CHRISTCHURCH RAM FAIR.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XLIX, Issue 2454, 20 March 1900, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH RAM FAIR.

Eh annual Ram and Ewe Fair under the auspices of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association wae held on Thursday at Addington. The entries were much smaller than last year on account of the number of private sales, especially of English Leicesters, Shropshires and Southdowns. The quality of the bulk of the rams on offer was not up to the average of former years, as the flocks had been picked over by private buyers. Flock Border Leicester rams sold fairly well, at a range of le to 6£gs, most of tnem changing hands at 3gs to 4gs. The few Bomney Marsh rams in were negleoted, and Lincolns met with a very dull sale, and could only be placed at unusually low figures. They made from fg to sgs, the bulk of them selling at from lg to 2_ga» The small number of Southdowns that breeders had left for public sale were readily got rid of at 3Jgs lo Bgs. There was a great run on English Leioesters, and the high average they made mu>t have been most satisfactory to their breeders ; 3gs to 7igs was the general range of values, while extragood rams made Bgs to 14gs. Shropshires seared with English Leicesters the claim of popularity, and once the market value had he-en established they found ready buyers at p. ices ranging from 3gß to 10gs, the bulk of them going at sga t" 6gs. The only flock ewes entered were bhropshires, and these made 3Jgs to sgs. For the different breedsr of stud rams the sane demand was manifested as for flocks, except 'hat Mr. F. Sutton sold two Lincolns at 30gs each. English Leicesters met with spirited competition, and seld at 6gs to 36gs, the latter price being paid by Mr R. Latter for. a ram bred by Mr. D. Grant, Temukt- Amongst the stud Shropshires were some excellent specimens of the breed, Mr Rupert Parry, of Timaru, obtaining the highest price of the d*y for a very fine ram, Mr G. J. Blaok, of Akaroa, making the final bid of 61gs, This gentleman also bought another Shropshire for llgs,