FARM AND MARKET

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21221, 18 September 1940, Page 11

FARM AND MARKET

WEEKLY AGRICULTURAL REVIEW (By “Stockman”) Items of Interest, Enquiries in regard to Shows and Sales and General Comment from Readers will be welcomed. These should be addressed to “ Stockman,” Waikato Times, Hamilton.

SHOWS AND SALES

Frankton Stock Sale: Every Tuesday. Cambridge Stock Sale: Every Monday. Te Awamutu Stock Sale: Every Thursday. Morrinsville Stock Sale: Every Friday. Te Kauwhata Stock Sale: Every Monday. Taupiri Stock Sale: Every second Wednesday. Ohaupo Horse Fair: September 23 and 24.

IDEAL SPRING

SEASON IN WAIKATO FAVOURABLE FOR STOCK HEALTHY MARKET TONE Fat cattle usually sell very firmly. Store cattle continue in request at the same money. Lates rates are usually repeated for dairy cattle. Fat sheep are often firmer. Small entries of store sheep make unchanged money. Fat pigs are a shade dearer. High values continue for store pigs. Very variable weather conditions have been experienced in the Waikato since last review, two sharp frosts being followed by cold and wet weather conditions on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday’s weather, however, showed a return to the more favourable conditions experienced right through late winter and early spring. The cold snap on Monday could not have given anything more than a slight setback to lambs for which the season on the whole has been exceptionally good. The good reason for calves is indicated by the fact that many calf pools have been handling greater numbers than last year, while the weight of the calves is reported to be ahead of the average weight last season. Fewer condemnations for immaturity are reported, the only draw back to the bobby calf trade being the slump jn skin values. Cheese and butter figures are well up, the increase in cheese manufacture being particularly gratifying because of the national effort that is being made to increase the output of this essential commodity for Britain. The Waikato stock market has been well supplied during the week

and the market tone on the whole ; has remained healthy. Brighter Beef Market Frankton experienced its brightest j beef market for some weeks yesterday. The presence of six fresh buyers, representative of outside centres, was mainly responsible for the improvement that was recorded in the cow and heifer beef section. The erftry was only an average one, and it is consequently doubtful whether even late rates would have been held had the buying bench been of normal proportions. The market appears to have settled down to steadier activity and there has been comparatively little change from week to week. Yesterday’s brighter tone, as mentioned previously, was only occasioned by the extra buyers operating and there is no guarantee that the same values will be repeated next week. The market for boner cattle has been particularly satisfactory from the vendor’s point or view, the high prices for store cattle inducing some graziers to take an interest in the boner market. Improvement For Sheep A shorter entry coinciding with a larger bench of buyers sent prices up in the fat sheep section at the central yards yesterday. Prices were higher by at least Is 6d to 3s a head right through for both wethers and ewes, but in quite a number of instances the advance was more substantial than this. Some pens that were passed in at last week's sale made 5s to 6s a head more than the price offered at the previous sale. One pen of wethers that the vendor could not obtain a bid of 24s for last week sold yesterday at 31s. Since the market received its sharp setback, it has shown a little variation from week to week and yesterday’s improvement is probably only temporary. Smaller yardings have been a considerable assistance in keeping price levels steady. Keen Pig Market Although export buyers have not yet commenced in earnest, activity in the fat pig section of the Waikato market is steadily growing. There has been considerable fluctuation, but light pigs have been fairly dear right through. A distinct improvement was noticeable for all classes at Frankton yesterday, light porkers being particularly dear. Pork was estimated to be selling from 9d to lOd a lb in the majority of cases, a price that could hardly leave much profit for the retailer. Store pigs are still selling at abnormally high prices.

NOTES AND COMMENTS

! Facial Eczema Research A number of lambs grazing the j flat at the Karamu outstation of the 'Ruakura Animal Research Station j showed very slight eczema liver j damage, but it was not impossible !to define exactly when the liver ! damage occurred, said the report . issued to the Ruakura Farm Advisory Committee last week. A modified ; arrangement of grazing is being j adopted this year In order to define i the period when the liver damage occurs.

j Butterfat Per Cow j The average butterfat produced ! per cow was 260.671 b, states the I survey of the “Standards of Life of | N.Z. Dairy Farmers” by W. T. j Doig, in its review of herd producj tion. Eleven per cent of the farms | produced under 2001 b per cow, near,ly 21 per cent produced between | 2001 b and 239 lb., while 68 per cent produced 2401 bor over. Fiftythree per cent of the farms produced 2601 b or over per cow. Crops at Ruakura The outstanding features of annual crop production at Ruakura have been the changes in fertiliser and cultivation practice, which have followed improved soil fertility, stated the quarterly report issued to the farm advisory committee last Friday. When the farm was taken over by the Department of Agriculture in 1901 the improved portion of the farm was either in stubble or poor grass and both were foul with weeds. Waikato land was then farmed rotationally; pastures were left down for three to five years, the land was then cropped with cereals and roots for two or three years and finally resown with grass. Pasture top-dressing was then quite a new practice. Artificial Insemination Artificial insemination work is to be carried out on the herd at number one dairy at the Ruakura Animal Research Station. One group will ! be inseminated in a manner designed 3 to give the cows a maximum chance j of conceiving and the second group will be treated in a manner re--1 sembling that which would occur | under a group insemination scheme, jor under less favourable conditions. I In the first group the semen used will j be fresh and undiluted and in the • second the semen will be stored for J several hours and diluted. { Demand at “National” 1 The keen demand at the National I bull sale last week exceeded ex- | pectations although it was known : that the shortage of good bulls would I be a stimulating factor in competiI tion. Four local breeders to obtain very satisfactory averages were j Messrs W. S. McEwen (Pukeroro), | W. T. Luxton (Matangi), A. C. Smith (Melville), and J. Bones (Kaipaki). : Mr McEwen had four splendid year- : ling sons of his imported sire. Susie’s Oxford Design, on offer. They made | from 49 to 109gns., and averaged 77 j gns. Three from Mr Luxton, two two-year-olds and one five-year-old,