ON THE MOVE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 41, 18 February 1939, Page 8

ON THE MOVE

THOUSANDS OF SHEEP CHANGE HANDS FEBRUARY EWE FAIRS FARMERS REPLENISH FLOCKS Sheep, sheep, and still more sheep! Mobs of sheep! Sheep by lorry by truck, by the train-load! Thousands of tens of thousands, are on the move throughout the North Island. They have been changing hands in increasing numbers lor ■ the past three or four weeks, and the [ movement has not finished yet. The casual observer might get the impression that the sheep-farmer is having a game of “Generaf Post.' But the annual ewe fairs provide I the farmer with the opportunity to dispose of his surplus ewes or replen- . ish his flocks. Large Yardings. At Raetihi on Thursday the targcsi yaraing by a .single auctioneering urn ■ was ottered, there being 33,U0u ewe: yarded. At Feilding yesterday 44,0ut were scheduled for sale. Earlier u: the week, 20.UU0 ewes were handled at Mangaweka on Tuesday, and the ■ Huntcrvilie offering on Thursday was 10,000. Yesterday, at Storttorc Lodge, Hastings, over 42,000 ewes . were yarded lor the second ewe fai. of the season. At the first the offering totalled 39,000. The Waipukutau ewe fair a week ago brought neatly 42,(101) ewes in for saic, an., al Rahiatua a week earlier still there were 20,000 ewes. A total of 3a,000 ewes was yarded at. Dannevirxc on Thursday, and the Gisborne lan' on Tuesday last brought 18,00'1 together Several smaller offerings siul run into live figures, (or on Wednesday next at Taihape it is expected that well over 10,000 ewes will be yarded, and al lhe Fordell yards on Tuesday next there will he approximately 7000. The Bulls sale next Monday will lie responsible for another 4000. Further south there have been ewe fairs at Johnsonville (8500), Pahautanui (2200) and Masterton (70001. The problem of moving these thousands of sheep entails considerable organisation, and the arrangements whereby the sheep are moved from farm to yard, and from yard to their new owners’ stations, must be accounted a triumph for those responsible. Tlic greater proportion of ewes travel by train in “J" wagons, twodeckers that have a capacity of from 60 tc 70. Trains with 30, 50, or even 70 of these “J" wagons are not unusual, and there have been special ' sheep trains of as many as 100 trucks carrying in all a shipment of nearly 7000 ewes. Such a train would not be an economical proposition on th:: Wanganui section, where the grades would militate against the use ot more than 40 or 50 trucks. A rake ot 100 “J" wagons would cover mor.’ than a third of a mile. Waikato Requirements. Evidence of the importance ol Raetihi as a centre for a big annual ewe fair is provided by the tact thal Waikato buyers are increasingly i. evidence, and the chances are that the old-established custom of replenishing from Poverty Bay flocks v.n. be tnreatened as the Raetihi (ail grows in importance. Last year when 25,000 ewes were sold at Kactihi, 228 trucks were required to fulfil buyers’ requirements, and ot these 127 truck-loads went to the Waikato district. On Thursday last some ol the 33,000 offered were passed, but still more than 200 trucks were required, and of these 139 were required for the shipment of Waikato purchases. For the Feilding e\\ e fair yesterday, some 200 trucks were needed, as against last year's total ol 154. A large proportion of the Feilding sheep would be moved by roaa. Nearly 200 trucks were required for last Tuesday’s ewe fair at Mangaweka. The development ot the motoilorry has exercised a remarkable influence on the transport ot sheep bj. road, as lorries capable of taking a load of 60 or 70 ewes can be backed into a loading bank, loaded and despatched to tneir destination during the progress of the sale. In this manner 6600 sheep were moved during one afternoon at Waverley recently. A mob of sheep was recently driven through the streets of Wellington from a Happy Valley station to the railway station, where they were entrained for Feilding. Thougn the drive was commenced about midnight traffic officers co-operated u> diverting motor traffic from Willis Street and Customhouse Quay so that the drovers would not be interrupted. The following day motorists from the north were advised by wireless message to avoid the mobs of sheep on roads leading to Johnsonville by taking convenient detours. prices of ewes have shown a decrease as compared with last year s high rates, but auctioneers report that the demand is keen and prices aic much better than vendors had expected. The decline amounts to about four or five shillings a head. Ewe fairs will continue to hold pride of place for a couple of weeks yet, and motorists using the main highways and country roads may expect to meet large mobs on the mo»“ for some time to come.