ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 17 March 1921, Page 43

ON THE LAND

. MARKET REPORTS. As was expected after the previous week’s heavy yarding in all departments, only moderate supplies were forward at Burnside, but as butchers bought in excess of requirements on the preceding week, no increase in prices took place, except for cattle at the commencement of the sale. In fact, freezing wethers were easier owing to buyers’ limits having been reduced to 3d per lb. Fat Cattle. —There were 140 yarded. At Hie commencement of the sale prices were from 15s to 30s a head above the previous week’s rates, but as the sale progressed competition was lacking, and prices receded to the previous level. Prime heavy bullocks made up to £lB 2s fid, prime £l4 to £ls, medium £ll to £l3, light and unfinished £8 10s to £lO 10s, prime heifers made from £9 to £ll 17s fid, medium £7 to £8 10s, light and unfinished £5 10s to £6 10s. Fat Sheep. —There were 1549 yarded. Freezing buyers were not operating, and competition was limited to butchers and a few farmers wanting light mutton. Prime heavy wethers made from 21s to 25s fid, prime 18s to 20s, medium 15s to 17s fid, light and unfinished 13s to 14s, prime heavy ewes made from 20s to 245, prime 17s to 19s, medium 12s to 15s, light and unfinished 7s fid to 10s. Fat Lambs. There were 539 yarded. Butchers secured the bulk of the yarding at prices slightly in excess of freezing limits. Prime heavy lambs made from 24s to 27s fid, medium 20s to 235, light and unfinished 15s to 18s. Pigs. —Only a small number were offered, and competition was not very brisk. Prices for baconers and porkers were about equal to the preceding week’s rates, while stores were a little cheaper. At Addington market last week the yarding was slightly smaller. Mutton was again down, wether selling at 3d to 3ld, and ewe at 3d and under. Lamb was also down about Id per lb, averaging from fild to 6|d. Beef was steady at the previous week’s prices. Store sheep also receded substantially in value, particularly lambs. Vendors generally met the market in most sections, although a proportion of: fat .'sheep were passed in. Fat Lambs. —3BOO were penned. Freezing buyers had reduced their limits about a penny, and a a free sale eventuated at the lower rates. Extra prime

lambs 30s, prime lambs 23s to 25s 9d, medium lambs 19s to 22s 6d, light and unfinished lambs 12s 3d to 18s 6d. Fat Sheep.—dragging sale, vendors towards the finish declining to accept the low values ruling. Freezers did not operate. Extra prime wethers up to 26s lOd, prime wethers 21s 9d to 255, medium wethers 18s to 21s 6d, light and unfinished wethers 12s lid to 17s 6d, prime ewes 18s to 21s, medium ewes 14s to 17s 6d, light and unfinished ewes lis to 13s 9d. Fat Cattle —A satisfactory sale, considering the slumping of the mutton market. A good clearance of prime beef was effected at late rates. Extra prime steers £2O 7s 6d to £2l 7s 6d, prime steers £l7 15s to £2O, medium steers £l3 15s to £l7 10s, light and unfinished steers £9 12s to £l2 15s, extra prime heifers to £ls ss, prime heifers £lO 4s 4d to £l2 10s 6d, ordinary heifers £5 15s 6d to £9 10s,_prime cows £8 5s to £l2 15s, medium and inferior cows £5 5s to £B. Vealers.—Runners £5 2s 6d, good vealers £2 Is 6d to £3 17s 6d, medium calves 32s 6d to 47s 6d, small calves 10s to 255. Fat Pigs.— Porkers showed a firming in value. Choppers £5 to £7 17s 6d, light baconers £4 15s to £5 10s, heavy baconers £5 15s to £6 10s—average price per lb 7Ad; heavy porkers £4 to £4 10s, light porkers £3 to £3 15saverage price per lb lOd to 10-Jd.

THE VALUE OF CHLORIDES. Some work by American experimenters under greenhouse conditions show that chlorides increased the yield of dry matter and the. sugar context in carrots and sugar-beets, but had a reverse effect on parsnips. With potatoes it was found that the variety of plant was more important than the type of sorbin- determining the effect of chlorides. Sodium chloride or-common

salt applied alone altered the composition of the tubers but slightly, though it affected their quality seriously. Potassium chloride or muriate of potash proved more effective in increasing the yields of dry matter in the tubers than sulphate of potash. With different leguminous plants, salt had apparent inhibitory effects, which resulted in retarded growth, weakened leaf production, and development, delay in" flowering, decrease in the number and size of root nodules, and, finally, premature death. This is corroborative of much that is already known. Salt has its'place.in growing mangels and in top-dressing rank rough grass lands, and it may also be used effectively if early applied to light soils in order to release potash; still, it has the reputation of being a root-killer, and the trail of the serpent legend clings to it. Except for mangels and beets, which originally were improved by cultivation from the wild plants of the seashore, salt is more of a corrective to grass lands than a dressing for tillage crops, to which it needs to be applied with care and discretion.

WHEN TQ GATHER LEMONS. . The N.Z. Journal of Agriculture supplies the following information in answer to a North Island correspondent : —• Lemons should be gathered when they show the first sign of turning yellow. The fruit should be cut off with a portion of the sprig and be most carefully handled, as the slightest bruise results in a lost lemon. The fruits should be allowed to stand for a few days in the boxes they were gathered in, then packed in paper-lined boxes or tins, or on trays in single layer, taking care that none are bruised. The boxes or trays may then be stacked is blocks in such a manner as to permit a free circulation of air round each case. This is most important, as it allows any surplus moisture to escape. The trays should be examined about every month or six weeks and any decaying fruits- removed. The, object is to reduce the thickness of the skin and iscrease juciness. SWEET VERNAL. This grass in pastures is generally looked upon as a weed, and the more it spreads the nearer is the need for that pasture to be broken up and relaid (says a writer in the N.Z. Journal of A r/riciiltarc.). The transition to sweet vernal is general on a great deal of second-class country in- New Zealand, and one of our most important pasture problems is to so constitute a pasture on that country that the sweet-vernal transition may be avoided. The grass certainly provides a certain amount of feed in the early spring, it being one of the first grasses to start away. The feed pro-, duced, however, is distinctly unpalatable to most classes of stock in the green stage, although when cured as hay this objectionable feature is much lessened. ' V' r