On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 19, 27 May 1925, Page 53

On the Land

MARKET REPORTS. At Burnside last week there was a yarding of 340 head of fat cattle. There were several pens of prime heavy cattle forward, but the bulk of the entry was made up of medium steers and cows. Prices opened about 20s below the previous week’s rates, and as the sale progressed there was a further easing tendency, but towards the end of the sale prices again firmed and closed at equal to opening rates. Heavy-weight bullocks made £ls to £l7 2s 6d, medium weights £l3 17s Gd to £ls, light bullocks £lO 15s to £l3, prime heifers £8 7s Gd to £lO 10s, cows £7 7s Gd to £ll 15s. Fat Sheep.—A large yarding was. forward, 2978 being penned. The bulk of the entry comprised ewes and medium-weight wethers, very few pens of heavy sheep being forward. Prices for wethers opened about 2s below the preceding week’s rates, but heavy ewes suffered a further decline, and may be quoted about 3s below late rates. All exporters were operating for light-weight ewes, and this class did pot suffer to the same extent as the heavier ewes, and the depreciation in this class was probably about Is Gd per head below the previous week’s prices. Extra heavy prime wethers made 52s Gd to 55s Gd, prime heavy wethers 43s to 44s 9d, lighter wethers 35s Gd to 38s, extra prime heavy ewes made up to 40s, prime heavy ewes 28s 6d to 345, lighter owes 27s to 29s Gd, inferior 17s Gd to 20s. Eat Lambs. —A medium entry 1041 were penned. The quality was medium to very fair, some nice pennings being included, though there was also a number of unfinished sorts. The demand for the best qualities was much on a par with that of the preceding week. Prime lambs made 31s 3d to 38s Gd, lighter lambs 29s to 30s Gd, unfinished lambs 23s to 24s Gd. Pigs.—There were 218 fats. The previous week’s rise of some shillings was countered by a drop of 5s to 6s. At Addington last week there were smaller yardings of fat lambs, sheep, and cattle than on the preceding week, but all other classes were well represented. Fat Lambs. There was a small entry of 1630 compared with 2000 on the previous week. The quality was fair, and prices were well up to schedule rates; in some cases over. The price per pound was upto 12d extra. Prime lambs made 43s to 465, extra special heavy lambs 50s, prime lambs 37s to 41s, medium 33s Gd to 36s Gd, light 30s to 335, store 26s to 295. Fat Sheep.—Ten races were penned, a good proportion of which was poor stuff. Too many ewes were present, and not enough wethers. There was also too great a proportion of rough sheep. Extra prime wethers made 52s ed, prime 42s Gd to 46s Gd, medium 38s Gd to 41s 9d, light 33s to 37s 3d, extra prime ewes 445, prime 35s Gd to 38s, medium 32s to 34s 9d, light 27s to 31s Gd, aged 21s 9d to 25s Bd. Fat Cattle.— were 502 head forward compared with 650 on the preceding week. The proportion of good cattle was not heavy. Bidding at the commencement of the sale was moderately brisk, and throughout was decidedly brighter, with an advance of practically 2s a 1001 b • for good

class animals. Extra prime beef made to 395, prime from 35s to 375, medium 32s to 345, light 27s Gd to 31s, rough 20s upwards. Prime steers made £l4 to £ls 12s Gd, medium £ll 10s to £l3 15s, light £8 10s to £ll ss, rough £6 15s to £B, medium £5 to £B, extra pri.me cows £l2 7s Gd, prime £7 15s to £ll, medium £5 10s to £7 7s Gd, light £4 to £5 ss, aged inferior £3 to £3 17s Gd. Vealers. —A large entry was forward, runners making £G 10s, good vealers £5, medium £3 to £3 10s, good calves £2 to £2 15s, small 10s to 255. Fat Pigs.—A large entry forward met prices all round easier than late rates. Choppers made £2 15s to £3 l'k, light baconers £3 10s to £4, heavy £4 5s to £4 15s, extra heavy £5 ss. The average price per lb was GRI to 7-id. Light porkers made 44s to 50s, heavy 55s to G3s, extra heavy C7s Gd. Average price per 11: was Gd to Bd. MANURING LIGHT SOILS. The great need of light soils is for organic matter, and farmyard manure therefore stands easily first among the manorial requirement for this type of land. Of the artificial manures, potassic and nitrogenous fertilisers can be usually relied upon to give good results. Kainit and 20 per cent, potash salts are useful sources of potash for mangels, peas, and clovers, three crops that respond well to this type of fertiliser; virile the muriate or sulphate is better suited to potatoes, the sulphate being preferable where high quality is desired. Of the nitrogenous manures, nitrate of lime is very useful on gilht soils deficient in lime, as many of them are; nitrate of soda, as is well known, is equally rapid in action. Sulphate of ammonia is less useful on these soils in the absence of lime, as it may then injure some of the crops, especially (lover sown in the barley. If, however, lime is added during the rotation, or .f ihe land is well chalked, this difficulty disappears. WET SEASON PRODUCES ACID SOILS. One effect of continued wet weather will be to increase soil acidity on soils where there is a tendency to that drawback. This condition, unless steps are taken to counteract it, is very liable to produce poor crop results, although in other respects the farmer could expect good results. With arable crops, soil acidity is the cause of feeble root development, yellowish leaves, and the plants never thrive; with turnips it gives rise to “finger and toe,” and with pastures and meadows hinders the growth of sweet herbage. Some crops, lucerne for instance, absolutely refuse to grow in acid soils. The well-known corrective is lime in one form or another. It neutralises sourness and prevents the formation of poisonous compounds in the soil. It checks the development of fungoid diseases, and promotes natural healthy growth. Basic slag contains some lime, but; unless the quantity applied is much larger than usual, it will not supply sufficient to obviate the need of a dressing of dime.

NOURISHMENT OF CROPS. The necessity of furnishing the soil >in which it crop is grown With the essential ingredients of fertility in adequate quantity being admitted, the problem follows what quantities and what kinds should be applied. This depends in a measure on the character of the soil, kind of crop, previous crop, and the available supply of farmyard manure. One point has been conclusively proved: once or twice in the course of a rotation, a dressing, if only a moderate dressing, | of farmyard manure, should he applied and supplemented by applications of suitable fertilisers. That is a system which has been demonstrated to produce the most profitable |results, and as a general rule, except, |of course, for top-dressing, it is wise to apply fertilisers containing the three chief constituents of fertility, nitrogen, phosphates, and potash.