The sale returned a total clearance of 40 rams and an average price of just above $1700.

The Roseville Park bloodline rams presented very well in big upstanding sheep, very white in the wool and plain enough for many breeders to cease mulesing when they want to.

RECENT estimates predict that around 50 per cent of sheep flocks in south-eastern Australia are affected by benign footrot and the lush pasture conditions at present aren't leaving many high and dry paddocks to get sheep flocks on to.

Benign footrot and foot scald normally come and go as seasons dry off and they are not to be confused with the very damaging and costly virulent footrot.

Sheep buyers must be certain that the animals that they are intending to buy have had a thorough foot inspection by a person who knows what to look for.

THE influence of the Charinga Merino Stud at St Arnaud, Victoria continues to spread across the nation.

In our district we see Winyar, Capree, Blink Bonnie and Roseville Park all using some input from Charinga which used Banavie and Collinsville for the foundation of their stud.

Young rams of this bloodline were sold at a Bathurst ram sale some 25 years ago and some local producers didn't recognise the quality of rams that carry excellent skin qualities.

Some of our local studs will use Charinga blood carefully and also benefit from hybrid vigour and increased lambing percentages.

WHEN Brian Wood was still at the Western Advocate our district was in the throes of decades of drought and Brian wrote: "Who would want to be a farmer?"

The years have rolled on and the past two years have been the best farming conditions of my lifetime.

These conditions have brought serious losses to bloat and grass tetany to cattle herds and pulpy kidney deaths in young sheep and lambs. To a real farm operator these losses are equally worrying whether the animals are valued at $2 or $4000 per head.

I wish Brian Wood would contribute to our local paper this week and ask the question" "Who wouldn't want to be a farmer?"

We know that the good times won't last forever but we do miss Woody's journalism.

A BRACE of Bathurst gentlemen have celebrated their 80th birthdays in very recent days.

Bill Dickie, Selwyn Coles and Doug Collins all crossed the magic line and each has done his bit to make our town (and Oberon for Doug) a great place to live and work.

Happy birthday to this trifecta.

THREE cheers for Forever More who recorded his first win at last week's Dubbo trots with Neville Donnelly in the gig and Marianne doing most of the strapping and advising.

Neville hasn't travelled that fast since his glory days as a lamb catcher with our crew.

There may be quite a few more successes for the Donnelly's and Forever More.

A COUPLE of thoughts for the week:

It is much better to be 10 minutes early than one minute late.

Properties that are now selling for $5 million are the very same places that former owners once remarked, "how on earth did we survive?"

When our churches reopen will two-thirds of the former congregations ever return?

A PRICE comparison between recently sold properties across Victoria has thrown some interesting figures.

Based on properties that are big enough to be viable, a figure of $750 per dry sheep equivalent is being used to ascertain the value of a property.

For instance, a Central Tablelands property of 1500 acres and expected to run 2 DSE to the acre could be valued at $1500 per acre, plus improvements.

A top-notch property at 5 DSE could have a $3750 per acre value.

THERE was not a lot of logic in the Week 16 wool auctions.

Everyone expected a slight rise on the first day, however, the erratic and the "just in time" buying strategy of our main wool customer saw the market push up savagely on the first day.

By the second day of sales this market had eased up to 20ac as we had seen no overnight follow up business done at the new levels.

With 33,104 bales offered the EMI rose 46ac/kg for the week with a passed in rate of 5.6 per cent Australia wide.

Despite recent reports of power shortages and a potential credit crunch in China, this did not seem to dampen the demand for merino wool out of this country.

However, when the market hit a certain USD level all the phones stopped ringing, according to the exporters I have spoken to.

Volatility seems to be the catch-cry for our wool market at the moment and it seems this will continue for some time yet as despite Italy and India and Europe being very active so far this season, Chinese wool users are still our biggest customers.

Let's hope for a cold winter in the Northern Hemisphere that encourages consumers to get out and buy wool.

Week 17 sees an estimated offering of 45,755 bales in all three wool-selling centres.

Richard Butcher, Nutrien Wool

Thursday, November 4: Mount Bathurst Poll Dorsets at Black Springs, 80 hogget rams. Proceeds of Lot 20 to Cancer Council.

Saturday, November 6: Pomanara Ram Sale at Sallys Flat. Google Pomanara Merino Stud for videos of some of the young rams. Phone Geoff on 0428 288 075.

THE little bloke was four and watched Uncle Jed attach the cups of the milking machine to a big Friesian cow in the rotary dairy. When he got home he told mum: "Uncle Jed started a cow with jumper leads, just like Dad did for Granny's old Holden."

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GEORGE was staying at a Darling Harbour motel and emailed his wife at home. By mistake he sent the message to a widow who had just returned from her husband's funeral. Expecting condolences, she instead read: "Dear wife, they have email here. I've just checked in, it's nice here but lonely. I've made all arrangements for you to arrive in the morning. I can't wait to see you. Love George."