Stock Markets

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 28, 3 February 1937, Page 12 (Supplement)

Stock Markets

Messrs Dalgety and Company, Limited, report haviug held the annual sale of breeding ewes at Mr C. T. Iveeblo’s Fitzherbert yards on Monday. A full yarding of 4,000 sheep was offered on behalf of the local hill country farmers with a complete clearance. The attendance was large and each lot received spirited competition. Messrs H. W. Scott and Sons’ line of age marked 4-year-olds topped this section at 38s. They quote the following prices: 2th Romney ewes, 30s; 2th Southdown Cross ewes, 30s; 4yr. ewes, 31s to 38s; 5y.. ewes, 24s 6d to 295; Cyr. ewes, 22s 4d to 26s 7d; aged ewes, 21s to 24s 6d; shorn ewe lambs, 20s Od, 20s 7d; shorn wether lambs, 12s to 20s; shorn b.f. lambs, 13s Cd, 16s 6d; fat 4th wethers, 27s 3d; fat maiden ewes, 25s lOd.

Messrs Abraham and Williams, Ltd., report a good yarding of both sheep and cattle at Woodville when they yarded 1000 lambs and approximately 150 head of cattle to a fair attendance. Qaatations: — Shorn wether lambs, 15s, 16s, 16s 6:1 to 18s 9d; wly. b.f. lambs, 18s Gd, 19s, 19s 9d, 20s, 20s Gd, 22s 3d to 245; fat ewes, 18s, 19s to 21s; small wether lambs, 11s, 12s, 13s to 14s Gd. Cattle: Fat cows, £4, £4 10s, £5, £5 10s to £6; store cows suitable for the paddack, £2, £2 10s, £3, £3 5s to £3 Iss; spg. Jersey heifers, £4, £4 10s to £5 to £5 ss; Jersey heifers r.w.b., £3 10s, £4 to £4 17s Gd. enco has shown that much of tho rolling hill country, especially the coastal belt, could be rapidly and profitably improved by subterranean clover, which allows so definitely for tho profitable use of top-dressing on swards that probably do not pay for manure. In tho same way in Poverty Bay, subterranean clover is destined to play an important part in the regeneration of much of the hill country. Many farmers are now exploiting subterranean clover, and it is evident that this clover is likely to' overcomo the difficulty of the relatively, high cost of top-dressing in this district. The Use of Suh-Olover. It appears from the discussion at the conference of the New Zealand Grassland Association that in the North Island on all tho lighter soil types subject to drying out in the summer, subterranean clover can be used to advantage. Its ability to give rapid and effective response to phosphatic manuring and the subsequent improvement in the conditions for rye-grass and white clover through heavier stocking are the main contributing factors to its success. The Bay of Plenty, with its extensive areas of light soils and dry summers, should find in subterranean clover a valuablo pasture species likely to outyield tho suckling clover and Lotus liispidus prevalent on much of this country. In the King-country, the Waikato, Rotorua, and Taranaki the satisfactory reseeding of subterranean clover may bo hindered from time to time by the closeness of the sward in January and February in seasons of good summer rainfall. In the Waikato and the coastal areas of Taranaki, however, subterranean clover is proving a valuable additional clover, and on tho poorer soils in these districts, if fully ex ploited is capable of improving th< fertility up to rye-grass and wThiteclover requirements. A discussion of the altitude range oi subterranean clover showed that it was [being successfully grown at an altitude up to 2000 feet in tho Raetihi and l’overty Bay districts, and it is evident that tho possibilities in tho central tableland to the south of Taupo are well worth investigation. While considerable detail was available at the [conference as to methods of establishment and utilisation under widely varying conditions, such information ie best obtained from the officers of the Department of Agriculture in the districts covered by this review.

Position in North Island. Reviewing the position in regard to subterranean clover in the North Island in tho light of tho papers read at the conference and tho discussion on them the main points can be summarised as follows: (3) In tho Wairarapa, Manawatu, Wanganui, Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay districts an area estimated at up; wards of 1,500,000 acres of grassland could bo converted rapidly and economically from dry-stock to fattening land by the use of subterranean clover and phosphatic manuring. In the Auckland, Taranaki and Bay of Plenty districts, while the value of subterranean clover in fat-lamb production has not been tried out to the same extent as in tho southern half of the Island, and the soil and rainfall conditions generally are not so well suited to subterranean clover, there are indications that this clover could well replace inferior annuals such as suckling and Lotus hispidus on considerable areas of second and third-class country, particularly where the returns from top-dressing are doubtful. (2) The seasonal production from subterranean clover conicide? exceptionally well with the seasonal requirements of the ewe and lamb, and setstocking in tho spring to the limit of what tho paddocks will carry is the best method of utilisation. Tho clover re-establishes well, when once thiejk enough to form a sward, under heavy stocking. (3) Phosphatic manuring is essential to subterranean clover on poor soils. Lime is not nearly so important as it is with white clover. Subterranean clover, therefore, responds well to superphosphate, and lime is required only in exceptional circumstances. (4) Subterranean clover fully utilised is a valuable soil-improver, and can be used as a forerunner to good rye-1 grass and white clover establish-! ment, with which it combines well when] adequately stocked. 1