OUT AND ABOUT

Otago Witness, Issue 4032, 23 June 1931, Page 13

OUT AND ABOUT

THE WEEK IN OTAGO. Fine, frosty weather conditions prevailed during the week in Otago, with light rain falling on Sunday. Stock are doing well, and winter feed prospects are very promising. - BURNSIDE MARKET. The entry of fat stock at the Burnside Metropolitan Market was about the average, and there was little if any change in values. Certainly, any appreciation w’as of the slightest, and, in no section was the bidding of a nature Warranting enthusiasm. , „ , , The supply of fat. cattle, 224 (168 last sale), comprised medium to very fair quality, with here and there some wellfinished bullocks, together with a considerable sprinkling of plain animals, both steers and cows. The demand was fainy good for prime lots, but indifferent quality was in small request. Values generally about held at the previous week's rates, prime ox and heifer beef making to 27 s per 1001 b. The yarding of fat sheep, 2519 (2300 last sale)-, met with a a very fair aeipaqd, but there was little alteration in values. Early in the sale, prices were close up to those of the previous week, and were maintained for light ewes and wethers, but heavy wethers and ewes eased about Is per head when about three-fourths of the way through the sale Butchers’ wethers may be quoted as making to 3d per lb. Some 630 fat lambs (1500 last sale) evoked a good demand, and values were maintained. The quality was mixed, some extra heavy perm lags being included, jilfo f;obd average sorts, together with pennings acking finish, and some mere stores Light prime lambs made to lid per lb. A small entry of store cattle, chiefly medium cows and some 40 young steers comprised the ■ offering, in all about 109 head. Half of the steers were aoove the average in quality. The demand was dud-, good one-and-a-half-year-old steers in backward condition making <£3 5s to £3 10s, forward two-year-olds to £B. Other classes unchanged. ■ - Another good entry of fat pigs was listed, 161 as against 200 the previous week. Stores were of better quality than at the previous sale, there being 48 compared with 113 a week ago. The demand was fair at a decline of 5s per head for bacon sorts, porkers also being a shade cheaper. Bacon pigs made up to s?d and pofkers to 6j>d per lb.- The best of the stores sold slightly under last sale’s values.

COUNTRY STOCK SALES.

BALCLUTHA. A combined horse sale attracted a very large attendance at the Corporation Yards on ’ Friday, showing the need _ felt -- by farmers for work animals at this season of the year. The Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association yarded about 30, mostly draught animals. A six-year-old gelding offered on behalf of Mr W. Stiven (Paritai) realised £42 10s. Other good , geldings made £34 10s, £34; mares, £2B to £35; nnbroken filly, £2B; do colt, £24 10s. The National Mortgage- and Agency Company yarded 25 horses, and sold a nice young mare at £4O; geldings at £37 10s, £3l, £3O, and £25 10s. BRITISH BREEDS OF SHEEP. The British breeds of sheep have long been roughly divided into’ three classes —■ £1) Mountain, comprising the Scotch lackface, Herdwick, -Swaledale, Lonk; Cheviot, Shetland, Kerry; Hill, Derby; Gritstone, Exmore, Welsh, and Dartmoor breeds; (2) Longwools, composed of the Lincoln, English Leicester, Cotswold. Romney Marsh, Roscommon, Wemsleydale, South Devon, Devon Longwool, ai.d Border Leicester breeds; (3) Shortwools, divided into the Southdown, Dorset Horn, Ryeland, Hampshire Down, Oxford Down, Shropshire, Dorset Down, and Suffod: breeds. The mountain breeds are confined to hilly country, and have coarse, hairy fleeces. Practically none of them exists in the Dominion. The longwools are found mostly in the richer soils of Great Britain, and representatives of most of the longwools have from time to time been introduced into New Zealand, and the Lincoln, the, Romney Marsh, and the two Len esters have found a permanent home. The shortwools, whose home is mostly on the soils overlying the chalk and limestones of England, do well in New Zealand.

COLOURING MATTER IN WOOL. The Minister of Agriculture, England, is advised that within the last three or four years quantities of wool have been coloured with a substance that causes the wool to become a brilliant orange yellow on being scoured (says the North British Agriculturist). Analysis of this colouring matter by the Wool Industries Research Association shows that it is 'a substance known as metanil yellow, which may be a component of some dips, or may be an added substance for the purpose of giving bloom to the wool for manufacturing purposes. The colour thus given to the wool cannot be removed in the course of ordinary commercial processing, and therefore definitely spoils the wool for manufacturing. purposes. In these circumstances, farmers are strongly advised to avoid the use of dips or washes which may contain this substance. ~ ■

THE HORSE BUTCHERY TRADE. The- annual report -of the Scottish National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty, to Animals, of which’the Duchess of Portland is the president, is a very striking record of the' humanitarian activities of this very useful organisation, says an exchange. No one who reads this report carefully can fail to realise_ the importance of the movement. Considerable reference is, naturally, made to the export of horses for butchery purposes, and the. Bill before Parliament has for its object the prohibition of the export of live horses over eight years of age, and also those under a value of £25. Few people realise, perhaps, the increasing extent of this; export trade in aged and done horses, even in Scotland. It will, no doubt, surprise some to know that last year there were presented at the Port -oL Leith for export a total of 2159, as compared with 1932 in 1929, and

.when it is further kept in view that of these 2159 no fewer than' 265 were rejected by the Ministry’s Inspector,. it will be gathered that there is very good reason for keeping a very watchful eye upon this trade. A noticeable feature of the traffic, according to this report, is the increase in the winter months —rising to nearly 800 .in November, - while the monthly average is: 157. And, of course, there need be no doubt about the ultimate fate of these horses, for the Rotterdam S.P.C.A. reports that 90 per cent.. of the horses landed are slaughtered in the private abattoir, the remaining. 10 per cent, being sold in the local markets. The directors of the society further emphasise the point that once on foreign soil the horses are no longer protected by legislation, nor is the foreign standard of humane treatment comparable to ours. Moreover, if the animals are utilised for work they must sooner or later be slaughtered by methods .which are in many instances primitive and cruel. On the other hand, there are obvious economic reasons why, if horses have to be slaughtered, they should be slaughtered in this country, to create employment and provide valuable by-products. The S.P.C.A. deserves well of all right-thinking people.

WHEAT AND FLOUR.

Figures relating to exports of wheat and flour from the Commonwealth disclose that for the week ended June 4 shipments were on a much larger scale than in the previous two weeks. The aggregate of both products represented an equivalent of 4,150.610 bushels of wheat, of which _ 2,126,726 bushels were shipped to countries other than Europe. To date this season Australia has exported an equivalent of 103,636,773 bushels of wheat, so that the surplus production is diminishing rapidly. This promises well for the new season, for,.from a market point of view, it is generally an advantage to carry as little wheat as possible over from the previous season. This is the.most disturbing influence in the international wheat position at present, as both the United States and Canada will enter the new season with a heavy surplus of unsold wheat.

STOCKS OF WOOL.

In a recent summary of textile activities, the Textile Mercury, of Manchester, commented upon the fact that the statistical position of wool was sound. The journal said the surprising feature was that in spite of this depression—which had.its parallel in practically every consuming country of the world—there was no excessive accumulation of wool supplies. The clip was not quite of record dimensions, but it was only slightly less. -Yet at the end of 1930 stocks of. wool, though abnormal in crossbreds, were by no means threatening. They were no larger than might have been expected as a result of the persistent policy of stock reduction at every stage of the industry. This unusual result was due to the fact that the cheapness of wool caused the industry to use less cotton, artificial silk, and reworked wool. •

NEW LIVE STOCK COMPANY. Registration is reported by the Mercantile Gazette of Associated Live Stock Auctioneers, Ltd., private company. Palmerston North, Capital, £25,000 into 25.000 shares, of £1- each. Subscribers: Wellington—Abraham and Williams, Ltd., 4620; Dalgety- and Go.. Ltd., 6475; Johnston and Co., Ltd., 200; Levin and..Co Ltd., 2126: Murray. Roberts, and Co., Ltd., 921; New Zealand Loan , and Mercantile Agency, Ltd., 5121: Wright, Stephenson, and Co., Ltd;'. 3207. MastertonWairarana Farmers’ Co-op. Association. Ltd., 2330. Objects: Buying, sellings, and dealing in live stock for customers and clients in and throughout the Woodville county in the provincial district >f Hawke’s Bay and the whole of Wellington provincial• district, except, that part thereof north of the township of Raurinfu, to carry on, develop, and extend the said businesses. '

MONTHLY AVERAGES. The following table shows the monthly average of prices realised on the. London market for the nine months’ period ending April 30, with corresponding figures for the previous year:—

FROZEN MEAT TRADE. Exports of frozen meat from New. Zealand during the eight months of the current season to May 31 'show increases of 682,863 carcasses of lamb, 245,283 carcasses of mutton, and; 9012 carcasses of pork, compared with J the figures for the corresponding period of last season. There was a decrease of 11,325 quarters of beef and an increase of 18,408 bags of. boneless beef. Practically the whole.of the meat exported went to Great Britain, the London market absorbing, by far the largest share. ' . . ' ’ ‘ ' •.

The killings, of stock for export for the eight months of the 1930-31 season make a new record for lambs at nearly 7,000,000 carcasses, the increase over the corresponding period of last season being 651,887 carcasses. The killings of lamb in the South Island, 3,663,293 carcasses, were 359,134 carcasses more than .the North Island total of 3,304,159 carcasses. Killings of sheep at 1,859,945 carcasses were fewer by 637,332 carcasses than for the corresponding period of last season,

when the total, was 2,497,277 carcasses. Pork killings increased by 4058 carcasses. FRIESIANS AND JERSEYS. At the sale of pedigree - and grade Jersey cattle, held at Papawai, Grey town, on June 15 on account of Mr W. H. Gordon, there was spirited competition for the 44 head offered. Grade cows, comprising mostly second-class calvers, averaged £B. Pedigree'sales ineluded yearling bulls at 15gns to 30gns, and yearling heifers 144gns to 25gns. The' dispersal sale of Mr W. S. M'Ewen’s Otawa Friesian herd of 200 head held at Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, was largely attended, the bidding being steady. Miss A. C. Matthews paid 337gns for the rising two-year-old bull Henry Patchwork, sired by the 1929 Royal champion Hanley Netherland Butterboy. The nine-year-old herd sire, Hauraki Butterboy Segis, by King Segis of Friesland Park, was purchased by Mr Neil Carter, of Whakatane, at 36gns. Another nine-year-old bull, Bainfield Pieterje Sylvia King, realised 30gns to the bid of Mr G. H. Checkley, Whakatane. A younger stud bull, Hobson King Ona, was purchased byMr W. Hickey, Waiotapu, at 34gns. Among the cows, top price realised was for the five-year-old cow, Lady Paxton, of imported blood, bought for 35gns by Mr B. G. Pinker, Te Puke. The same buyer secured the show cow, z Netherland Bonny, by Netherland Prince, at 30gns. Nine other cows made 20gns to 30gns. and four heifers 20gns to 25gns. Including yearlings and bull calves, the total realised was 2003gns. THE THRESHING MACHINE. Though various methods of thrashing corn had for long been 'experimented with in other countries, the flail was, until 1787, the only instrument in use in Britain. It need scarcely be mentioned that it always proved most unsatisfactory. Indeed, thrashing was so unpopular that labourers seldom undertook-to do it if other work could be obtained. An East Lothian man, Michael Menzies, endeavoured to drive a number of flails by a water wheel, but the power was too great for the purpose, and both his flails and his ambitions were shattered. Though a Perthshire fanner, Michael Stirling, then approached very near to success, the crestfallen pioneer had the doubtful satisfaction of hearing about his attempt and several others following in the wake of his failure.

Two Northumberland men (says James Veitch, in the Scottish Farmer), Mr llderton and Mr Oseley, were really the first to attract public attention. - Oseley’s machine was, perhaps, the more successful. It has, indeed; been alleged that later models were copied from it, but I have found from a study'of detailed, descriptions that such assertions' are erroneous. Sir Francis Kinloch chanced to see Ilderton’s machine, and after making many improvements upon it, he sent a large model, which he himself had no opportunity to .test, to Andrew Meikle, a civil engineer in Haddingtonshire, ' A trial was accordingly made, but,as ■ the machine could not sustain the necessary velocity, it ended, as ,'pfeyious efforts had done,' in failure. .

But .Meikle was a. man of .ability and determination. He was bqrn in 1719, and died in 1811, and he i's, or should be, recognised ;as ’ the inventor of the drum thrashing machine.. He set to work on the principle that the surest method, wbuld be “ to., beat lout the corn from the ear by means of a strong drum or cylinder, upon which fixed beaters shod with iron should be placed.”/He thereupon built a machine for a Clackmannanshire man, Mr Stein, on an agreement that at once shows his confidence and resource. .Stein supplied all the materials on the mutual understanding that, if the machine failed, Meikle was not to receive one penny in payment But Meikle won through. The machine justified" his convictions, and before long he received another order for one from an interested Englishman. Immediately hei realised that he was working upon the correct lines, and he obtained a patent for his invention. . But creative men are not usually good business men, and though Meikle’s patent cost a considerable amount of ■ money he was slow to make use of it. Too slow, indeed; for, as one writer remarked, “ interlopers were then so numerous that the design could not be executed without risking an excessive expense.” , However, Meikle’s splendid services were not unappreciated. He derived little profit from his actual invention, but a subscription was later raised on his behalf and the response was both spontaneous and generous. “Other people attempted to construct thrashing machines,” commented a writer shortly, afterwards, “ before Mr Meikle made a perfect one; and we may add that those who engaged in- such attempts were and are entitled to much praise on that account. Still, the merit of the actual'invention is not thereby lessened;on -the' contrary it is rather increased, seeing that he proved successful in a cause where” many others had previously failed.” JOTTINGS. Stock values appear to -have steadied, ■ and at the moment there is some demand for open-woollen wethers at .around 12s, while • fat cattle prices in Otago are inclined to move upwards rather than downwards, although ..any forward change is as yet not ..very apparent. ; So much is heard about the quantities of dairy produce that Britain imports that the national conclusion is that nothing is exported, but In 1930 Germany imported (says an exchange) from Great Britain 15,9001 b of butter and 2,568,0001 b of cheese. - ’!

Since the . end of the eighteenth century no cattle have been allowed to land on the island of Jersey.- No Jersey cow or bull can be taken to England for exhibition and, returned to the island. It is by regulations .such as these that the scourges of tuberculosis, contagious abortion, and foot-and-mouth disease are kept at bay. >" ./ *

“I am sorry to state that New Zea--, land butter is not as well -known in the British Isles as it should, be,” said Mr H. Henry, an Irish visitor •to Christchurch, during an interview with a Press reporter. “In every household one hears reference, to fresh or Danish butter. It is a-pity that; your butter is not as widely known or used as Canterbury, lamb.” ,

The Dairy Shorthorn hull Play ford Ringleader, .at the age of 14 years, is still in service in Lord. Dulverton’s herd at Batsford, Moreton-in-Marsh. Other long-lived dairy Shorthorn sires are Bianca Lord, the 10-year-old stock bull in Mr L. H. Beard’s herd at Marden, Devizes; Kingsthorpe Fairy Duke, which at the same age headed Mr Corbett Roper’s herd at Lenborough, Bucks, and Colescombe King John in Mr Fitz Hugh’s Plaspower herd at Wrexham.

“ They have a strange affection for casks in the English Midlands,” stated Sir James Parr when discussing the bntter market during an address which he delivered in Palmerston North. He stated (says the Manawatu Evening Standard) that an enterprising English firm had put New Zealand butter into the casks to which the buyers were accustomed and it had sold like hot cakes. That indicated the conservatism of some British families.

There is not the same demand for close-woolled sheep as for open-woolled cheep, owing to the farmer’s proneness to foot-rot, which this season has been fairly prevalent in Ota’go. Owners of high-country sheep are advised to everhaul the feet of their flocks on every possible occasion during the present generous autumnal growth of vegetation. Two thousand chicks hatched during the previous night were dispatched- by air recently to Bucharest from the farm of Mr W. Hamnett, Blackpool, president of the National Poultry Council. They were purchased by the Roumanian Government to start a new strain.

The Stock.Owners’ Association of South Australia will not support the extensive experiments on the fecundity of sheep proposed to the Australian Pastoral Research Trust by Dr J. A. Gilruth (head of the division of Animal Health Council for Scientific and Industrial Research). The executive has decided that the expense which would he incurred in this investigation is- not justified, as it can be dealt with adequately by each individual breeder, and that there are many other avenues of scientific research which are much more practical and important to the pastoral industry to- which the Scientific Research Council should direct its efforts. •

Killing at the Fairfield freezing works ceased on Tuesday (says, the Ashburton Guardian). Sheep are still coming in, but not in sufficient numbers to keep the

works going, and the balance will be sent to the company’s works at Belfast. Although the works are closed a number of the men will be engaged for a week or so in cleaning up. About 200 men are employed at Fairfield, and although a number, have occupations to keep them going during the winter months, the majority will have to depend on unemployment relief work until the reopening of the works next season. Officials report that a fair season has been experienced at the works.

The dairying season is now. practically closed with a number of factories having finished their operations for the season and the remainder about to close down. In view of the better return available for butter, a number of factories changed over from cheese to the manufacture of butter for the latter portion of the season. Butter manufacture has a good deal to commend it for the period of the year when the decline in quantity is rapid. A smaller staff is sufficient for butter manufacture, and the factory thus avoids a higher overhead charge. In addition, for this season, at any rate, butter has been a better proposition than cheese for the primary producers. “I am rather disappointed that the Farmers’ Union is not playing a greater part in farming questions and matters in the country,” said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr J. G. Coates) at Waipu the other night. .“ The similar organisation in Great Britain has done a tremendous amount to assist the farmer, and is consequently keeping abreast with matters affecting his well-being. For instance, the union has secured a. large number of legal judgments to assist the farmer and advise the struggling man. In the present circumstances of our country there is a great opportunity for farmers to make the best use of their unions."

Oa Monday, June 1, there passed away " a ” laTl S> Victoria,-a respected farmer, Mr C. H. Best. A meeting of farmers was immediately called with a view to showing the. bereaved family some practical expression of their sympathy, and Messrs W. T. Beggs and C. W. Bird volunteered to convey their desires to Mrs Best. As a result, on the afternoon of June 5 practically all the farmers for many miles around arrived at the farm with equipment comprising 126 horses, three tractors, many combines, drills, cultivators, and rollers. The 100 acres were cultivated, sown with wheat, oats, and barley, and rolled, the job being finished before nightfall. It was a fine

tribute to the memory of the deceased farmer and a wonderful example of the spirit of the farming community. The movement to establish an export trade in rabbits this winter in Tasmania has not assumed the proportions that were anticipated when a start was made, but it is likely that there will be a rapid development. In the northern part of the State there is considerable activity, and recently 11,520 pairs were- packed and placed in the cool store. As many as 1500 pairs have been received in a day in Launceston, and if this goes on through the winter it will have an important effect in reducing the number of rabbits in the State. They are very plentiful now. A great deal of work will also be created for those who are suited for this class of employment. In order to encourage the trappers to forward rabbits to Hobart for freezing, the offer of 8d per pair for rabbits sent from stations south of Ross has been increased to lOd, and it is hoped that this will have the effect of greatly increasing the number sent to the southern store.

From information received from country districts (says the Timaru Herald) small birds seem to be as numerous as ever- Owing to the dry nature of the soil the birds are getting at the young wheat and pulling up rows at a time. Where drilling is in progress, the birds flock to the paddock in hundreds. Some few years ago, when the system of using strychnine wheat for killing the birds was in vogue, a farmer, after having spread poisoned grain over the top of the wheat he had drilled, started to pick up birds that had eaten the poisoned grain and put them in the cover of his drill. On completing his work for the day he opened the drill to take out his catch, and the birds flew out. The system adopted at present is to use phosphorous on oats, and this makes a sure kill. The Farmers’ Union has started out on a campaign to lessen this pest, and hopes that all farmers wil] co-operate. Recent discussions in the Arbitration Court on the relationship between wages and unemployment are directly recalled by some remarks of M. Andre Siegfried in.his latest work, “England Crisis.” The French economist says : “ High wages are the direct cause of unemployment. If wages are definitely fixed at a level which

does not allow manufacturers to make a profit, then one section of the community must necessarily be out of work. Since the war British wages have not been adapted to meet the fall in prices, and consequently the increase in real wages has brought with it a corresponding increase in unemployment." The Frenchman included three chapters in his work “ Democracy in New Zealand," first published in 1904, on our industrial conciliation and arbitration system, and it would be interesting (says an exchange) to have him return now and analyse the later developments of what, 27 years ago, was a curious and unique experiment. He remarked then that “ the provisions of the Act . . . form one of the strongest restraints that have ever been applied to the natural working of supply and demand.”

It is not generally realised that France, although a Republic, rules over a great empire that is second in importance only to that of the British. What this empire means is being shown to the world at the French Colonial Exhibition, opened last month near Paris, to which the British Government has just agreed to send an official representative. Marshal Lyautey, the president of the exhibition, recently wrote informatively of the farflung dependencies of France over the five Continents. Thanks to her colonies, he points out, France is a nation of 100,000,006 people spread over an area that makes her the third largest country in the world, the first being the British Empire and the second Russia. "With regard to population she is fifth, the first four being the British Empire, China, Russia, and the United States. France has come to regard Northern Africa as almost part and parcel of the motherland, and Algiers is actually a French Department. In view of this attitude, it is not surprising that Marshal Lyautey writes of France, but for the gap represented by the Mediterranean, as “ constituting a continuous block of territory . . . extending from the English Channel to the Congo.” That is a viewpoint the force of which was not widely appreciated until France brought black troops to fight her battles in the war and afterwards actually used them as part of the army of occupation on the Rhine.

. BUTTER. 1930/31. 1929/30. August .. .. 170/-173/-September ".. 175/-179/-.October .. .. 174/-177/-November 171/-176/-December . .. 160/-166/-January ... .. 154/-156/-"February .. 147/-149/-March .. .. H0/-119/-. 134/-138/-. April .. .. 108/-110/-. 125/-128/-May . ... .. 108/-110/-CHEESE. 126/-130/- • White.'.'" Coloured. Aug. 1930/31. 1929/30. 1930/31. 1929/30 75/-76/- 86/-88/- 80/-82/- 90/-92/-Sept. 73/-74/- 92/-94/- 73/-75/- 93Z-94/ Oct. 73/-75/- 94/-96/- 70/-72/- 03/-94, Nov. 70/-72/- 94/-9G/- G6/-68/- 93/-94/-Dec. 60/-62/- 90/-92/- 58/-6fr/- 89/-91/ Jan. 56/-58/- 87/-89A 5C/-58/- 8S/.-87/-Feb. 54/-5G/- 88/-90/- 55/56/- 86/-S8/ Mar. 54/-55A 80/-82/- 56/-58/- 81/-S2/ Apl. 50/-51/- 76/-77/- 52/54/- 79/-82Z-May 48/-50/- 80/-81/- 51/53/- - 85/-86Z-