WEDNESDAY'S STOCK MARKET.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9993, 24 March 1898, Page 4

WEDNESDAY'S STOCK MARKET.

(BY OCR COMMERCIAL EDITOR.) The continued dry weather and the very i poor look out for the grazier are causing all classes of sheep to be forced into the market, and the yardings—especially of stores— I were very large. The attendance was the ' most numerous for a long time past, but business generally in the sheep departments was very dull. The entry of store sheep was an exceptionally heavy one, and the condition of most of the lots showed how scarce feed ha 3 j become. Ewes and wethers formed the bulk of the yardiug, there being only a few lots of lambs, chiefly weedy sorts. There -was fair competition for young breeding ewes in good condition, but even for these low rates had to be accepted, while most of the backward-conditioned ewes brought little better than boilers' prices. Wethers also met with a dull sale, and even forward lines, fit for finishing off, failed to excite anything approaching keen competition, ana generally values were much easier. Lambs of all sorts brought extremely low prices. Among the sales were 950 twotooth crossbred ewes from the Peninsula, 7s ; 257 two and four-tooth ewes, 7s; 258 two, four and six-tooth ewes, 7s to 7s 3d ; 546 four-tooth ewes, 7s ; forward four-tooth maiden ewes, 8s; forward four-tooth maiden ewes, 8s; four, six and eight-tooth ewes, 4s to 5s Id; 470 ewes, mixed ages, 3s 6d ; six-tooth and full-mouth Lincoln ewes, 5s ; sound-mouth ewes, backward condition, 2s 6d to 4s ; boilers, Is Id to 2s 3d ; lambs, 4s to 4s 6d ; small and backward conditioned, Is 5d to 2s 6d ; 197 forward crossbred wethers, 10a sd; 1000 two-tooth tvethera from the Peninsula, 8s 9d to 8a lid; 516 forward two and four-tooth wethers, 8a lid; 394 four-tooth wethers, 8? 7d; 204 four-tooth Shropshire Down cross wethers, 7s 2d ; forward two and four-tooth wethers, 8a 6d to 9a ; 190 light two-tooth wethers, 63 4d to 6s 9d ; 324 forward twotooth wethers and maiden ewes, Bs.

There was a large entry of lambs in the fat pens, but the bulk were only in fair store condition. There was pood competition for the few lots of prime freezers that were in, but other sorts were dull of sale. Best lambs made 93 6d to 10s 9d ; medium, 7s 6d to 9s ; others, 4s 3d to 7s. Fat sheep were well represented both as regards numbers and quality, the entry being made up of crossbred wethers and ewes. The former sold well up to late rates, and maintained their value throughout, but butchers' ewes, a large proportion of which were of very good quality, became difficult of sale after requirements had been satisfied. A special feature of the market was a draft of nine extra prime two-tooth Southdown cross wethers, which made 18s 6d to 21s 6d, and twenty-eight purebred two-tooth Southdown wethers, which realised 14s 6d to 153, a Kaiapoi butcher purchasing the latter. Crossbred wethers made 9s 3d to 13s 7d ; wethers and maiden ewes, lls 10d to 12s 9d ; Shropshire Down maiden ' ewes, lls lid ; crossbred maiden ewes, 9s to lls'7d; best butchers' crossbred ewes, Ts 6d to 8s bd ; medium, 5s 6d to 7? ; inferior, 2s 9d to 5s ; late shorn merino wethers, 2s.

The supply of beef—2o3 head, and mostly light weights—was much beyond requirements, and the sale was a very dull one. Steers made £3 to £7 12s 6d ; heifers, £3 to £7 ; and cows, £2 to £4 2s 6d ; equal to 15s to 16s for prime, 12s 6d to 14s for medium, and 10s to 12s for cow and inferior per 1001b. The entry of dairy cows consisted mostly of inferior sorts. There was a fair demand for good springers and newlycalved cows, which made £4 10s to £6 ss. There was a very poor sale of store cattle. The yarding of pigs was a large one, and a good proportion was prime baconers and porkers. The demand was active and a clearance was effected at late rates, fats averaging 4£d per lb; baconers made 35s to 62s ; porkers, 25s to 35s ; stores, 17s 6d to 35s ; weaners, 6s 6d to 15s.