ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 46, 19 November 1924, Page 45

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. There was a good yarding of fat cattle at Bunnside last week, 259 head coming forward. This number was made up mostly of bullocks, the number of cows and heifers being smaller than previously. The quality of the | bullocks was only medium, a good number being hardly V finished, while the proportion of extra prime bullocks forward was a little larger than on the previous week. This number proved too many for the butchers' requirements, and the sale opened at prices about 20s per head lower than the preceding week, and continued at this reduction till well on in the sale, when there was a slightly more pronounced reduction. Extra prime bullocks £2O to £22 7s 6d, prime £l6 10s to £lB 12s 6d, medium £l3 to £ls, light £lO to £l2, prime cows and heifers £9 to £ll 10s, medium, £7 to £8 10s, old and inferior £4 to £6. Fat Sheep.— was a medium yarding, 1688 sheep being offered. About 60 per cent, of the entry was comprised of shorn sheep. The quality, taken all through, was very fair, a number of the pens, both shorn and woolly, being nicely finished. After the first race was sold prices dropped about 2s to 2s 6d per bead for shorn sheep, while woolly wethers and ewes were down from 3s to 4s as compared with the high rates ruling on the previous week. Extra prime woolly wethers brought up to 74s 9d, prime 60s to 665, good wethers (woolly) 45s to 525, light woolly wethers to 42s 6d, extra prime woolly ewes 50s to 545, prime 45s to 50s, medium 39s to 435, light to 375, extra prime shorn wethers to 59s 3d, prime 43s to 48s, medium 38s to 40s 6d, light 34s to 36s 6d, prime shorn ewes 35s to 395, medium shorn ewes 32s to 34s 6d, old and .inferior 30s. Lambs. —There was a large yarding forward, 89 in all being offered, the quality of a good number of the lambs > being very nice. There was keen competition among butchers, and prices may be quoted as on a par with the ) preceding week's rates. Extra prime lambs to 50s, prime 40s to 445, medium 35s to 37s 6d, light 30s to 335. PigsFats to the number of 191 and stores totalling 131 were offered. With the bigger supply prices eased about ss. Best baconers made to £4 15s, porkers £2 15s to £3 10s, light porkers £2. KEEPING THE BOYS ON THE FARM. The age old problem of how to keep the boys and girls on the farm does not bother the good people of Westphalia, a small community in Shelby county, not far from Earling, lowa, U.S.A. Through the efforts of Rev. M. B. Schiltz, assistant pastor of St. Boniface parish at Westphalia, the young folk have been organised into athletic and musical clubs with the result that when a holiday comes around there is enough good, clean, healthy amusement at home and little incentive for the boys and girls to head the family flivver cityward. Father Schiltz led the discussion on welfare work for boys and girls in rural communities at the session of the. national conference of Catholic Charities in Des Moines, September 7 to 11. Prof. Paul Taff, of the lowa State College at Ames, took part in the programme relating to social and civic activities in rural districts. Westphalia is five miles from a railroad. The township has a strong farm bureau and frequent meetings are held in the parish school and hall. Several baseball nines have been organised among the boys and young men of the and keen interest is shown in the games. Nature studies also are an important factor in keeping the young people close to the home firesides.