ON THE LAND

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 21, 31 May 1923, Page 51

ON THE LAND

MARKET REPORTS. At Burnside last week 394 head of fat cattle were penned, which was a large yarding. This number was considerably in excess of butchers’ requirements, especially after the heavy yarding of the previous week. The entry consisted of a great many unfinished cattle, and beet oi this description was in some cases practically unsaleable. The local graziers were operating for all unfinished sorts, and this helped the sale to some extent. Prime cattle were' scarce, and there was good competition for these at prices equal to those realised at the preceding week s sale. Extra prime heavy-weight bullocks brought to £l4, prime from £9 15s to £lO 10s, medium from £7 10s to £8 17s fid, others from £6 upwards, best cows and heifers to £5 15s, medium from £4 5s fid to, £5, others from '£3 15s upwards. Eat Sheep. — A fairly large yarding of fat sheep was forward for last week’s sale, 3186 being penned. The bulk of the yarding was comprised of medium wethers and ewes, and prices for this class showed a decline ol from Is to. Is fid per head. Heavy-weight sheep were in good demand at prices 2s firmer than at the previous sale. Extra prime heavy-weight wethers realised from 45s to 495, prime wethers from 40s to 43s 9d, medium wethers from 32,s 9d to 37s fid, others from 28 s upwards extra prime heavy-weight ewes 32s 3d to 3 i s fid, prime ewes from 26s 3d to 30s 9d. medium ewes from 23s to 25s 9d, others from 20s upwards. Eat Lambs. — A fairly good entry of 1477 was penned. All exporters were again operating at late limits, and the yarding was readily cleared at prices equal to those of the preceding week. Extra prime lambs brought to 35s 9d. prime lambs from 28s fid to 325, medium lambs from 23s to 26s 3d. others trom 18s upwards. Fat Pigs.—There was an average yarding of pigs, all classes being represented. Competition was fairly brisk, and the previous week's prices were maintained. Prime haconers realised up to Old, and prime porkers up to 7d per lb. At Addington last week there were heavy yardings in all classes. Beel again showed an easing tendency. Second quality fat sheep were also easier. Eat lambs were slightly firmer, and there was a good sale of store sheep. Eat Lambs.26oo penned. A slightly firmer sale, the average increase being 9d, and in cases 9Jd per lb. Extra prime lambs to 32s fid, prune 2<s 9d to 30s fid, medium 24s fid to 27s 3d, light 19s fid to 245. Eat Sheep.A heavier entry than for some months. Prime wethers were unaltered, but other classes were weaken- by Is to Is fill per head. Extra, prime wethers 34s to 3<s. a tew special 39s Id, prime 30s to 33s fid, medium 2,s fid to 29s 9d, light 25s to 27s 3d, extra prime ewes 30s to 32s 1 Oil, prime 24s fid to 28s fid,, medium 20s to 245, light Ifis fid to 10s fid, old 13s to 16s. Eat Cattle. —A heavy yarding of 445 head. A further easing in values. Extra prime made to 26s fid, good to prime 22s to 245, medium 19s to 21s. inferior 10s to 17s fid per lOOlh. Extra prime steers to £l3 ss, prime £8 15s to £l2, medium £fi 10s to £8 10s, light £4 5s to £6 ss, extra prime heifers to £9. prime £4 10s to £7 ss, ordinary £2 15s to £4 7s fid, extra prime cows to £7 12s fid, prime £4 5s to £fi ss, ordinary £3 to £4. Vealers. — A heavy yarding and an all-round easing. (food runners £4 15s. ordinary heavy vealers £2 17s fid to £3 12s fid, medium vealers 18s to £2, small calves 15s. Eat Rigs. —Baconers were easier, hut porkers sold at late rates. Choppers £3 to £5 10s, light haconers.£3 to £3 10s, heavy £3 15s to £4, extra heavy £4 12s (average price per lb 51 d to fid); light porkers £2 2s to £2 7s. heavy £ 210 s to £2 17s (average price per lb 7d to 8d). At the sale of rabbitskins, etc., last week, moderate catalogues were submitted to a full attendance of buyers. Bidding throughout was keen. The poorer grades were slightly easier, hut the better grades showed an advance of Id on average, a-s compared with the previous sale prices. Quotations;' Prime does to 76Jd, prime bucks to 73,1 d, first bucks to 68id, first docs to 73d, winter bucks to 64R1, winter

does to 68$d, early winter 57 5 d to 61$d, incomings 50§d to 57£d, late autumns 454 d to 503 d, autumns 45d to 483 d, prime racks 32d to 34$d, light racks 271 d to 29d, runners and suckers 183 d to 24d, summers 27d to 293 d, milky 223 d to 24:idj winter black to 683 d, autumn black to.cOJd, winter fawn to 603 d, autumn fawn to 50,3 d. Hareskins to 29$d ; horsehair to 261 d. VALUE OF GRASS AS A FOOD. The value of grass as a food is shown by the color and flavor of milk when cows are out to grass and also by the high quality of the butter and cheese made from it. “Grass” cheese is recognised to be superior even to “hay” cheese, although both the hay and the grass may bo grown on the same land, the superiority of the grass arising from its being fresh when grazed, whereas hay is often old when cut. The inferiority of winter dairy foods is not easy to explain, but, according to Professor Wrightson (says a Home paper), may be attributed to the following factors: The age of the hay when cut, the introduction into the feeds of other foods, such as turnips and straw, to want of. freedom and exercise; it may also be partyl due to the cows being old in milk. LUCERNE. Of all fodder crops lucerne is probably pre-eminent. It lias many advantages over others which are not appreciated by those who have not grown it. In the first place, it is a perennial, consequently when once established there is no further trouble of sowing afresh for some years. It is deep-rooted, going down, after moisture, as much as 18 or 20 feet, and thus is able to resist drought. It can bo mown three times a year, so that when soiled off, if used in moderation, by the time the piece is finished the part first cut is ready to begin again, thus securing a succession of succulent food of the very best quality. If there is more than is required for green food it can be made into hay. Cattle, horses, and pigs, the latter especially, do well on it when green, but sheep should not be folded on it, although they may be allowed to run over it in the autumn to finish off any odd stalks which would only he cut off with frost. It will produce as much as twenty tons to the acre of green food. It is frequently sown broad-cast with a. crop such as barley or oats at the rate of eighteen or twenty pounds to the acre in the same manner as seeds. A better plan, if the crop is drilled, is to drill the lucerne, also, in rows 9in apart crossway of the former. A few plants of the corn may be sacrificed with the coulters, but not so many as if all flic rows ran the same way. Hut if a piece of ground prepared as for roots and • reduced to a, good tilth can be spared lucerne may be sown late in the season. There arc advantages in this late sowing. The ground can have a dressing of farmyard manure ploughed in during the spring, which is greatly in favor of the plant. 11 sown after roots they should have been grown with such manure and not entirely with artificials. The land can be more thoroughly cleaned and annual weeds can bo more easily destroyed. In fact, the life of lucerne seems to depend on its being kept clean. Lime is also a necessity, and if the soil is deficient in this a dressing of two tons to the acre should be worked in before sowing the seed. The latter is drilled in rows 9iu apart, 151 b to the acre being sufficient. "With a. patch of lucerne one has always a crop of green food during the summer.