Stock Sale at Moa Flat.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6560, 3 May 1905, Page 2

Stock Sale at Moa Flat.

Messrs Wright, Stephenson and Co., report having conducted on Thursday last, an important sale of surplus stock on behalf of the Moa Flat Estate Company Limited. More than one third of this estate having now been disposed of, it became necessary to considerably reduce the live stock, and consequently nearly 21,000 sheep came under the hammer. In addition to a large number of sheep buyers there wa3 a big attendance of others, who were anxious to view this fine piece of country, the nature of which had hitherto been unknown to them. The following are the details :— Lot 1, a splendidiine of 1517 four and six tooth crossbred wethers at 18s 6d, lot 2, a line of 2035 very prime heavy freezing wethers at 21s 9d, lot 3, a line of 1254 four tooth half bred wethers in good condition 200 at 16s 6d, the balance (1054) at 16s; lot 4, a line of 1210 exceedingly good two tooth crossbred ewes at 21s 6d; lot 5, a line of 3500 well bred Leicester cross lambs (the prettiest line seen by those present for many a day) at 14s 6d; lot 6, 2200 soundmouthed crossbred ewes at 19s ; lot 7, 900 six tooth crossbred ewes (topped the sale) at 23s 9d ; lofc 8,1500 freezing 1 wether 3at 19s 7d> lot 9, 442 four tooth halfbrad ewes at 22s 6d, lot 10, 588 eight tooth crossbred ewes-250 at 22s id ; balance (338) at 225, lot 11; 1678 six tooth halfbred wethers at 18s 4d; lot 12, a line of 3500 halfbred tussock wether lambs at 12s 4d. A total clearance of the 20,324 sheep was effected in a little over half an hoar. It is safe to flay that a finer lot of sheep for breeding and uniformity could not be found anywhere, and they were all brought out in great condition. It will be noticed that the prices realised were not so high as those obtained elsewhere at recent clearing sales. This is accounted for by an almost entire absence of demand from Canterbury buyers, and a reluctance on the part of Otago and Southland buyers to pay the extreme rates recently ruling for 6heep. The sheep market, however, is still in a very healthy state, and although prices have receded about 2s a head there cannot be much room for complaint so Ions? as London is willing to pay over 4d per lb, all sunk, for mutton, and over 5d per lb for lamb, as at present.