A Record Cattle Year.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 February 1914, Page 4

A Record Cattle Year.

PlilCE Oi 1 BEEF IA SYDNEY

Last year at Hoinebusk was a record for cattle (says tlie Sydney Stock and Station Journal). The total number sojd—27 ( J,2 ( Js was some 00,1)00 above tke previous best, which was made the year before. It pans out well over uOOO a week. There were several weeks, too, in which there was only one sale. it is a wonderful increase on what it used to be. Six or eight years ago n week's supply was in the region of 2000 head. The toal yarding for 1904, for instance, was So,SGO—a long under 2000 for the week. . Ten years ago 1200 head was a big supply for the day. tfow we have as many as a6OO for one day. Monday used to be a day of GOO or <00 head ten years ago. Xow it generally ranges from 2500 to tiUOU and occasionally higher! 'The export trade has been wonderfully strong—more especially m preserved meats. A great demand has come from the United States, both in frozen and tinned meat. This promises to increase greatly. The trade: with California is developing. The duty is off and the frozen meat is going in fast. What is needed badly is more shipping space. The trouble is with the freight. There are not enough ships in the business. Moreover, i\ew Zealand comes first with one line, and Australia gets only what is left. When there is plenty of freight the business ou#ht to boom. liooni,. too, it is .to be hoped, will be made for chilled beef. The sniping companies are not touching it at present, because they sviy frozen meat pays better. But this, cannot go on indefinitely- f i Th.e coming of the American companies to Queensland, too, mufit niake a big uiil'erenee in the price of stock. Indeed, the difference is already being fell. Cattle are selling- better in the Northern State now than ever before. It- is reported, too, that Americans have bought thousands and thousands oi cat tit , in Queensland to be delivered two or three years hence. They arc only calves now, but the Americans are getting in early. They are buying up the supply. In one way this will make cattle clearer in Now South Wales; we will Diot be able to draw on Queensland for stores to anything like the same, extent. Moreover, som.c of tlie fats are alums* bound to bo diverted from the Sydney market. A further factor that niiisi, make entitle dearer in the immediate future in tins State is that so many fats have been purchased for out side irurkets. Mr Sydney Ki.dman hud Mr Morrissey have biought up thousands of head throughout Tfyw South Wales, inirl they are all goinir to other 'markets; which means that there mil be many fewer to conic to Hoi nobush this year. Prices now :nv nigh a( TToincbush. On Tanunry 12lh, for inshuvrr, n (lra.fl <*'!' bullocks Ihal would not nvornjrc SflOlb in weight £10 17s. Hut there is a general bolfof in tin* InfiTe fluii cattle will go much hifi'bcr bofnre much of the yrar is £om\ Soino expoct' to ffpt within ooooc of "10s a lnmclrcfl."