NOTES AND COMMENTS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21215, 11 September 1940, Page 11

NOTES AND COMMENTS

Keeping Down Growth With a phenomenal flush of feed promised this season, farmers are busy planning now how to keep pastures under control. Graziers have been unusually active for store cattle and last week boner cattle were being purchased by these buyers. Larger crops of ensilage and hay should help to utilise more effectively any surplus of grass, but it is likely that the mower will be called upon to play a more prominent part in farming programmes this j season. “Standards of Life” “A Survey of Standards of Life of New Zealand Dairy Farmers,” a j bulletin written by Mr W. T. Daig. secretary of the Social Science Research Bureau, has been recently published. It is one of the most interesting publications yet issued in regard to the living standards of New Zealand farmers and deals in a very comprehensive manner with such subjects as characteristics of 1 farms, the far mfamily. size and farms, the farm family, size and and working conditions are also dealt with exhaustively. Sales of Pat Butter Wholesale butter merchants report a big increase in the relative sales of pat butter. This they attribute to the higher cost of parchment paper and the shortage of trained shop assistants. There is no doubt but that the public is looking more and more for pat butter and appreciates the hygienic advantages of machine wrapping. The appearance of well-designed labels is also a factor in effecting sales.—Grocery and Store-keeping News. Successful Horse Sale The annual Cambridge horse fair at the Cambridge saleyards last week was very satisfactory, prices on the whole showing a distinct improvement on those realised at last year’s sale. Last year’s sale, it will be remembered, was adversely affected because of the uncertainty ruling consequent on the outbreak of war. Although no sensational sales were recorded at this year’s auction, the demand was more widespread. A feature of the first day’s sale was the good demand for unbrokens, 95 to 98 per cent of these entries being cleared. Any draughts showing some bone sold above £3O, the tops making from £4O to £SO 10s. More South Island horses would have been on offer had it not been for difficulties in regard to shipping space, but the 60 good sorts brought up by Mr J. R. Mac Murray, of Gore, commanded keen attention and sold better than local horses. Australia Grateful In view of Great Britain’s difficulties, we should be grateful that the Old Country can say to Australia, ‘Yes, we will buy your butter next year.’ It’s a wonderful thing.” The chairman of the Australian Dairy Board, Mr T. F. Plunkett, said this when reporting upon the completion of the dairy produce contract at the annual meeting of the board. Mr Plunkett also said that when everything was considered it seemed as if the conditions of the new contract were an improvement on those j of the contract just completed. Demand For Heifers An exceptionally keen demand has been shown for yearling Jersey heifers in the Waikato during the last fortnight. Evidence of the buoyancy of the market was provided at the Frankton sale yesterday when a line of 120 from the Manawatu, auctioned by Messrs Newton King, Ltd., fetched highly satisfactory values. From £7 11s to £7 12s was given for the tops, with others making from £6^4s to_£7_ 4s.