As I write on Monday, we are seeing forecasts of moderate rainfall during mid-week on our tablelands.

Fifty millimetres would be really welcome and April/May are always good months for pasture growth, so we use the prayer beads at every opportunity.

Church services during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday attracted very big congregations as our multicultural communities celebrated as they saw fit.

APRIL is the traditional month for the classing and culling of sheep and cattle breeding animals.

The females that did not rear their offspring last year will be the first to go as they probably won't rear a youngster this year either.

Some sheep owners employ a professional classer, but in most commercial flocks the owner and their family will make a pretty good job of it with a cull rate of up to 20 per cent.

A professional classer will look for really good conformation of the ewe, standing square like your great aunty used to, and plenty of long, white wool.

Please don't forget badly set jaws and weak pasterns. Good luck with your classing.

RECENT RURAL NOTEBOOK COLUMNS:

OUT in the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange (CTLX) Saleyards at Carcoar last week, we saw 7040 weaner calves being yarded with a top price of $1410 for 27 Angus steers, 424 kilograms, Karoo blood and offered by Colemans Pastoral, Millthorpe.

Peter Healey, Jaks Bloc, Duramana paid $1330 for 25 Angus steers, 336 kilograms, Gilmandyke blood and account of Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange.

Pete's steers should be well-educated.

The CTLX agents will yard 10,000 calves tomorrow, April 5, and another 5000 head on Friday, April 19.

These annual sales have established an enviable reputation and it's known across the eastern states that the breeding and presentation of the Central Tablelands and adjoining districts are comparable to the very best in any state or district.

BEFORE we leave the Blue Ribbon Sales at Carcoar, I must raise my cap to the livestock carriers who deliver 23,000 weaner calves from a wide area to the saleyards and then deliver them to their new owners, often as far away as Queensland and Victoria.

A lot of these trips are in fully loaded B-doubles, through the night, while taking great care of the calves and making sure that the youngsters walk off the trucks in good condition at their new homes.

This has been a huge change in 70 years since all livestock walked to local saleyards, usually boxed with neighbours' mobs and often taking a week with a good drover to make the trip.

Drovers often loaded animals onto trains for long trips where rail facilities were available.

I HOPE that the red meat markets that improved markedly in the lead-up to Easter will maintain the auction price levels as we roll through autumn.

Markets are ruled by supply and demand and, once again, producers are relying on their trusted agents for advice on when to send livestock into fat markets.

This autumn's sale price levels could be described as "steady as she goes" with pasture feed availability being about normal and numbers in the paddock seeming close to the usual.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Bathurst Harness Racing Club for conducting an excellent Gold Crown Carnival with good crowds for heats and finals, reviving memories of some great carnivals at the showground in years gone by.

We saw a brilliant Tiara win to Bittersweet and a top class Crown win to Fox Dan.

Rewind to great wins by Lombo Pocket Watch and Master Musician many years ago and we can appreciate what this carnival has meant to Bathurst people.

Harness racing has been a second nature to many in our community and some of our local trainers and drivers are the equal of any of their city cousins.

Royal Bathurst Show: April 12, 13 and 14.

WEEK 39 of wool sales had an offering of 44,437 bales, of which 92.2 per cent were sold to the trade.

The 18-micron and finer were up to 30ac cheaper as these types continue to struggle with current global demand weakness.

The 18.5-micron and broader were less affected, easing 10-20ac.

Some Chinese mills were looking more interested in the better fine types, which hopefully help this end of the market.

Crossbred types were basically unchanged for the week.

Week 41 has a projected offering of more than 50,000 bales as week 40 is the Easter recess.

DAD bought Mum a secondhand piano, but returned it in favour of a clarinet within weeks.

"Because she can't sing along with a clarinet," he explained.

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THE old couple were married 60 years and she suggested that they barbecue the best pig and party with family and friends.

"Why take it out on the poor pig for something that happened 60 years ago?" he asked.

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BEHIND every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.