ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, 13 October 1921, Page 43

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. At Burnside last week there was the largest yarding (359 head) of fat cattle for some considerable time, and in consequence prices showed' a decline of from 30s to 40s • per head. There were several pens of printe heavy .cattle yarded, but the bulk" of the entry comprised medium to unfinished sorts. Quotations: Extra prime bullocks £l6 to £lB 10s, prime £l4 to' £l6, medium £ll 10s to £l3, light and unfinished from £7 upwards, prime heifers to £l3 10s, medium £8 to £lO, light and unfinished from £5 upward. Fat Sheep.—An exceedingly large yarding, numbering 3758, the bulk of which consisted of prime heavy sheep. Owing to the supply exceeding the butchers' .requirements, prime sheep were 2s 6d to 3s per head and medium weights Is to 2s per head lower than the previous week's rates. Quotations: Extra prime wethers to 25s 6d, prime 21s 6d to 23s 6d, medium 18s to 20s 6d, light and unfinished from, 14s, extra prime heavy ewes to 21s 9d, prime 17s to 19s 6d, medium 14s to 16s 6d, light and unfinished sorts from lis upwards. Spring Lambs. —A large yarding, 39 lambs being penned, which sold freely at prices ranging from 16s to 395. Pigs. There was a full yarding of pigs and prices opened a shade lower than those of the preceding week, but hardened considerably towards the end of the sale. There was also, a fair yard- ■ ing of store pigs, for which there was a keen demand. At Addington market last week there were average yardings of beef and mutton, and an increased one of store sheep. There was a good market for both beef and mutton, but a bad one for store sheep. Spring Lambs.—A good demand, lamb being worth from lid to 12d per lb; best lambs brought from 29s to 33s 6d, medium 24s to 27s 6d. Fat Sheep.—A slightly larger yarding, and an active sale at the previous week's prices, practically the whole penning being cleared. Extra prime wethers 28s to 30s Id, prime 23s to 275, medium 19s 9d to 22s 9d, light and unfinished wethers 15s 9d to 18s 9d, extra prime ewes up to 25s 9d, prime 19s 9d to 24s 9d, medium 17s to 19s 3d, inferior 13s to 16s 3d. prime hoggets 20s to 265, light to medium 14s to 17s 6d! Fat Cattle.— head yarded, the bulk being medium quality. Values were up from 20s to 25s per head, prime ox beef selling at 45s to 47s 6d per 1001 b, light 25s to 355, extra prime bullocks up to £2O 10s, prime £l6 10s to £l9 10s, medium £l2 5s to £l6 ss, light and unfinished £8 to £ll 15s, extra prime heifers to £ls 2s 6d, prime £lO 10s to £l3, ordinary £6 10s to £9 17s 6d,-prime cows £8 17s 6d to £ll 7s 6d, ordinary £5 5s to £8 12s 6d. Vealers. —A poor entry. Runners to £5 ss, medium vealers £2 12s 6d to £3 16s, small to medium calves 5s to £2 7s 6d. Fat Pigs.A medium entry and a weaker demand. Prices were hardly as good as' last sales. Choppers £4 to £7, light baconers £4 10s to £5, heavy £5 5s to £5 15s, extra heavy to £6 15s (average price per lb 8d to B£d), light porkers £2 17s to £3 10s, heavy £3 15s to £4 5s (average price per lb 9d to 9§d). Messrs Donald Reid and Co., report as follows on their fortnightly sale of rabbitskins, held on last Monday. The sale was held before the usual attendance of - buyers, when the better quality skins were back from 3d to 6d per lb. Lower grades were on a par with late sales. Prime does, from 85d to 90d, prime bucks 70d to 75d, first winter does 64d to 70d, ! first winter bucks 63d to 68d, second winter does 50d to 58d, second winter bucks 48d to 56d, incomings 47d to 50d, autumns 40d'to 45d, early autumns 30d to 38d, prime racks 12d to 15d, light racks 8d to lid, summers- 8d to lid, prime winter blacks 90d to IOOd, first winter blacks 60d to 70d, winter fawns 42d to 50d, outgoing does 28d to 33d, outgoing bucks 24d to 30d, springs 18d to 20d. ' S AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE. Recognising the necessity for making the fullest possible provision for education' in agricultural science, the New Zealand University Senate has, by a gradual process, included agriculture in the list of pass subjects for the matriculation, junior University scholarship, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Arts degree examinations, says Mr. J. P. Kalaugher, supervisor of the manual and technical branch of the Auckland Education Board, in a report on agricultural education. For the first time, he adds candidates will be able to use agriculture as a subject for the 8.A., degree pass examination in 1922. This extension has- a de«<p significance, in that it is likely to influence many who have commenced studies in agriculture in the primary and secondary schools to continue this,

subject up to the degree stage. This, Mr. Kalaugher considers, should help considerably to remedy the dearth ; of trained teachers and experts, the absence of whom has "} ! \ done much to retard agricultural progress in New Zealand. ,| I ' MAKING-A HOT BED. There are several gardeners in a small way who do not possess a heated greenhouse, and will find a hot-bed most useful for raising plants from seeds for flower-beds and borders, and striking cuttings of many hardy and half-hardy plants. Dahlia cuttings, for example, form roots readily on a hot-bed. » This should not be made up with fresh manure. A much better heat is obtained if the heap is turned over several times at intervals of twenty-four hours. If possible, have a fair amount of straw in the manure, and mix with it an equal quantity of freshly-gathered leaves. Thoroughly mix together, ahd water well, if the leaves or straw are at all dry. : Build the bed at least ISinches longer than the frame that is to go over it, and tread firmly, and make it not ‘ less than 2ft deep— would be better still. When the heafp has done its duty as a hot-bed, it Will make splendid manure for the garden, either to dig in the ground, or , as a surface dressing. BUILDING A HOT-BED OF LEAVES. For making a in an easy manner, an equal quantity of leaves and stable litter should be used, but sufficient heat for mild forcing can be got from leaves only. The only difficulty is that it is not easy to build leaves into a firm heap so that the sides do not break away. Firm sides are essential where they have to be trampled on in attending to the plants in the frames. This difficulty, however, is easily overcome by using some other support for the sides. Hurdles may be used for the purpose, and, if firmly set, no better form of support can be devised. Failing these, sheets of corrugated iron or rough wood nailed to posts will do. So also will stout wire netting .tacked to stakes driven firmly into the ground and fairly close together. The place selected for the site may be made a permanent one, and in such a case a wall of turves may be I unit up to enclose the leaves. The leaves should be turned at least twice before they are finally made ' into a. hot-bed, and should then be trodden firmly, in order to produce a steady and lasting heat.

. The wider our contemplation of creation, the grander onr conception of God. —St. Cyril,