Manawatu Herald FRIDAY DECEMBER 13, 1889. A COMPARISON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue II, 13 December 1889, Page 2

Manawatu Herald FRIDAY DECEMBER 13, 1889. A COMPARISON.

♦ Whilst admitting the more favourable conditions existing in the Southern Island for those who prefer to engage in the toilsome pursuit of agriculture, owing to the much larger expanse of open country available for the plough, we have never admitted that in tlitf' other pursuit of stock raising they could ever compete with the lands on this West Coast. A few issues ago we drew attention to the praotical speech delivered by his Excellency the Governor at the dinner given by the Canterbury Association, in which he directed the assembled farmers at* tention to the immense market England offered for the frozen meat industry of the colony. It is admitted that the trade that is now X, established is one that ia very pro* fitable to the stock owner, and by which he finds a market for one million of his sheep, but which is capable of being increased fourteen fold, if the grazier could see his way to accept a smaller sum per pound The pioneers of the trade have been the southern sheep owners, and until lately thoee residing in this island have taken but little part in the exportation. As however tho day is drawing nigh when the shippers will look to the landowners ot the north as their most important customers to fill their vessels, it appears that the trade will be so much in creased that a lesser profit will be g'adly accepted by all parties. It should be a matter of congratulai tion for {the colony that suoh an impttiutn *H» aiport* «m be given,

and accepting tho fact that at the | present tiino tl.e" output is about! equal in the two islau s> we shall be j prepared to bhow that if it has paid j the southern men, it must have paid I the nor reruers better Eve yone will admit taut for purely gracing purposes there is n com arison be j tivseu the <iorth and south isaod*. j In tijo south the stock owner is h-n \ die&pped by cold iiu lav vreath r. j ar>. 1 lie uo where rucc:^ ii putting ■^oj'i h f * *\o mark t-t in C1 !""!». weights and prices as wo can hevo. W« can prove this with giving «• comparison between the psuies of fat beef in Ohristchureh and at Wellington. In the live stock markets as given in the Canterbury Times of 28th November it was stated that " the welcome rain, with its attendant benefits to tbe grazing and farming interests, has given an immense impetus to trado at the market today. . . . The market is a small one, but in nearly every line good prices have been obtained." Thus the quotations "we 8b all give further on, of the prices realised, will be admitted as being fair, as we have taken the time when good prices were realised. The market also was favourable for the realisation of top prices as, continuing the quotation, "though the entry was smaller than has graced the yards for some months, the quality in most instances was good." It may be argued that one particular class of fat stock should not be instanced, but, to make a true comparison it is only possible to do so, prime ox beef being the only line for which a price per lOOlbs is noted. Auother point worthy of attention iv considering the weights of the cattle sold, is the marlcable small entries made by any one farmer, single animals being placed for sale, and the most not exceeding seven. It will be seen, therefore, that the settlers are not handicapped in any yraj', and have exercise I their pick in the beasts put up for sale. Having said- this much we will mention that at this particular sale there were only thirty-one steers entered, being one pen of seven, one of six, two of four, and the remainder of the pens containing only two each. We are informed that " prime ox beef realised not less than 21--, while in some cases it went as high at 22s 6d per lOOlbs. There was very litttle inferior quality, but this reached from 19s to £1." We have for the purpose of comparison taken the beef to have been worth only 21s per 100 lbs, so chat we have really given extra weight to the bullosks mentioned. Upon working out the values of tho animals as quoted at 21s per lOOlbs, the average weight of these 31 bullocks only comes to 5281bs each ! Graziers on this coast would hardl)' dream of putting in such weights fov butchering purposPß. To place the question more fairly, we compared the Is st quotations of the Johnsonville sales, and find it reported that " bullocks averaged £6 2s 4d and £4 10s on the respectivo consignments, and that oxibeef made 14s per lOOlbs." Working out these figures they represent that the smallest bullocks at the sale went 6501b5, and the largest 900lbs, which is more than half as heavy again as the southern bullocks, and one-third cheaper. In our own town we have seen a lot of sixty bullocks purchased off one station that aver-ng-ed over 9()0lbs each, aud for a whole 3 r ear no bullocks have over been killed by one butcher in tho town that wont under TdOlbs. These facts ii'ost emphatically endorse what vre - havo previously said about th» prospects of this West Coast, and it needs but a few years moro for the development of the land around us, to prove this district the fattening district of the colony.