On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 31 August 1911, Page 1718

On the Land

• ; The importance of< water and sunshine in determining the size ;of a crop is, perhaps, hardly sufficiently realised. /In 1001 b of mangolds of average composition, for example, about 881 b will be water, only lib will consist of plant foods taken from the soil, while no less than 111 b will consist of carbohydrates manufactured in the leaves from the carbonic acid of the air and water by means of the sun's rays. It is evident, therefore, that the better we have the ground.covered with leaves the more of this carbohydrate material we are likely to get, and that the sunlight falling on the bare ground is more or less wasted. . " Riding through to Feilding the other day (writes the: travelling correspondent of the Dominion), I noticed when near Halcombe that a good many of the dairy men have put in patches of green oats to come in for early spring feed. The dry weather last season almost completely wiped out the ordinary grass feed, and the autumn rains came too late for much growth before the winter frosts set in, so that the provision of feed for later winter and early spring was made an absolute necessity. It was all the more needed because mangolds had not done too well. As we have now had three pretty dry summers, the milking people have become alive to the fact that they must supplement their grass by some other means. ... At Burnside last week there was a large yarding of fat cattle, 219 head being yarded. On account of the large yarding prices were easier by from 15s to 20s per head. Best bullocks, £ll 10s to £l2 10s; extra, to £l4 7s 6d; medium, £9 5s to £9 15s; inferior, £7 10s to £8; best cows and heifers, £8 10s to £9 10s; extra, to £lO 15s; medium, £6 15s to £7.105; inferior, £4 15s to £5 10s. The yarding of fat sheep comprised 3279, of which the proportion of really fine heavy wethers was rather under the average of the' past few weeks. A considerable number of the entries consisted of wethers requiring finishing, and for this class the demand was somewhat slack. The sale opened with values for prime sheep about equal to previous week's rates, and later on improved to the extent of 6d to Is per head. Best heavy-weight wethers, 23s to 26s 9d; medium to good, 19s to 225; light and unfinished, 14s 6d to 17s 6d; best ewes, 19s to 22s 6d; medium, 15a to 18s; light, lis to 13s 6d. At Addington market last week there was no material change in the value of beef, and fat sheep sold firmly. Store sheep were easier in demand, but prices remained without much alteration. There was a good sale for pigs and the better class of dairy cows, but little demand for store cattle. . The entry of fat sheep was of mixed quality, the bulk being wethers. Prices were firmly maintained. The range of prices was.: Extra prime wethers, to 375; prime, 23s to 28s 9d; others, 16s 6d to 22s 6d; prime ewes, 20s to 25s Id; others, 15s Id to 19s 6d; hoggets, 14s 4d to 17s 3d; merino wethers, 18s to 225; merino ewes, 12s lid. The supply of beef comprised 300 head. It included a good proportion of prime quality cattle, but these did not sell relatively as well as medium sorts. There was a good demand, and values showed little change. Steers made £7 10s to £11; extra, £l7 10s; heifers, £5 10s to £9 ss; extra, to £lO 10s 6d; cows, £5 to £lO 10s 6d. There was a small entry of pigs, and there was consequently an all-round improvement in prices, prime sorts being in active demand. Choppers sold up to £4 17s 6d; large baconers, £2 15s to £3 7s 6d; smaller sorts, 45s to 52s 6d (equal to 4|d'to 5d per lb); large porkers, 38s to 445; smaller, 30s to 35s (equal to 5d to s|d per lb). Store pigs were in good demand at advanced rates. ' >:- •.■•■•■