THE SYDNEY STUD SHEEP SALES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8541, 22 July 1893, Page 9

THE SYDNEY STUD SHEEP SALES.

,Mr Henry Overton has kindly supplied us with the following interesting account of his recent trip across to Sydney, and cf the sales of sheep held there during the first week of July:—

The consignment from this island was from the flocks of Messrs Grey and Rutherford of Otago, Menlove of Oamaru, and Messrs Boag, Threlkeld, Garforth, Haydon, and my own from Canterbury, comprisinc in all some 240 sheep of mixed ages and sexes. On our arrival in Wellington our number was increased to 370 by consignments from Mr Tanner, of Hawke's Bay, and another shipper from Blenheim. The shipment as a whole was a very good one, and represented every known breed in New Zealand. Unfortunately for the shippers of stock the 3.5. Wakatipu was crowded with passengers aud also hod some racehorses on board, so that the agents of that Company were unable to give all the accommodation they would like to have done for the experimental shipment of sheep. However lam very pleased to be able to state (and in doing so am confident I am only expressing the feeling of all) that not only the officers imt even the seamen did not only all they could to satisfy owners, but did; their utmost to make the stock as comfortable as possible, and I am sure when arranging for another shipment every precaution will be taken for a better arrangement of the space available on board.

We left Wellington wharf about 11 p.m. on Thursday, the 22nd June, waking up next morning to find ourselves steaming along on a perfectly smooth sea, and, in consequence, sheep and passengers as happy as crickets, but towards evening the wind and sea increased until passengers began to disappear, many, I feelingly regret, to say, into their bunks, clothes and all, and next i morning, to those among us who felt up to I venturing on deck, it was, from a "land ! lumper's '* view of things, a real snorter. | That the Wakatipu could ride such a sea with so little discomfort to the stock on board, stamped her at once with us all as the right boat for the purpose, and I need hardly add ; that more than one who had looked upon themselves as fairly good sailors were delighted when "chips"offered to feed all sheep for that day. After some twenty-four hours the sea calmed down, and the rest of the trip was all we could wish, with the exception of the fact that some six or eight sheep died, chiefly from being overheated in the hold alongside the engines. On Tuesday, about midnight, We were fast alongside the Sydney wharf, and at nine o'clock next morning some six Sheep Inspectors come on board and carefully examined and passed each individual sheep. As passed, the sheep were run on to capitally prepared waggons, each holding some dozen, and thea straight away to the warehouse where they were to be offered for sale. I must say a word or two about these warehouses, for they are such magnificent buildings, and of such great size, as well as being in most cases five or six stories high, and splendidly fitted up with every convenience for the purposes of the wool and stock sales, so that the waggons had only to draw into the lower part of the buildings and the sheep were then run out of the waggon into the goods lift and deposited in lots of five or six on the top floor, where the light was not only splendid, but the pens were most carefully arranged and a bountiful supply of good water and lucerne hay provided. Here the sheep, of which there were several hundreds at each warehouse from all parts, and of all breeds, were supposed to have two or three days' rest before being thrown open for inspection by the public. The sales started on Monday morning with merino sheep in No. 1 store, belonging to the N. Z. Loan and Mercantile. To the breeders of that class it was very disappointing, and as we heard so much of suspension and re-construction on all sides we New Zealahders felt very uneasy as to tho probable result of our sales. However, the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency had secured the second sales also, which Commenced about 2 p. pi., in their No. "2" store, with the "first long-wooiled sheep to be offered from New Zealand, comprising a useful lot of sheep from various breeders in the Auckland province. These, to the surprise of ail, were keenly competed for, and sold at fairly satisfactory prices. Then came the Border Leicesters from this island and my Lincolns, all of which were again keenly competed for, and realised as a trial shipment satisfactory prices. The next lot offered was some very fane English Leicesters, qg, account of Mr Threlkeld, and, strange to say, though we all expected to see these sheep in great demand, no satisfactory bidding could be obtained. As it was nearly dark, the auctioneer decided to stop the sale, starting again with the Leicesters next morning, and, though the competition was a little better, the prices realised were most disappointing. The- next lot offered was a nice line of Lincoln sheep from Auckland, which sold readily, and then a few of the best of the Hawke's Bay sheep. By this time a tremendous demand (caused largely I think by the arrival of fresh buyers) had Set in for flock Lincolns, and hundreds might have been- sold at from five to six guineas per head. So the sales went on for four days, being all the time well attended by buyers of all classes, of sheep, though one could not but be struck with the fluctuation in the demand. Among the sheep offered were some of the most beautiful and to all appearances perfect merinos. There were also some beautiful Shropshire Down sheep from Tasmania, equal, I (believe, to almost anything I saw in Shropshire. There were Border Leicesters from Victoria showing plenty of breeding, and some of which 1 cannot help saying were altogether too large to be called sheep. Lincolns were there also from Tasmania, got up to such a state of perfection as regards the opening up of the wool as has never yet been approached at any of our New Zealand shows. And here I might mention that I believe both Messrs Threlkeld and Menlove have secured three or four really good sheep (though I do not mean the very highly got up ones) to bring over here with them.

From what I could gather.we may reasonably look forward to a fair demand from New South Wales for really good useful sheep of either Lincoln or Border Leicester breeds, but I do not think there is any reason, unless for a very limited number, t. expect more than ordinary flock prices, and I do hope breeders will as far as possible if trying the market do so on their own account rather than sell to speculators, for from what I saw of the auctioneers there we may depend upon getting fair treatment. I sent mine through the Loan and Mercantile Agency and though present myself, 1 was pleased to notice that all absentees' interests were as carefully considered as my own, and everything was done by them to procure the best possible sale of our stock-