SOUTHLAND NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 4028, 26 May 1931, Page 17

SOUTHLAND NOTES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) A SPELL OF SUMMER. For a fortnight, until May 20, the weather was more summer-like than that experienced in November, and those who had late crops had every opportunity to get them harvested. The conditions have been ideal for lambs on feed, and some big drafts are being sent away to the works. There has been quite a spring in the grass, and this will help to spin out the winter feed, which in many parts is not going to stand as much eating as usual. Seasonal work of all kinds is being pushed along, and it is most noticeable that in this respect topdressing is being done on a very limited scale, as compared with past years. The reason is too well known to need mention here, and there is no doubt that many farmers spent more money in this way in past years than they could afford, and have little if anything to show for it. LIFELESS MARKETS. As a rule store sheep are only wanted by a few in May, and this year, with the exception of forward wethers and lambs, they are not wanted by anybody, or, at least, anybody who can pay for them. Wethers carrying a bit of condition have improved in price, as was anticipated, and the rise in the schedule for fat lambs has firmed the inquiry for any lines that will take very little finishing. Fat wethers are worth practically no more than stores, and several holders are keeping their sheep off the market in hopes of a better demand later in the winter. At the Lorneville sale on May 19 only a handful of fat cattle were yarded, but the quality was very poor, and butchers did not appear to be interested, with the result that a fair proportion was turned out unsold. It is easy to understand that with the low prices ruling for lamb and mutton that beef is not being eaten in the same quantities as in former years. Country butchers are having a very thin time this year. Practically all farmers are killing their own mutton and lamb, and to make matters worse, are in several cases hawking it round the different townships from door to door. An indication of the saleable value of dairy cows was afforded at a clearing sale held in the Gore district this week, when a herd of good cows was sold at a clearing sale at an average of £4 15s. Twelve months ago this herd would have made treble the money and been easier to sell.

A SPLENDID CITIZEN. The province in general, and Southland farmers in particular, will perhaps never realise what they owe to the late Mr William Watson, of Heddon Bush, whose death occurred with tragic suddenness on May 18. He was the pioneer of almost, if not all, the up-to-date farming methods in common use in Southland to-day, and he was always willing and anxious for his fellow-farmers to have the benefit of his courage and brains. Scores of farmers and business men in all callings looked on him as their wisest and kindest counsellor, and his countless acts of practical sympathy are only known to himself and the recipients. _ His wonderful successes in fat lamb raising and pasture growing are too well known to require repeating here, and his reputation had spread far beyond the boundaries of Southland. A huge and most representative gathering followed his remains to the Winton cemetery through the fertile plains that he had done so much for. THE POTATO CROP. The weather lately has been just what potato growers wished for, and the ground being dry, no time has been lost by those having this job on hand. It is a great gamble to attempt to forecast either the yield or quality of potatoes at any time, but one thing is certain, and that is that there are a lot of potatoes in Southland. Reports are everywhere of crops digging anything from 10 tons to 22 tons to the acre, and though the latter yield was probably computed from about three rows in the paddock, the average yield is really good. It is a pity that the price was not as big as the yields, but in the absence of any outside demand, it is a hard job to place a fair sized quantity at any price. Growers living near town and in need of ready cash (most people as well as potato growers are) are hawking their lots from door to door and taking practically anything they can get for them, with, in some cases, a small bag of swede turnips thrown in for discount. BORDERS FOR AUSTRALIA. It can be quite understood that conditions in Australia as they are to-day, coupled with the rates of exchange, have almost stopped the export of New Zealand sheep to Australia, but Mr R. J. Anderson, the well-known Kauana breeder, has built up a connection with men who do not let a few pounds stop them from buying what they want. By the last boat he shipped to Melbourne two stud Border Leicester two-tooth ewes and one two-tooth ram of the same breed, and although the consignment is small in numbers, it certainly will not damage the breeder’s reputation with the buyer. Were circumstances normal there would be a big demand for Borders in Victoria, as it has been proved that this breed is ideal to cross with the merino for raising fat lambs, and the Victorian climate seems to suit the Southland-bred sheep in every way. THE FARMERS’ UNION.

The annual Southland conference of the above body is to be.held in Invercargill on May 29, and judging from the list of remits forwarded by the different branches, there is amjtfe room for discussion. If the Government consents to consider all the questions they are to be asked to consider by the conference they will not have time to think of any other legislation, but it is safe to say that most if not all of the recommendations will meet with the same fate as they have been meeting with for years. The remits cover every vexed question of the day. from reducing manufacturing costs all over the world to the price of shrubs, and to an outsider, at any rate, it is hard

to sec what benefit can be derived from the Southland Farmers’ Union discussing matters that are puzzling the best brains in the Empire. However, if it does fio good, it probably does not do any harm, and several members of to-day’s Parliament learnt their first lesson in public speaking at conferences of this description. 1 STANDARDISED CHEESE. i Mr . John Dunlop, the Southland member of the Dairy Control Board has returned from a conference in Wellington, and m an interview expressed the opinion that the manufacture of standardised cheese would shortly stop. Mr Dunlop, however, did not state that legislation would be enacted to bring about this desirable state of things, but he thinks that the weight of public opinion against the practice will cause factories to discontinue manufacturing this much-dis-rm-l?n r i‘ ,C H : Our i P airy Boald member may think this, and he may be right, but quite a number of people are of the opinion that if North Island factories can pay out a higher price per pound butter-fat to their suppliers by making standardised cheese and getting away " the pounds, shillings, and will carry more weight than the public opinion It is.. well known that it will be a difficult practice to put a stop to, and about the only sure way would be to absolutely prohibit the use of separators in cheese, factories. It is interesting to note that during this season over half of the bouth Islands cheese output has been graded finest, as compared with about 8 per cent, of the North Island’s, but owing to the latter s huge lead in quantity, the total export from the Dominion only shows 16 per cent, finest. A meeting of the South Island Dairy Association is to be held in Dunedin during Winter Show Week, and probably every Southland factory will be represented, so there will be plenty of talk on this and other matters, but whether the talk will help the cow cocky at all remains to be seen.