HONEY CROP PROSPECTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2897, 9 October 1916, Page 10

HONEY CROP PROSPECTS

■ Tlio director of the Horticulture Division has received from the Apiary Instructors the following reports concerning the honey crop prospects:— Auckland.—Eather a late spring, 'bnt the weather during last month has been fair. So far the bees are in good order, and the prospects/are good. Wellington.—Every indication of a good season for. honey producers. Tho weather has been conducive. for tho bees' gathering a goodly supply of spring honey for brood rearing.: In most districts the colonies are in good condition for the summer flow of nectar. •V. .. •' - ■ . . : >

Christchurch.—The spring' examination reveals a- heavy mortality amongst the bees, during the winter, owing to insufficient food. The fine weather and recent rains have had a beneficial effect. During tho latter end of September the bees have been-working the willows principally. Brood reaxing has commenced, and in strong stocks that had ample stores nice patches of sealed brood are to be found.'' As to honey crop prospects, very, much' will depend on the rainfall, in' November and December. i Stocks that'- liave survived winter are fair, and beekeepcrg would be well advised to adopt stimulative feeding to make up during the summer fcheiv losses lasfc.-oeason. , „

Dunedin.—The'rprosjiects of a good' crop'are excellent. Good soaking rains have revived the pastures in South Canterbury and JTorth Otago. A spell of fine , weather has qnabled the bees to work i,the. willow: and fruit, bloom. In bush districts 1 nectar is .being gathered freely, and indications- point to a surplus. Prices are unchanged. Beeswax is in stroiigidemand.

Answers to Correspondents.—No, it certainly .does not 'pay to. sow grass seeds with no sort of guarantee as to germination, and . purity. Grass, seeds with the Government Biologist's test as to these two'.great essentials are' supplied direct to. farmersby , Messrs. ■ Hodder and Tolley) Ltd.;, of ; Palmerston North. If you. write them', 'Dept. D; samples - and freight paid quotations will" be' 6ent.— Advt. . . :

Cheese factory managers are reminded that orders .-'can only be executed in rotation for the Victor Vat. -This famous Vat, with its sloping bottom and middle drainage, means bigger profits and greater efficiency.' Make certain •of securing your requirements by placing your order straight way with A. J. PARTON. Sheet Metal and Plumbing Works, Pembroke Street, Carterton.—Advt.

HEMP, TOW, AND STRIPPERS In a return from tho Agricultural Department showing tho quantities of hemp, tow, and stripper slips graded at the ports of tho .Dominion during tlio month of Soptember, 1916, it is stated that tho total number of bales graded was 11,109, as compared with 11,330 for tho corresponding month of last year, a decrease of 221 bales. For tho twelvo months ending September, 1916, tho number of bales graded was 148,010, as compared with 100,229 for tlio previous twelvo months, ail increase of 47,781 bales. Tow.—During the month 2829 bales wero deal ( t with, as compared with 2891 for tho corresponding month of last year, a decrease of 62 bales. For tho twelve'months ending September 30, 1916, tho number of bales graded was 41,121, as compared with 26,797 for tho previous twelve months, an increase of 14,324 bales. Stripper Slips.—During the month tho number of bales graded was 410, as compared with 452 for the corresponding month of last year, a decreaso of ;42 bales. For tho twelvo months ending September 30, 1916, tho number of bales graded was 6744, as compared' with 2313 for tho previous twolvo months, an increase of 4431. LIVE STOCK SALES Buyers from the Thames Valley, Opotiki, Palraei'ston North, and Christchurcli, as well as from other purls of New Zealand, attended the disposal sate of Mr. Newton King's famous Willowvale herd of ttolstein Froisians, the 75 lots submitted bringing £3942 15s. The top price was realised by the four-year-old cow, ITounty Maid Segis, wliioh. fell to Mr. It. Mugford, of Christchurch, at 200 guineas. The samo buyer also ' paid 150 guineas for Pictjo Kitannora, besides purchasing several others. A good many went north to the Auckland district.

Messrs. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., quote from their stock sale at Miller's Road yards, Daunevirke, on Ootober 6:—Wethers, 325. 6d. to 38s. 6d.; hoggets, 255. to 30s. Id.; fat ewes, 325. 7d.; fat cows, £11 16s. to £11 17s. 6d.; fat cows, £11 10s.; eighteenmonth steel's, £7 2s. 6d. to £8; three-year springing dairy heifers, £9 to £10 10s.;' three-year springing dair.v heifers! £13 to £13 58.; yearlings, m.s., £3 10s. to'£s 10s. Messrs. Dalgety and Co. quote from their fortnightly 6flle at tbo Upper ilutt on Thursday last Four-year store bullocks. £11 ss. to £11 18a.; two-year steers, to £S 165.; eighteen-months steers, to £7 Bs.; yearling steers, .to £o 155.; yearling heifers, to £3 9s:; light-weight fat cows, ,to £8 10b.; fat heifers, £9 Bs., £9 10s., to £12 Us.; forward cows, £7 7s. to £8; store cows, £5 55., £5 18s., £6 10s., to £7; springing cows. £6 7s. 6d„ £6 10s„ £7 Bs., £8 35., to £12 55.; young bulls (yearlings), £3 9a., £4, £4 10s.; eighteen-months, £5 10s., £6 2s. 6d.; heavy bulls, £8 7s. 6d„ £9 ss. .Mcssts. Wright, Stephenson and Co., Ltd., quote Iroin their Carterton stock sale:—Fat and forward ewes, 325. to 365.; hoggets (good), 30s. Id. to 325.; medium hoggets, 245., 255., ~to ' 255. 4d.;' f.m. ewes and lambs, 375.; springing heifers, £10 to £13; dairy cows, close to profit, £10 10s. to £10 155.; store cows, £7 155.. £8. to £8 Is.; store heifers, £5 to £6 75.; cows and calves, £6 7s, )6d., £7, to £8; yearling steers. £4 2s. ~6d., £4 55., to £4 10s.; yearling heifers, £3 65., £3 10s„ to- £3 125.; yearling , bulls, £4 Is.; Holstein bull, £12 12s. Pigs:' Prime porkers, to £2 4s. 6d.; forward stores, to 335. 6d.; small weaners, 12s. to 14s. 6d.

Messrs.' Levin' and ' Co.,' Ltd.,. report During the past week wo held our jwd sales at Bulls nndFeilding. At Brills wo had a smell yarding of sheep, ail lots selling at -full rates. In cattle we submitted." a good yarding. All classes were in demand, and iprices, especially for .vonng stock, showed a considerable riso on lest sale. -At Feilding all classes of stock, with the exception of grown bullocks, were in active demand. In sheep, prices for all good sorts of hoggets showed a rise, medium sorts being slightly easier. 'In cattle, dairy oows and heifers, store' cotvb, and. fats made pood values—Quotations:—At Bulls: Medium ewes, with lambs, 305.; fat shorn ewes, 245. 6d.; best hoggets, 30s. to 30s. Id.; medium hog'gets, 21s, 9d. to 255. 3d.; fat cows, £9 9s. to : £ll 13s. 6d.; fat and forward cows, £7 :17s.'6d. to £9 ss.'; springing cows, £10 to £12; springing heifers, best, £10 to. £12; others, £5 10s. to £9 17s. 6d.; yearling hei-' fers (good). £6.105.;' others, £4 to £4 155.; yearling steers, £5 lis.; Holstein bulls, £11 to £15; Jersey bulls, £7; wearier pigs, 13s. t0.155.; stores, 20s. At Fcildiug: Fat ewes, 30s. to 335. 9d.; fat and forward ewes, 245: -3d, to 28s. 9d.; medium- ewes, with lambs, 395.; ewe lioggets (Rood), 345.; wether hoggets, 30s. Oattle: Extra prime fat cows, £16 t-o, £17 55.;. "prime cows, £13 to £14 lGs.; fat cows, £10 -to £12 65.; fat and forward cows, £8 to £10 Is.; best springing cows, £13 to £15; others, £8 to. £11 55.; forward cows, £5 lis. to £7,105.;. fat heifers, '£10 to £10 155.; yearling heifers, £4 Us. to £4 175.;, two-year steers, £10 2s. 6d.; yearling steers,. £5 45.; yearling Jersey bulls, £4 to £7 55.; throe-year do., £9 12s. fid.

The New...Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency 00., ; Ltd., report having held' a successful clearing *sale on account of lEr. James Bright, who has sold his farm and enlisted, at. Eketahuna on Thursday. Quotations : 400 ewes.-with lambs at foot made from 445. . 3d., 445. 4d.. and 445. 6d.; twotooth wethers, 33s'. 6d.; four-tooth Eomney rams, 3Jgns.; six'and eight-tooth Lincoln rams, 4gns.; six-tooth S.D. rams, sJgns.; backward three-year steers, £9 2s.' 6d.; backward two , and -.t-hrce-year Hereford and. Shorthorn heifers. £7 10s. to £7 195.; half-draught aged'mares, £16 to £26; yearling fillies, £4 10s. to £10; two-year do., £9 to £12., Implements oo'd sundries sold well up to clearing sale rates. Sale at Eketahuna: A particularly nice line of well-giwvn, good-conditioned yearling Hereford. steers made £9 55.. and yearling Hereford heifers, £8 ss. Other sales were -Three-year steers, £10 to £10 5a.; springing heifers, £6 ss. to' £B 10s.: dairy cows, to £12 ss. Friday's sale at Feilding: Mixed hoggets, 255. Id. to 28s. 4d.; good wetlier hoggets, 305.; good owe hoggets, 31s. 6d.; light fat owes, 30s. 9d. to 31s. 9d.; medium fat ewes,'34s. 6d.; small fat hoggets, 295.; light fat -wethers, 375.; yearling heifers, £4 lis.; yearling steers, £5 55.; small backward heifer's, £4 13s. to £4 155.; twoyear springing heifers, £7 7s. 6d. to £7 155.; storo cows,. £6 12s. to £6 19s. 6d,; forward cows. £7 10s. to £8 .10?.; .light fat cows, £9 3s. 6d. to £10 13s. fid,; medium fat rows, £12' to £13 65.; sprintring cows, £8 17s. 6d. to £10 55.; cows in to £13.