For Breeder and Dealer

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 116, 6 August 1927, Page 26

For Breeder and Dealer

Whakapara Opening Sale Wakelin reports at the Whak.tT. opening sale on Saturday, practically a total clearance of *»• head of cattle including 150 three’’ 0 four-year-old bullocks of exception', quality. Fat cows made from £4 y to £7; store cows, £3 10s; three 1 four-year bullocks. £5 4s to j ° two and a-half-year steers, £5; daijL cows to £6 17s 6d; store wethers t £1 4s. Pigs: Slips made from 16<? -! 17s 6d. Maungatapere Sale. —At Maungatapere on Monday, 120 head of cattle aid 60 pigs were yarded. Competition wa« keen throughout and practically sold under the hammer. Fat cows made from £5 to £5 ss; store cows to £3 7s*6d: two-year-old steers to £4 Is; Shorthorn yearling heifers to £1 ss: Shorthorn yearling steers to £1 15s; dairy cows close to profit made up to £S: dairy heifers to £5 j- s Porkers, £2 4s; slips, £1 ss: weaner* 12s 6d: sows in farrow. £2 to £3. Ewes in lamb, 14s. No New Suggestion.—The sugges. tion that beet-growing and sugarmaking might be made a very profitable occupation in Mew Zealand is by no means a new one. Stowede away ia the cellars of Parliament House in Wellington there are many printed and manuscript papers dealing with the suggestion, and even so late as Mr. Seddon’s time it was discussed in the House of Representatives and in the Legislative Council. Southland and Otago wt-.ere to be the fields of production in those days, and some experiments in the growing of the variety of beet required for sugar production were actually made in those districts. These experiments, so far as they went, were not unsatisfactory; but the capital required for the establishment of the industry was not forthcoming and the suggestion was allowed to lapse. Record Wool Returns. The last wool season established new records in the volume and aggregate value of the clip sold in Sydney. For the first year in history the turnover in current season’s clip exceeded the million bale mark. The 1,125,000 bales disposed of compare with 1,067,922 bales in 1925-26 season, which included 171,700 bales of carry-over wools. The season’s wool cheque approximates £26,500,000, as against £23,775,843 in the previous year. These figures, of course, take no account of wool sold in Albury or despatched to Melbourne and Adelaide, or consigned direct to London for sale. The Sydney sales turnover, however, abundantly demonstrates the extent to which the financial stability of the State is dependent upon sheep and wool.

Corriedale at Sydney. —Sound progress is obviously being made with Corriedale sheep (says a report in the “Australasian” on the Sydney Sheep Show), and this year the section was of greater interest because the opposition to the Macfarlane family was so much stronger. The New South Wales breeders held their own, but failed to carry off either of the chief awards, while all the classes were keenly contested. One championship went to Victoria, J. F. Guthrie’s ewe proving too superior for her competitors. The ram championship was secured by T. Bowling, with a fourtooth of his own breeding. His win was fully deserved, and that he should be able to boast a sale to the stud which was one of the originators of the breed in New Zealand is quite a noteworthy performance. The champion is a typical specimen of the dualpurpose type, and his wool is very nicely put on. (The ram was purchased by Mr. H. T. Little, Canterbury, who was the Corriedale judge.' The reserve champion is also a very fine ram, but had it not been for a most unfortunate mistake in the catalogue as regards the date of shearing he might have had a hard fight to beat J. F. Guthrie’s ram in the same class. The champion ewe is quite a remarkable sheep, beautifully covered with wool of the most attractive style. She was first and reserve champion at last year’s sheep breeders’ show at Melbourne, and grand champion at the Melbourne Royal.