RURAL TOPICS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3026, 24 October 1908, Page 3

RURAL TOPICS.

("By Agricola.")

THE WEATHER

On Saturday morning last several degrees of frost were registered, followed by a warm sunny day. This week there has been some splendid growing weather. A good dsal of moisture has fallen while there was heavy rain from ths westward on the Tararua Ranged, which should fill the springs and ensure a goo J supply for the rivers an 1 atroaau which have their sources in ch?so mountains. 'The crops smkl pastures have made great advancement, and the only parts of the Wairarapa where the growth is somewhat backward is in the vicinity of-Castlepoint, and some other portions of the East Coast. SHEARING. This work has been retarded a good deal throughout the district by the showery and broken weather, but there are signs that it is being proceeded with, as waggons loaded with wool are to be seen wending their way to the railway station dai.y. At Te Farae (Messrs Williams Bros. station) a start was made this week. The Brancepeth shed was to have commenced operations on Thursday, iut owing to the rain, work was suspended till Monday next. There is every prospect of a very heavy clip of wool from these stations. It is in excellent condition—in fact, from all accounts the wool clip in the whole of the Wairarapa will compare mora than favourably with last season's clips. THE LAMBING PERCENTAGE. Docking is now nearly completed, and the general opinion is that the result will be within the range of ninety per cent. The records from Te Parae and Brancepeth, respectively, are over one hundred per cent., which is highly satisfactory in such large flocks as these. The two-tooth ewes on the latter station returned over 80 per cent. THE WOOL MARKET. Reports from London point to firmness, and good competition in connection with wool. The following prices for some New Zealand clips show a considerable advance on those sold in the early sales—viz., Parerangi, B£d; Ngakonui, Bfd; Mangatoro, 7sd; Annedale, 7gd; Merri. 9Jd. The Ngakonui clip at BJd is one of the highest averages obtained for Wairarapa wool this .season. From a perusal of reports received from time to time, it is apparent that the American manufacturers are good customers for large quantities of the Dominion's finer grades of ci-ossbred wool, and that the competition from that quarter has resulted m putting a good many pounds into the producers pockets. This is certainly • a market that our pastoralists should cultivate, and cater for, by endeavouring to grow the class of wool that is required, and by seeing that it is properly classified and got up, for the astute American has "no time" for clips that are badly skirted, or heavy and earthy. The representative of the firm of Thomas and Cook, wool brokers, of London, who visited New Zealand last season, and which firm handle a very large proportion of the I Dominion crossbred clips, informed the writer that he considered that | New Zealand was one of the finest countries in the world for the pro- * duction of the higher and finer grad< 8 of such wool. This is the wool that our American friends desire. SHEARING LAMBS. In the past it has been the custom, with a few exceptions, for the lambs to be shorn, but this season it is quite probable on a number of stations that the practice will be given up. There are many arguments which could b8 produced both pro and con with regard to this matter, which would take up too much valuable spac6 to deal with. To those who do not shear their lambs I would say, Take care that they are kept in the very highest condition, otherwise when winter and spring comes on the death-rate may be an unpleasant surprise to the owner. Personally, I am not in favour of .shearing lambs, for'after many years experience with a Lincoln flock of heavy type, on ordinary country on the East Coast of this district, I found that the unshorn lambs did remarkably well, ,the death-rate being very low, and at the two-tooth stage the animals were well grown, cutting heavy fleeces of good sound quality, and tip-top length. The matter of condition is the crux of the question, for if as lambs and up to the twotooth ago, they are not kept well,

they will not be strong enough to •carry the extra weight of fleece which is very great, particularly when wet, and disaster will inevitahly follow The lambs should be , weaned on to clean pasture, and, if possible, be shifted from time to time as the grass becomes foul, and care exercised to keep them free from •dags, which will accumulate on the .-long fleeces, especially during the •.spring —it will also be necessary this time, and even up to shearing, to pay attention to sec th:it they do not get "cast," t:> which they are very prone in cousi qu'-nce ■of their heavy fleeces. I'erhaps one of the worst features in coi nection with shearing lambs is the knocking about they get durinc the process—no matter how carefully the work is carried out, and it is a potent cause of a great many •motherless lambs. STOCK SALES. The spring cattle sales have been a "prominent feature this week, a large number of cattle being auctioned by the local Arms of Messrg Dalgety and Co and the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd. Somethinc over two thousand head passed through the yards, and on the whole values obtained were satisfactory. Next week Messrs Abraham and Williams, Ltd, will submit a yarding of over 1000 head, including a draft from Brancepeth. There seems a disposition on the "•pare of breeders to put quite a number of their cattle on the market. This may be attributed to the shortness of rough feed brought about by the last season's drought, and the fear that another dry season may •ensue. It was quite apparent, at t! • recent sales that many of the cattle had gone through a severe ordeal ■ during the past winter. On country heavily stocked with sheep, and ■where the herbage is cropped close, cattle naturally have thi worst of the bargain and suffer badly in the winter. The days of rough cattle feed are fast passing away in this ■district, and stock breeders may find it necessary to alter their ta;:tics in dealing with cattle by providing pastures specially for them. Sheep as yet are not coming to hand freely, though those offered are realising good values. .