previous week’s standard, but any well-finished cattle met with a ready sale, and prices for any good quality cattle were on a par with the preceding week’s prices. Quotations were : as follows;Extra prime bullocks to £22 10s, prime £l6 7s 6d to £l7 15s, medium £lO 5s to £l3, light £7 10s to £8 17s 6d, prime heifers £l2 12s 6d, medium £7 12s 6d to £8 10s, light £5 15s to £7. Fat Sheep.— There were 3493 yarded —a large yarding, considering that export buyers have stopped operating. Prices compared with the previous sale were at the commencement 2s 6d to 3s , per head lower, especially for light-weight sheep, but improved slightly towards the end of the sale, when bidding was more spirited. Quotations were as follow: Extra prime wethers to 55s 9d, prime 48s to 53s 9d, medium 42s to 46s 3d, light 35s to 40s, extra heavy prime ewes to 51s 3d, prime 36s to 38s, medium 30s to 335, light 26s to 295. Fat Lambs. —There were 301 yarded. These were of light and unfinished quality and ere not keenly sought. after. Quotations were as follows: —Best quality to . 335, unfinished 28s to 295, stores 21s to 255. Pigs.— offering comprised 117 fats and 60 stores. On the previous week the prices advanced about 10s per head. Last week both baconers and porkers sold well, and prices generally were firm. At Addington last week there was again a heavy entry of stock generally. The values, compared with the preceding week, were easier for both fat cattle and fat sheep, though in both cases the market concluded firmly. Fat Cattle. —There was again a very big yarding, comprising 510 head, compared with 545 on the previous week. The market opened on a lower basis for big cattle by about 20s per head. Prime beef made from 32s 6d to 355, medium 29s to 325, lighter 23s to 28s, rough, down to 15s, extra prime steers £l7 to £lB 17s 6d, prime £l3 to £l6, medium £9 5s to £l2 10s, light £5 10s to £9 10s, extra prime heifers £lO ss, prime £7 5s to £9 ss, ordinary £4 10s to £7, extra prime cows £9 15s, prime £6 15s to £8 15s, medium £4 5s to £6 10s. Vealers. The entry was small, good calves being scarce. There was a pronounced rise in all classes on the preceding week. Values were practically double what they were in the early part of June.- Runners £7, good vealers £4 10s to £5 10s,- good calves £2 15s to £4 ss, small £1 to £1 15s. Fat Sheep.— There was a yarding of about 11 races. The outstanding lines were fewer than on the previous week, the wether entry being comprised mostly of medium class ■ stuff. The sale started off from Is 8d to 2s 6d lower than late rates, but improved in the final stages, and closed firmly. Extra prime wethers 525, a few special to 58s, prime 42s to 475, medium 38s to 41s 6d, light 33s to 375, extra prime ewes 44s 3d, prim© 34s to 37s Bd, medium 30s to 33s 6d, light 26s to 29s 6d, aged 22s to 255. There was a small entry of fat pigs, which met a. keen demand. There was a general improvement in prices. Choppers £3 to £9 ss, light baconers £4 5s to £5, heavy £5 5s to £6, extra heavy £6 10saverage price per lb 8d to B£d, light porkers £2 10s to £3, heavy £3 5s to £3 17saverage price per lb 9d to 9£d. W Concrete Culverts, Axecraft, etc. (Contributed.) HOW TO MEASURE THE PADDOCKS. . Accurate knowledge of the areas of- the various paddocks which compose a holding greatly facilitates the preparing of estimates for the cost of working crops, quantities of , seed required - for sowing, returns per acre, etc. In the absence of .definite figures to work upon, estimates but too often develop into mere guesswork. Land may be measured fairly accurately by the use of the cross-staff, a plumb-line, a chain measure and tally pins, and a few

flags, if thoroughness and care are exercised to do the work correctly. To make a cross-staff choose a piece of wood which is not liable to split, crack or warp, about l-a-in or 2in thick and about 9in or lOin square, or it may be cut to circular shape. Two light laths nailed or screwed to the under-side edges, across the grain of the wood, will assist in keeping it in shape. With a fine saw cut two slits at right angles to each other across the top of the wooden square, or disc, about half-way through it, and fasten its bottom centre securely to one end of a piece of 2in x 2in hardwood, which should be about 4ft long and sharpened to a point at the other end, so that it may easily be stuck in the ground. It is important that the saw cuts which are to be used for sighting, may be as finely and correctly cut as is possible. Accuracy in measuring flat land may be attained with a cross-staff made as described, but it will be found more difficult to imprison the eye sufficiently when sighting up or down a steep hill-side slope, unless the slits, which act as limits to the line of vision laterally, be much higher, so that a carefully made wooden box-head or metal-head would be a better instrument in such situations. Of course it is assumed that we are following here a simple system of measuring the various farm paddocks where it is not considered necessary to go to the expense of a theodolite, and that we adopt the right-angle-trian-gular method of calculation in preference to plunging more deeply into the trigonometrical ratios of degrees, etc. Five or ten pegs or tally-pins will be necessary to mark the chain lengths when measuring up. Short pieces of No, 6 wire, sharpened at one end and turned to the shape of a large eye at the other, for convenience in handling, will suffice for this job. A steel band with feet stamped on one side and links on the other will be about the most suitable chain measure. A common tape should not be used on any account because of its liability to .stretch. It is particularly necessary that the assistant, or chainman be careful and reliable as to the handling of the chain. THE RECTANGULAR PADDOCK. Assuming that the enclosure which we are about to measure is of quadrilateral shape: we set up the crossstaff at the various angles or corners of the paddock, and if we find by careful sighting through the slits of the headpiece that the fences coincide with them precisely at each, corner then such fences are at right angles to, or to use a homely expression are “square” with each other. An enclosure of this shape is very easy to measure. All that is necessary is to multiply the length by the breadth. Two are necessary to do the chaining. One takes the forward end of the chain, and also the marking pins, sticking one in the ground to mark the end of each succeeding chain till all the pegs have been disposed of, the pegs or pins are picked up by his companion at the other end of the chain as he advances; checking, counting, and noting down- taking place each time the two fellows come together. The rectangle FGHE in the following figure will illustrate. * [Diagrams to appear next week.] If however the corners of the paddock are at right angles or “on the square” at one end only that the sides are of unequal length, and that the line, or fence at the other end strikes the sides diagonally (or on the “skieugee”) then the area is computed by adding together the length of the two sides which are parallel with each other, taking the average or mean length and multiplying the figures obtained by the length of the end which is at right angles with such sides. The figure in following diagram DCHE is an illustration in point. (To be continued.)