On the Land

New Zealand Tablet, 11 January 1912, Page 54

On the Land

During, the past i fortnight (says a Press message) 27,000 boxes: of butter L were received {in/Auckland for export.' This quantity constitutes a record for butter; received for {one7 fortnight. Including/.' the shipment; mentioned, the quantity - of butter "exported for this season totals 165,682 {boxes,. against 158,263 boxes for the ; corresponding. period last season—an increase for ; the present season of nearly: 5 per cent. Should no set-back be experienced .with .regard: to weather, it is considered a possibility for the export of butter for the season to show an increase of 10 or 15 per cent. /

Strictly speaking, a manure and a fertiliser/ are not the same thing, 7 " though now the terms are: used synonymously. To , manure originally meant to work with.the hand, being'derived from the Latin manus, a hand, and opera, work; through the French manceuvrer. Lime may then be called a manure, but not a fertiliser. Lime if applied alone, and the - land cropped every year, will exhaust the soil. When used .with farmyard manure, green manure, or chemical fertilisers, it proves very beneficial in most cases. Lime assists in hastening the chemical action of other materials, and renders them more readily available as plant food.; - " . " , ' ■ /./ /.

The yardings at the Burnside weekly stock sales, held on Thursday last, were larger than s was the case* in the previous week. A total of 2592 sheep 1 was penned (says - the Ota f/o: Daily ~ Times). ; Some good quality sheep were penned," •and with the ' exception; of a dozen -or so, all were shorn. They made exceedingly good prices,l and with present values farmers have certainly no cause to complain. Wethers made up: to 22s 9d, and ewes up'to .2ls. It is predicted : that .'■ the existing high prices must/cqme down There was a yarding of 518 lambs, and ',- on the whole the quality was only of a medium, description. ;In consequence of the excessive rains the grass does not possess the fattening properties required, and as : a {result the lambs coming forward are ■■ not /in prime condition. Prices were easier than was the case the previous week, being about on a par with those ruling a fortnight ago. There was a small yarding of 115 head of cattle. They were of a mixed description in point of quality. {The yarding included some nice cattle sent forward from the North Island, r and these: realised the highest prices of the day, -making up to £ls per head. ~ -

At Addington last week there were moderate entries of stock and a fair attendance. Fat cattle were easier, and there was a decided drop in price of fat lambs. • Store sheep, which were mostly wethers, sold at an advance on late rates, and fat sheep showed little or no change. Fat pigs also sold better, and there was an improved demand for store cattle. The entry of fat lambs totalled 1604. / A considerable proportion of the lambs were unfinished , and as there was little business done for export there was \ a : decided drop in prices, and -a number of the lighter lots were purchased by graziers. . The decline-Tin values was equal to Is 6d to 3s per head. There was a : moderate yarding of fat sheep about two-thirds of which were wethers. There was a good demand on the part of butchers, and wethers maintained late rates, whilst the line sold rather better. There was no business done for export. Prime wethers made 17s 6d to 23s 3d, lighter 12s Id to 17s, prime ewes 15s 6d to 19s 6d, extra to 20s 6d. There were 251 head of fat cattle penned, and included a good proportion of North * Island - cattle. : The quality was generally good, but the demand was slack, and "a;-drag-' • ging sale resulted in values being ; down about Is per 1001 b. A small entry •of fat - pigs came forward, and prices, especially for porkers, ? showed an improvement Choppers made 50s to 84s, large baconers 60s to 725,' ;and " smaller 505, ; to ; 57s 6d,. large porkers 42s 6d to 47s 6d, smaller 30s to 40s.