On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 13 April 1911, Page 694

On the Land

The importation of mutton into the United Kingdom during the year ended December was 5,566,318 cwt being an increase oyer the previous year of nearly 14 per cent, this importation has very rapidly developed within recent years, fifteen years ago it was only half of what it was last year. In 1900 the importation amounted to 3,400 000 cwt, in 1905, 3,800,000 cwt. o,*uu,uuu The following figures regarding the number of stud sheep and the price per head, exported from the United Kingdom last year, will be interesting, as it shows that iSew Zealand paid the highest rates, and, as a natural result, secured the best class of animals: —Of the 7839 head exported !577 went to the United States at £5 15s 4d per !*? a ni , Canada at £5 8s Id, 675 to Germany at £8 10s 9d, 16 to Uruguay at £ls 17s, 770 to the Argentine at f lB , 4d, 9* to Australia at £9 8s 3d, 103 to New Zealand at £od 6s zd, and the remainder to countries not separately enumerated at £9 6s lid. The annual ram and ewe fair was held at Burnside last week. Hie number of sheep brought forward was 1446, as against 866 last year. Border Leicester flock rams (938), and Romney Marsh flock rams (209), represented the major portion of the entry. It had been anticipated that rams would be selling pretty cheaply, and buyers appeared determined to fill their requirements at low limits 1 rices for Border Leicesters were from 25 to 50 per cent’ lower than last year. There was .more life in the Romney section of the sale. About 2000 Romneys were shipped to the North Island from Otago and Southland earlier in the season, and a shortage was expected. Animals that were •well bred and in good condition sold quite up to last year’s rates, flock’ rams bringilig up to 5| guineas. Corriedales were in snort supply and there was a fair demand, espedally for young, well-bred sheep. The highest prices realised at the sale were lo| guineas for a Border Leicester prize ram, and 10 guineas for a Romney ram. wpll lhere was a big yarding of sheep of all descriptions as well as cattle and pigs at Addington last week. As a result of more favorable weather and the increased attention given to store stock, the general inquiry was more animated for good sorts. The store sheep entry consisted principally of ewes, the prices for’the better sorts showing a slight increase. Fair-conditioned two-tooths realised 12s 6d to 13s 6d, and good sorts 14s to 15s 6d. Of the 7000 lambs yarded _ exporters took close on 6000, at prices ranging from 10s to los, whilst butchers’ sorts fetched from 111 to nh S p,- P At the corresponding sale last year the number nfieredwas 14,292, the prices ranging from 12s 6d to 18s lOd. There was a full yarding of fat sheep, prime wethers bunging from los 6 d to 19s, and prime ewes from 12s 3d to Ls sd. Over 300 head of fat cattle were yarded There was an improved demand for good sorts. Steers * realised from £7 2s 6d to £l3 2s 6d, and heifers from £5 5s to £9 2s 6d. hat pigs were in good supply. Choppers fetched to /Os, heavy baconers 49s to 565, being equal to 4d per lb. a M u J, i ?! Duncan, superintendent of the Clonakilty Agricultural fetation has been conducting some interesting experiments in pig-feeding the results of which have bee? published in the Journal of the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, Mr. Duncan finds separated milk fed to pigs along with meal (a" mixture of equal parts maize meal, barley, and pollard! gave a return of 2.76 pence, or practically 2jd per gallon when pork was sold at 58s 3d per cwt. \ To return one penny per gallon for milk pork must not fall below 45s 6d per cwt. An increase of 7s 2d per cwt over this price is equal to an additional penny per gallon for separated milk. In the Danish experiments 11b of meal was found to be equivalent to 41b potatoes. Taking everything into consideration, potatoes are only worth one-fourth the price of the meal mixture. At the price paid for pork for the past three or four years, feeding refuse potatoes to pigs has been profitab e, more especially when given with milk but where a market exists for saleable potatoes it is Tory questionable if they should be fed to pigs when they coZ in and more than one-quarter the price of meal. y ° m . A writ f. r in a Home publication gives some good advice regarding the selection of a dairy cow. Concerning the udder, he says: —Undoubtedly the udder is aTS which attracts the attention of buyers more than any other bodily development. The possession of a Tag ’is often made to compensate for more or less serious physical defects in the cow’s conformation; but this is eminently foohsh. Ihe . experienced farmer knows only too well that many a ‘big bag’ is fleshy and deceptive in more ways than one. He looks for an udder that is properly balanced forward and behind, is broad and fairly Seep yet not too close to the ground, covered with loose elastm like drum 8 He lvet % the toUch T not stretched ;Tf a fT He also avoids coarse misplaced teats, which are sometimes accepted as no very serious fault; for it is obvious that in attempting to improve one’s stock malformations of this kind must be given a wide berth* • Tb« teats should be regularly placed on the bag, wide apart and equidistant from each other, equal in size, well shaped ad of moderate length. Another important point to e taken into consideration is the appearance of the milk vein*, tee should he largo, prominent, and well branched!