STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

By Dboybb.

Wtekbj Stale Sale* : Buroiide, Wednesdays Ashburt.B, Tuesdays AtWiagt.n, Wednesdays Ftrtniirhtli/ : BaleVotba, Fridays Gore, Tue-idrfyfl Oaaiaru, Tuesdays

Fortn'nlit'v ■ I .vercirei 1, Tuesrt ys Monthly ■ Clin+nr., Palm*r=+m - W'intop, a r d Waikouaiti. Prrndicall) : Heriot, Kelsc and Kyeburn.

Tl.e demand fcr bee" is not strong at prp=cnt. and the market, both at Aldington and l-surn-,ide, is dull Later on thk \vi 1 proh-hly alter, as the stock of prune bul locki in' he count iy is b%- no means a heavy one. Tlip pieseat genial weather will tenrl to keep tha supply up, but probably in tho •nmtoi fiicci will run higher than ever.

Expor buyers confine their operations *o lambs, and "pi'^ cs aie gocxl, and the supply r;o f up to lequiiements. Southevi buyerj an- operating in Canterbury North for store lambs for fattening, as the dry wea'liei thfie has made it impossib c io finish off a« usual. Export buyers almost wholly neglect niuiton, as the class of sheep required— viz., small, well-finished carcase*, are not to be had, and the heavy carcases arc nu* wanted in London. The present downward tendency and unsettled state of the wool market has some effect on buyers of mutton as =kins are much lower than the> were. There should be a tfood supply of iambs for the freezing works in Ota.go and Southland later, but the lambs will be mostly of the hea\y sort— tegs, in fact,

There ha? been a good deal of discussion in London lately as to what is a teg; and the London correspondent of the Pas-torah-fs' Review -^ays: —

Bioadly. a teg is. of course, the intermediate portion between a sheep end a lamb, and the practised eye of the meat man can more readily recognise the stage in the carcase than the tongue describe it. Some of our authorities here define a teg to be any- ' thin~ between six and 12 months, as with the hoeget. while others say that a. lamb stays a lamb till he is nine months old. There was a recent case of some Australian caresses which turned out "as red as a^telephone book, 1 ' which were as "nonsuckers"—carrying the idea of extieme youth — on which 3d" per stone was allowed. Sruithfie d's rough idea of the average Sydney weights for nierinos is-: — Sheep. 45 to 70; tegs, 40 to 1 50; and lambs, 30 to 40. But one cant go by weight in answering tae question. There are some real (Plate) sheep 421b, and some leal lambs 48 to 60. Last week there were tome undoubted Sydney dte«p to b» seen uo»

der 40 It depends on breed, climate, etc., and is an open question largely. One practised Smitbfield man tells me he would not touch an arbitration case where "What is a. teg?" arose. But where a serious attempt i: made to decide the point, the size, the general appearance, and the bones aj;e considered. Kea 1 "sucker" lambs are sometimes seen here too heavy to be graded as lambs; they are classed as 46 to 48 tegs. I hear to-da\ of a case where a firm bo\ight New Zea'and hoggets for shipment, and were surprised when C T.C. No. l's were tendered; these are light sheep. Is not the matter of sufficient importance for the Frozen Meat Trade Association to take up with the freezing companies?

Referring to the falling off in quality of Canterbury lamb, the same writer says: —

The deterioration of Canterbury mutton is often discussed. Froni the old North Canterbury ideal a falling off has no doubt been, recorded for many years. It is plain that the Christchurch shippers have of late laid themselves out for leinbs, whereas the North Island shippers have tried to keep their mutton quality uniform. They say in th< market that one can rely upon North Island mutton grading perfectly, wneroas this is not altogether s 0 with Canterbury. Buyers are more safe in buying from, brand in the former case. Apparently there is a. greater demand for Canterbury mutton than can be met, which means some deterioration.

There are 6ome sheep-farmers, but not many, who believe we derive great benefit from the rabbit industry. I have never taken this view, and believe we should and could stamp out the rabbits, or keep them down in Otago and Southland, as has been done in Marlborough and Nelson, by giving them no quarter, and by not encouraging an export rabbit trade. Speaking of the dulness of the mutton trade, a London writer »ais: — ""'The market was never «j bad a= it is now,' one hears on all sides. Rabbits are to blame to a great extent; a crate, 561b, displaces an Australian sheep, or seme kind of frozen meat by-product.-To date m 1907 we havo 918,000 cases of Australasian rabbits^ — say, 23,00f» tons ; can one • wonder at the dulness of the mutton trade?" We never shall get rid of rabbits in Australia as long as an export trade is encouraged. In Australia this fradc is given more encouragement by the Government than the export of frozen mutton. They provide grade stores and graders. Wo have never done that here, nor do I think our Agricultural Department, will, for they know well that this exporttiade encourages rabbit-farming. Messrs Weddel and Co. in their daiiv

produce report, of December 27 indicated a ■father short supply of butter. They r«|>ort: — The demand for colonial butte. from Au=Iraiia and New. Zealand continues good vshipxnents from Canada ceased two months ago), and prices remain firm. Shipments from Australia this week are 35,000 boxes in the India and 1900 boxes in the Star of Ireland, so <hat Australian shipments are not increasing •to the extent anticipated when tk-e announcement of good rains was cabled. Arrivals from Australia this week total 24,678 boxes, and from New Zealand 26,242 boxes. The total smports of butter from all countries foi the iwo weeks ending 21st December show a deficit of 68.118 boxes compared with the came period last year, of ..-which shortage $1,066 belong .o colonial. The market for foreign butter remains strong, with a firmer Vndency in prices. French butters are espeteially dear. Tho piesent high prices for butter in London — up to 138s per cwt. — were quite unlooked for, and are probably due more to mrtificial caxises than to the rue of supply *nd demand. For instance, when our New Zealand and Australian butters were at 118s to 120s. '* Liptons" were pushing and advertising best colonial butters at Is, and Jhej and other larce shop-owners did the ■feme last year in cheese, buying at 7d and Retailing over the counter at 6d. This iort of thing is still going on. Some of the large shop-owning companies in Britain have tried to get other companies to amalgamate, and form a ring, but failing in this they are fighting to make their rivals lose money, and so force them to come in. At «ny rate this is what is said in London, »nd it is quite certain that the colonial outtcr trade and many other trades arc not conducted at present on sound comirercia.l principles. The retaii grocers of the ordinary kind are having a bad time owing to the action of these large comnanies. I don't look UDon the present high prices »f butter in London as anything more than fery temporaiy. and not to be relied on. I heai some Taranaki men are alreadytrying to boom their land on the basis -»f this reported price of butter in London.

Latest private cables from London report sales of cheese er Mamaruand Tongariro at 60s to 61s 6d. T^he market is expected to improve, r.nd prices will probably be higher n March and April.

The Athenic tailed on 31st January wil'i 37,459 boxes butter and 16.336 cases of chaese Orago and Southland contributed 3000 boxes butter and 5500 crates chee-e to this.

Supplies of cheese will now decrease from Ihe N^rth Island, and to a less degree from khe South Island. About 5000 orates went by the Maheno for the Kaikoura from Bluff and Dunedin last week, and >bout 600 for West of England. l"he weather is dry in some parts, but the milk supply is well maintained, the nice warm weather making up in some measure to the cows for any shortage of feed. A few good showers now svouid he in time to keep the grass in good order.

Tho conference heid at Inverrar^ill and Bluff by tTie National Dairy Association on ;he 31s* January and Ist February was interesting, and 1 think useful. Messrs Singleton and Sawers gavp instructhe addrosses. Mr M'Coll. of Seaward Downs, was responsible for keeping the meeting lively, and some very interesting points •were made in the discussions. I shall <Jeat iTvil'i these fully next week.

Respecting? our cheese in London, it will }>c noled that ihe cables quote 2s to is Jnore _fo' Canadian. This is_ not unusual *.t this season. The position will be reversed in a month or two. At present our spring rrake of cheese (our worst) is on the market against Canadian Augiut-Septembe • make (their best). Later on, as our bp«;t ■cheese begins to arrhe. this 'will aiter. and in June and July Canadian 'oader cheese and spring make jvill recoue, wh K> ?^ew .Zea'and will show an advance.

I fl.ink that (he high prices for bnfrer London are to some extent due to 'he jßuttor Bill restricting the trade in fr.mrlalent n'ixtures, etc. This gives genuine trtter a better show. I believe, however, the toain cause of the rise is speculation >i»d •tiong trade rivalry, as I have stated anove.