THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 4029, 2 June 1931, Page 14

THE NORTH ISLAND.

GENERAL. So far as the Whakatu Works are concerned, one prominent Hawke’s Bay buyer has been providing the bulk of their killings over the past fortnight, trucking numbers of wethers and lambs from the Wanganui and Taihape districts. The first of this season’s lambs is reported from Waiheke Island (says a northern exchange), where one was born two weeks ago on the farm of Mr E. Day, Awaroa Bay. Previously the earliest lambs on the island did not arrive until June 14. It is very easy to pick out the different classes of country in Central Hawke’s Bay just now. The limestone areas are throwing quite a fair amount of good feed, but on the shingle and poorer clays, very little growth is to be seen. Areas which have been manured on both classes’ of country stand out very prominently. Reports of the first lambs of the season are commencing to come in already. The first Gisborne lamb of the season was reported recently from the estate of the late Mr A. J. Cameron, Bushmere, but the first Auckland arrival was even earlier than this. The Auckland Herald states that Mr E. Day, of Waiheke Island, saw his first lamb a few days ago. When visiting the farm of a neighbour George Fisher, a Flock House boy, was attacked by a two-and-a-half-year-old Jersey bull, his injuries consisting of a lacerated wound on the thight, and other cuts and abrasions (reports the Dominion). Owing to the prompt and courageous action of the farmer—Mr F. Woodfinden—who fought the bull off with the aid of a rope, Fisher’s injuries were not serious. ‘We should like to congratulate you on shipping such a very fine, straight line of all finest grade butter,” stated a report from their agents to the Stratford Dairy Company recently. . “ The butter opened up here very well; it was well made, clean in flavour and nicely finished. We sold it through our usual outlet for this particular brand and our customers were very pleased with the quality,” continued the report. Graziers are fortunate in having good autumn growth around Hastings, but when one gets into some parts of Central Hawke’s Bay, one can realise how feed is backward. Around Tikokino it is evident that most farmers will have a hard time in providing feed for their stock. Most of the supplementary feed has been used up to feed the stock during the drought.

THE HONEY INDUSTRY. Although the honey producing season which has just closed in Southland has been an unusually poor one, the North Island beekeepers report record crops. It is reported that a Waikato beekeeper secured the record crop for New Zealand of 75 tons of honey of a total value of close on £3OOO. Two men did all the work one bringing in the honey and the other uncapping and extracting. SHORTAGE OF CATTLE FEED. Quite a number of Hawke’s Bay runholders are facing a serious problem in endeavouring to decide what they are going to do with station cattle that they had had out grazing for some months in areas where cattle feed is now beginning to run short. In numbers of cases it will be necessary to shift these cattle within a week or two, and the finding of new quarters for the winter is a consideration that is likely to give those involved quite a lot of anxiety. Three or four months ago numbers of station owners sent large drafts of cattle down to the Manawatu and Wairarapa for grazing, as cattle feed was practically non-existent. The position now is that there is still no cattle feed in Hawke’s Bay and that these adjoining outside areas have been so overstocked with cattle during the past few months that they are running short also.

The whole object of putting these cattle out to grazing was to avoid having to buy again in the spring, when tho prices will be in keeping with the increased demand. Examples of the need that exists for cattle to clean Hawke’s

Bay pastures in the spring are to be seen all; around the district, and with Hawke’s Bay now absolutely denuded of cattle there is nO questioning the fact that dealers who have, cattle out on properties where they should find enough feed to carry them through the winter should realise a profit when spring comes along. - Most areas in the North Island outside of Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay seem to be well stocked up with cattle now. There was a few months ago a good demand existing in the Waikato, ■but the market has recently been glutted with over supplies from Poverty Bay, coupled with a fair amount of, trucked importations from elsewhere. * LIVE STOCK MARKET. At the usual fortnightly sale at the Lower Hutt Yards there was a smali •entry of sheep and a heavy yarding of dairy cows. The demand for dairy cows and heifers close to profit was exceptionally keen, and very satisfactory prices were obtained for good heifers and cows of good dairy quality. A consignment of cows and heifers from the Wairarapa close to calving met keen competition. •Prices were as follow:—Medium woolly lambs, 5s 3d to 6s 9d; qows close to profit, £l3, £9 12s 6d, £9 10s, £9, £8 ss; -good heifers close to calving, £l4, £l2, ■£9 10s; yearling Jersey heifers (medium condition), £2 17s 6d; fat cows, £2 15s to £3; store cows, £1 5s to £1 10s; spring calvers, £5 to £7. -At a clearing sale of dairy stock held at Whakaronga bidding came freely from quite a large attendance of the public, and the Jersey herd was disposed of at an average of £9 10s. Early calvers especially attracted good competition. The following is the range of prices:— Cows : Early calvers, £7, £B, £9 15s, £lO, £ll 15s, £l2, £l3 10s, to £l4; later calvers, £5, £6 10s, £7, £8 ss, £ll ss; weaner heifers, £2 10s. - ' At the autumn cattle fair at Feilding a large entry was offered. It included many rough lines, and prices were fully 50 - per cent, below those ruling 12 months . ago. Quotations are : Yearling steers averaged £2 to £2 7s; yearling Jersey ■ heifers, £3; 20-month-old Hereford steers, - £3; ditto polled Angus, £4; heifers, two ■ and a-half years, £2 9s; ditto, three years, £3 7s; Shorthorn steers, three years, £3 to £3 9s; Shorthorn bullocks, four to five years, £5 7s; polled Angus weaner heifers, £1 15s; store cows, £1 18s to £2; fat cows, £3 15s to £4; fat heifers. £3 15s to £4 Is. There was a large entry of fat sheep. The fat lambs were in fine condition, and prices improved fully Is 6d per head. Wethers also sold well, but ewes, of which the quality, was not up to standard, were hard to quit. Fat lambs : Special lines, very primest, 18s 6d to 19s; prime, 15s 3d to 15s 8d; good, 12s 5d to 13s; fair, 9s 7d to Ils Id. Fat wethers : Prime- heavy, 13s to 13s Id; good, 12s fid. Fat ewes : Best offered, 9s 3d to 9s 6d; good, 8s to 9e; medium, from 7s 9d. There was a poor market for stores. Four and sixtooth ewes, running with Southdown rams. 9s; four and five-year-old ditto, 8s fid; old ditto,' 4s. HAWKE’S BAY FRUIT. The last case of export fruit was received at the assembly shed in Hastings bn Saturday morning, when the 1930-31 season closed. There is a decrease of . over 34.000 cases sent away from Hastings this season as compared with 12 months ■ ago,, the totals being as follow: — 1930-1931 .. .. 213,340 . cases. 1929-1930 .. .. 247,772 cases. In view of the severe drought that visited the province this summer, the general feeling-of orchardista and those interested in the industry is one of satisfaction. The shortage of large apples caused a big slump in the consignments to South America, where the smaller fruit is not welcomed. Trade with the Baltic markets has increased to a very big ex-' tent, over 10,000 more cases of apples being sent this season than last, when Sweden was the principal marke 4 : With regard to pears, there has been a drop of nearly 5000 cases, this being mainly accounted for by reason of the smaller consignments to the Continent. On the other hand, the consumption in the United Kingdom showed an improvement.