ON THE LAND

Southland Times, Issue 21097, 31 May 1930, Page 7

ON THE LAND

REVIEW OF THE WEEK

FREEZING WORKS VERY BUSY DAIRYING SEASON ENDS Seasonal winter weather experienced during the last two weeks has brought the farmers to the end of the season. Stock are generally in good condition and there is a good deal of winter feed available to carry through the winter.

The dairying season has practically reached its conclusion. Already, a number of the dairy factories in Southland have restricted their operations and several of the minor factories have definitely closed. It is expected that the remainder will follow suit during the next week or two. Many dairy farmers will take advantage of the completion of their season's work to visit the Otago Winter Show which will open in Dunedin at the beginning of next week.

The greater portion of the Southland grown grain crops for the current season has now been threshed, sold and delivered. The crops have been quite phenomenal this year and those farmers who suffered heavy losses as a result of the decline in wool prices will have an opportunity to recoup their losses in cases where they planted fair areas of grain crops. Generally, the season has been a good one, although, tending to be late as far as the fattening of stock is concerned. Crops, however, came in fairly early. Farmers who propose to sow early spring crops will soon commence their ploughing operations. It is now approaching the time when fallow 7 land should be turned over. The two surviving ploughing matches in Southland will be held within the next, fewweeks and, no doubt, will attract as much interest as usual.

The local freezing works still continue to handle large quantities of stock and the indications are that they will be kept busy well into July. The Coptic and the Huntingdon have relieved the pressure on the freezing capacity of the Southland works by taking large consignments of carcasses from Bluff. The large quantities handled by the Southland works this season on account of the fact that Canterbury offers have not been so attractive has resulted in the capacity of the works being severely t-ested. Some criticism has been levelled against the Meat Board on account of restrictions in shipping space, but freezing shipping space has been very difficult to secure owing to the fact that decreased imports have affected the number of vessels trading tc the Dominion. Again, in ordinary space, the local companies could not anticipate to what extent increased killings would affect them. It would therefore seem that criticism of the board is scarcely justified, as that organization has made every endeavour to meet the extraordinary position as it has arisen.

Some fatteners also complain that they have suffered losses on account of the companies not being able to handle their drafts immediately they were available, with the result that they have been forced. to broach their winter feed reserves to maintain their rheep and lambs in condition for killing. It has been suggested that more hooks should have been allotted to the works, but in view- of the shipping difficulties it would seem that more rapid killings would have been scarcely practicable.

The farm property market is not very lively at the present time, but there have been a large number of inquiries for land and a few sales have been effected. The property of Mr. J. McLeod, Spar Bush, was recently sold to Mr. W. Stevenson, of Oteramika, but delivery is only being given now. It is understood that the property of the late Mr. J. P. Nicholson, of Lochiel, has been sold. This is a particularly attractive property with good buildings. An exchange is reported to have taken place between the property of Mr. George Livingston ,of West Plains and that of Mr. Colin McDonald, of Rakahouka. A shipment of basic slag arrived by the Hororata this week and practically all this has been sold and will go direct to the farmers. Further shipments of this fertilizer and others favoured for top-dressing purposes will arrive at Bluff shortly. Merchants state that a number of farmers have expressed their determination not to undertake any top-dressing work this season on account of the reduced prices ruling for primary products, but the wisdom of this policy is open to question.