FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11505, 11 February 1903, Page 9

FARM NOTES.

'Weekly Press and Referee." A qm-stion as to «ie arrangements iur increasing and improving the supply of live stock in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies was put in the House of Lords recently by Lord Burghelere. The Eaxi of Onslow, in the course of his reply, caul that as regards horses, 1500 of the most suitable type had been selected from among those no longer required by the War Office, and had been sent to tliivo stations, liiteen stallione had also been purchased, and twenty-five more had baen ordered from Australia. Of the fifteen six were English, and two of them had won prizes at Islington, and they were likely to get good hunters. One was an Argentine horee, and aix were Arabs from Mr Wilfrid Blunts well-known Crabbet Park stud. It was believed that the Arabs would probably prove the most useful etallione. A large urea of mrazin.' ground had been taken in the north-west to see whether it is possible to establish a ranch there. Mr Tom Borthwick has just returned from Buenoe Ayree, after having secured for his firm the agency for the United Kingdom of the La. Bkmca Company. The capacity, says the London correspondent of the*"Pastoraliste' Review." is equal to about 4000 sheep per day. When the five companies are in full swing Mr Borthwick states that the Plate export of frozen meat will be about doubled, which means between 4,000,000 and 5,000,000 carcases a year of mutton, let alone other meat. Mr Borthwick tliin&s that there are plenty of fat stock to supply all requirement* and plenty of good country to bring into use. American semi-frozen mutton has been a frequent item at Smibnneld lately (says the came writer). About 2000 weekly are arriving, sold forward oy Armour's, Hammond's, and Swift's. Wether mutton has realised 4£d to 4Jd per lb, ewee 4±d. Thtse sheep -were bought c.i.f. at 4d to 4 3-16 d, and it is eaid itihat retail buyers are satisfied with them. They appear to be a Leicester cross ; the carcases are well dressed for the Smithfield -winter trade, with the legs tied together in the manner of pigs. It ie reported that 50,000 are available during the next three months, when snch prices can be given. The parcels oome all mixed up, with no weight grodings. One of the Australian land companies recently inquired as to the net outturn of bullocks on Smithfield, sent frozen; the company iiad in view the re-stocking .problem bi regard' to price. A 7001b New Zealand body of beef netted, allowing for offal and hide, £10 10s; an, Argentine one, £9 10s; anid an Australian carcase, £9. The "Paetoraliats , Review" reports that the United States contract for the wipply of beef and mutton for their tawps at Manila has l>eea let to Messrs W. Weddel and Co., of London, who now have connection in Argentina ea well as Australia and New Zealand. The price is not mentioned, but it ie believed to- be about 4d per lb landed. A great opportunity arises in this contract. A ehlp with frozen beef for Manila can leave tne River Plate wrth 'a deck load of live stock for the Cape, and Or dead weight cargo of wheat for Australia, returaiing with coals from Newcastle for Buenos Ayfes, where the price is "rom 35e to 42s pen- ton. The "Paetoraliste Review" states that "The present prices jaid by the freezing factories in Argentina for fat eteera on the farm vary from E6 to £9 for animate which give between L3601b and 20261b live weight," or about llOQlb dressed. This, eav at £7 10s, should leave a good margin tor contractors. Fhe contract is eaid to be for one year. In a review of the cattle trade the "Live Stock Journal" cays:—"As the year closes three incddenta stand out .prominently as likely to influence the future trade. On the one hand, what seems to be an extensive outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has occurred in eonw of the Eastern States of North America. The disease ie being grappled with energetically by toe United States Government., and it may be suppressed , before it can extend further, to which case it would not exercise m/uch permanent influence, exchange of shipping porta being ail that .would be necessary. But if it should spread to the West, ol course all traffic in live animals would be suspended. Then it is evident that at last the American demand is getting closer to production, and there are fewer cattle available for export. Prophecy has been so often falsified on ithis head that we do no more than state the obvious fact. The third incident is that tJhe Argentine being again evidently free from foot-and-mouth disease, and having undertaken to adopt such laws as are calculated to prevent tie wiatiwluction of the pest, will (after two yeans , exclusion) again at no long interval be allowed to land cattle and sheep for slaughter at the porta of debarkaTion. To what extent the Argentine possesses cattle suitable for the purpose after a punishing drought, and bow tnat EBe dead meat trade has Decome more developed, remains to be seen.' There has been some discussion (says the same paper) as to whether the quality of the cattle at the London Christmas Market was ac good as usual, especially those from the North. They scarcely .seemed to be so level a lot ac cm former occasions, but the type of cattle now in demand on tfoese occasions ie different to what it used' to be. The butchers for some years have turned away from the over-fattened, rounded forms, and feeders have had to study their tastes as representing the consumers, so i t<hat the p,m'"M.fa now appear less finished. The "last dip' is given "more judiciously, and the same perfection of fattening is not seen, and is not wanted. This, to some extent, may 'have led to the idea that the quality wais not up to the usual high standard. There were some very fine cattle from Devonshire, and also a few choice specimens from Ireland. The abundance of food also led to the Midland and Eastern divisions being better than they often 'have been.