ON THE LAND. Farm and Station.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2148, 25 March 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

ON THE LAND.

Farm and Station.

SOME BIG PRICES FOR MERINOS.

HOW CJROSS-BIIEDS HAVE FALLEN

(From our Special Correspondent.) LONDON Fob 7, 1908.

As I write this the first series of colonial wool sales are finishing, and on the whole things have gone pretty much as expected. Considering that a larger quantity has been available than for many years back, prices have been maintained at a level fully in advance of those ruling in consuming centres, and in Bradford es. peeially the course of events in Coleman street has been much better than conditions warrant. Tho pity is that Germany and America have not been in better buying form, and so given more impetus to every quality. At the same time the purchases made by Germany have broadened during the past two weeks, and in the aggregate the takings on export account are fully up to expectations when cognisance is taken of the heavy purchases at selling centres in Australia.’ “Tlio best judges seem to think that tho worst is passed in. regard to Germany being -able to lift its season’s imports, and the cheaper wool obtained in Coleman Street should help materially to “average” the dearer wools purchased abroad. Tho few speculators will have to face a sensible loss of something like £3 per bale, but in the majority of cases the losses will bo more evenly distributed between the importer,.spinner, and manufacturer. DEMAND FOR MERINOS. Without doubt the leading feature of tho series has been the steady, con-sist-ant demand for merino wools. It was plain to be seen at the opening that'tho trade was in a buying mood for this class of produce, and right through the series tho demand has increased both in forco and volume for the best combing descriptions. Complaints are almost universal at the shortness of the staple of the current Australian clip ;good, long, shafty combing wools being somewhat scarce. Anything at all decent in character sold well, the. choicest parcels frequently making Jd moro than last series. At the same time, the bulk of merinos have sold only on par with the closing rates of last series, and yet this is a wonderful accomplishment when full cognisance is taken of tho course of events during the .last- two months. To find the trade in good buying mood, and willing to pay prices fully equal to last series is something to be grateful for. The demand fully shows what the trade wants when the best wools have sold at from par to 5 per cent, in advance, all faulty sorts owing to an excessive quantity showing a decline of id to Id per lb. All these wools cannot be used without being carbonised, and with the woollen trade which absorbs the bulk of these short, clothing faulty wools, being quieter, its effect lias been seen in the decline. General expectations have hardly been fulfilled in regard to America, hut this is not to bo wondered at when it is remembered that many mills across the Atlantic are only running short time. When looking back at the corresponding series a year ago, I have been much surprised to find little difference in the values realised for the best lots of merino, for after a serious decline towards the end of last year one would have expected to liavo seen sensibly lower prices made •

THE FALL IN CROSS-BREDS. The fall in cross-breds is regretted, but it seems inevitable. During the opening week every grade of crossbred sold freely, due to topmakers and spinners covering urgent needs, but directly contracts were partly filled, an easier tendency set in which shows that the medium and scarcer qualities are down a good Id per lb. When today’s prices are contrasted with tlioso ruling at the corresponding series ayear ago tho fall is a marked one, as tho following will show:— WD. Jan. Jan. 1907 1908 d. cl. Greasy J-brcd IGj 14 ~ super ersbd hgts 15 13$ ~ Ist ersbd ligts 14 12 ~ crsbcl pieces 11 10 J

TAUTANE. ~ B crsbd „ 0 „ 14 9 „ D „ 13 8J „ Ist crsbd pieces 10 8 „ 2nd crsbd pieces 9 Gf j, Ist crsbd lambs 12 8-1 ~ 2nd crsbd lambs 10 7 OLIUG ~ Ist crsbd ligts ■' , '~ 2 ’cROOK* ANIi^IINDLE. „ super Ist i-bd {comb ligts IGI HI Ist J-btl comb ligts 1G 13 Ist 1-lxl comb rams 131 11 i ” 1-bd comb ligts 131 13 ~ Ist g-bd comb ligts 151 m superfine crsbd comb ligts ” 1 11 91 ~ Ist J-bd comb ligts 11 91 ” Ist -1-bd comb ligts 131 91 ’’ i s t Lincoln ligts 12 9 Ist fine crsbd pieces 13 11 fine crsbd bellies 11 8

THE OUTLOOK. The feature can be regarded with * feelings of confidence. respecting fine ] wools, but prospects arc not at all < bright for medium and coarse crossbreds. Dalgcty’s cable this week from Australia •announcing a decrease of 70,000 bales in the exports for the first seven months of the wool year compared with last season does not look like any surplus such as some have predicted, and I must say that l favour to-day’s prices being fully maintained for merinos. Consumption is well kept up in fine wools, and with easier money rates imports should be lifted without any forced realisations. Once get these financed. and then there cannot be much fear in regard to merino falling. Cross-breds are the dark horse, and Bradford users are certainly "trimmine” for all they are worth to get the bulk of the New Zealand offerings in March at a still lower figure. There are plenty of "future” sales still to cover on the basis of 12d to 12Jd for a good 40’s prepared top, and wool will still have to come down a further ’ 5 per cent if sellers are to get out . without .loss. IVhat is here wanted • is a larger American and Continen--7 tal demand to frustrate the plans of 3 the mere gambler in wool.

THE BRADFORD POSITION

OROSS-BItEDS AYEA K

Bradford at present is under a cloud, and without doubt there is little to inspire. Tho market seems to have gone once more all to pieces in its cross-bred department, for prices are weak and falling. London has failed completely to inspire holders with the hope of any possibility of any amends, an led by an active “bear” party, wool bills fair to be lower before higher. It .is a thousand pities that Coleman Street has not kept up the level established during the opening week, but the fall has already been more than discounted, and everything can be bought on a cheaper basis, at least, all qualities below 50’s. The fact of the matter is nobody seems to want anything, and spinners, feeling the pulse of the market are refraining from buying entirely. Most topmakors are quoting 13d for a standard prepared 40’s, but there is no telling what bid would effect a sale. Already users are looking forward to still larger supplies with tho certainty that lower values are in store, And they are not going to buy with the present temper of the market like it is. They are rather looking for forced sales to seo some very low prices accepted, and it is generally expected that we shall see a shilling taken for good 40’s top. The spinning end of the trade might present more favourable features, and particulars arc not coining to hand as freely as they might be. Somo fair lines of second band yarns are being hawked, at less price than spinners will accept, and so long as this obtains, no improvement can be expected. Notwithstanding tho easier rates in Coleman Street, Bradford is. still a good jd below prices there, and yet no business is offering. Evidently there aro users determined to get wool to fit the low. contracts which are still to execute, and the raw material will have to come down another 5 per cent, before some can get out. The demand abroad is considerably loss, and ibis is exerting a very depressing influence upon Bradford export yarn houses. Merinos continue steady and firm. At tho same time there is not a great deal of fresh business offering, and still topmakers will accept no less money. Machinery continues to be fully occupied, and deliveries are still being freely made. I cannot hear of any less prices being accepted, and wooleombers aro busy making deliveries with all possible speed. Mohair continues extremely quiet, and prices are still tending downwards, especially in Cape firsts.

THE DAIRY MARKETS t

Messre Weddol and Co. writing under date Loudon, Feb 7 report on the London market as follows: BUTTER, The weather in the south and east of England lias been dry this week, and the temperature fairly cold, the thermometer on the grass at nightregistering a few degrees below freezing point. Tlio market this week for Australian and New Zealand butter lias been very excited, and prices have advanced another 8s to 10s per cwt., which makes a total rise of 16s to 18s on the fortnight. Arrivals from New Zealand have been 48,298 boxes in the “Tongariro” and 3083 in the “Morayshire,” and from Australia 32,942 boxes in the “India” and 1900 in the “Star of Ireland,” making a total of 86,223 boxes. Next week about 40,500 boxes aro due from Australia, but none from New Zealand. Shipments from New Zealand during tlio week have been tlio “Atlienic” with about 37,200 boxes, and the “Fifeshire” with 5100; from Australia, tlio “Macedonia” with 37,700 boxes, and the “Medic” with 12,500. Some of the best- dairy factories in Victoria are stopping their export. Good rains have fallen in New South Wales, and tho dairying district on tho south west coast lias had a plentiful suply. This will assist in lengthening tlio blitter export season of New South Wales, but it is -too late to largely increase shipments. Rains have also failed in New Zealand, and will benefit the pastures in both the butter and cheese districts, but this result will not bo felt here before the middle of April. The demand here lor colonial butter has intensified, and from everywhere conies proof that stocks in both retail and wholesale hands aro very small. The very strong position to-day is doubtless due to the fact, that d"ring January there was an average dajlvs^afcjagfi

f Hilary wiTaverage about 3500 boxes per day. reported decision of the largo multiplo-sliop concerns to raise the retail price of butter by twopence per pound will doubtless have the effect of reducing the demand, and the present high rate values may give way a few shillings in March but unless supplies can be increased considerably, values will remain around 130 s for choicest butter until the beginning of April. The Copenhagen official quotation has been raised only by r five kronci, which, under the present condition of things, looks quite inadequate, as spot prices are 13s Gel above the quotation. Mew Zealand and Australian have been selling during the last lew days at 5s to 7s per cwt. above Danish, and there appears every prospect of this position remaining the same for the next week. It is 24 years (vis., in 1884), since the official quotation was as high as in February as it is to-day, and the import of Australian butter in that year was only 86 tons and New Zealand only Iff tons. From every country sending us butter there was a shortage in January, compared with January, 190<, except France, United States, and Canada, the last two of which sent us nothing in January, 1907. 1 m countries showing the biggest deficit are Australia 48,316 cwts., Denmark 18,889. Russia 10,769, and New Zealand 7,146 cwt. CHEESE.

There is little to record of interest in the market for Canadian and New Zealand cheese., which remains quiet but firm.

The net profits of tlio Christchurch Meat Company last year were £53,310, of which £13,000 has been absorbed by au eight per ceut dividend-

RURAL TOPICS.

Japanese buyers already have an eye on the Argentine market after wool, skins and hides. The vice-se-cretary of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce is in tho Plate on a two year’s trip through South America studying all export and import regal ations and conditions.

The price of flax, says the “Bnice Herald,” is .CIO a ton •below what it was this time last year, and £l7 is quoted for best grades f.o.b. Under these circumstances the Fairfax mill employees, knowing it was a case of close up or reduce expenditure, arranged with the owner to reduce prices for labor and material all round.

In his hist communication Mr Charles Maefeie, Homo representative of the National Dairy Association, gives some news of Mr Cnddie. Mr Msoldo says lie lias been spending a considerable time on the market and at the docks with Mr Cuddie. who has been miking full use of his opportunities. He has seen all the principal men in the business in London, and altogether lias made a really good commencement in his work of becoming thoroughly well acquainted with the market end of the business.

“You tiro a champion potato-dig-ger, I believe,” said Mr Evans to Mr Walter hitler, a witness before the Conciliation Board in Christchurch last week. “Yes,” was the reply. “I suppose I hold the belt. I know of no one who has beaten my record,” Later on the witness stated that he had earned 2u> in a day potato-dig-ging. Ho dug six tons, equal to sixty-six bags, in eight hours and a half in a seventeen-ton crop, on Mr C. Young’s farm. In a ten-ton crop ho had averaged £1 per day. When he dug the six tons he employed two boys picking, but in addition to digging lie emptied all the buckets for the boys, aiul picked up fully a toil himself. Mr Kennedy, who drew out this evidence, looked incredulous, and Mr 'Sheat remarked, “He is a prodigy, (Mr Kennedy.” Tliis drew a prompt declaration from the witness that lie was prepared to prove the truth of every word he had spoken.

Barbed wire, which is used in most parts of the world, was discovered by accident. iMr Ell wood, the inventor, lived in his youth in a small town in the United States. Having a neighbor whoso pigs trespassed on his garden, lie put up one. day a wire fence of his own make. The fence, had harks and points on it; it was queer and ugly, but it kept out the pigs. It was a real barbedwire fence, the first in the world, and there was millions of money in it, but young Ellwood and his friends only laughed at its strange appearance. One day two strangers saw this fence, realised its value, and ordered several tons of it from Ellwood. Furthermore, they contracted to sell for a long term of years all the barbed wire be could produce. Ellwood borrow-' ed £2oo'and set up a little factory. A few years later on he had paid back that little loan, and afterwards accumulated an immense fortune.

The great lesson tho present dairying season teaches (according to a Wellington writer) is that the consignment business will alone prove satisfactory to milk producers jji tho long run. Vast sums of money have been lost to those co-operative dairy, ing concerns which sold their sea butter at the beginning of the season at about IOJd. In one case this amounts to a loss of fully f- 100 a day basing this loss Oil the price at which tho company sold its output and the recent ruling values. Apparently our milk producers have shown no inclination to consider tho best basis on which they should dispose of their produce—by consignment to a reputable firm consistently from season to season. The one satisfactory tiling of the present season is there is a good proportion of factories which have consigned their product, and the fact that they arc thus able to show a much greater profit than the selling factories will afford a, striking demonstration of tho value of tho consignment- principle.

11l an article concerning a, local orchard, the Marlborough “Herald” gives sonic interesting particulars of the methods followed for keeping down blight and the oodlin moth. It statesc that Mr 11. H. Sniale, the proprietor, attributes the freedom of his gardens from certain pests largely to the presence of the- ladybird, whirl! he uses extensively. His brussels sprouts would hove fared very badly without the ladybird’s attention. Mr Snia.le is a great believer in the natural enemy as the remedy for pests, and, following up this principle, ho gives his poultry free access tq,.,his.

wmdn-.. CTs fa-i‘ nioro efficacious in the extermination of this nuisance then all the spraying and bandaging. At all events, his experience encourages him to continue the experiment. The codlin moth is by no means absent from his orchard; but the pest lia-£ been on the increase everywhere, and certainly his trees are freer from the enemy than the majority of gardens in which bandaging and spraying are assiduously resorted to. He is waiting with interest to see whetliei the scheme of importing the codlin moth parasite from Coliiornia will confirm his theory.

Commenting upon the subject of the improvement of milk by giving a judicious amount of oats to cattle, a writer in a Danish dairy journal recommends the giving of oats in small quantities when the milk is watery, adding that Jib or -Jib would be sufficient per head per day. This, the authority in question states, might be accepted with a .certain amount of hesitation had it not been proved m I a definite manner by experiments that a supplementary ration of a little oats lias a very favourable influence, no t only on the amount of fatty matter, but also upon the taste oi the milk and the butter made; moreover, there is an increase in the production of milk and butter in consequence. The contention is supported by by an j experiment which was made on ten cows, divided into two groups of fivo each, in such ways as t * insure- that their milk production was almost identical. After a certain day the first group received as a supplementaly ration, about lib of oats per head daily. Eeven as soon as the second day" the favourable influence of this meathod was apparent, an dit lasted until the thnth day. Jlie milk uas very good, having a fine nutty flavour; the butter was better, and the cattle in good condition,