ASHBURTON STOCK MARKET.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14379, 12 June 1912, Page 10

ASHBURTON STOCK MARKET.

The weekly stock market was held at the Ashburton yards yesterday, when there was a good ' attendance, but the yarding of fat sheep showed a falling off of 1800, "principally ewes and lambs. The total yarding comprised 7647 sheep. Of these, 1127 were fat ewes, 221 fat wethers, 4365 fat lambs, and 1934 stores. Farmers, finding that their feed is becoming short, are rushing it in, and at yesterday's- market a large percentage of tho ewes yarded "in the fat pens were very much below, the standard, and should have been .in the store pens. Freezing buyers showed very little, inclination to buy. fat ewes and wethers, and consequently medium quality lines suffered a drop of, fully Is per head, but for prime quality, keen competition was exhibited amongst butchers, and prices wero ' well maintained. The same applied. to wethers.. Export buyers showed keener competition for lambs, and prices were about on " a level with last week's rates, and e**ery lino, offered was either sold by auction or privately. A fair proportion of the fat ewes were passed; but the Bihall yarding of wethers found buyers by auction. Ewes made up to 18s 6d, wethers to 21s, and lambs to 235. Prices obtained were as. follows:— Prime butchers' owes, 15s 6d to*l7*i 9d; extra heavy, 18s 6d; mediumweights, 13s to 14s 9d; light and inferior) 9s to lis 9d; prime butchers' Wethers, 17s to 20s; extra heavy; 21s; medium-weights, 15s 5d to 16s 9d; light-weights, 14s; r prime freezing lambs, 16s 8d to 20s Gd; extra heavy, 235; medium-weights, 14s to 16s 6d: light and, inferior, 12s to 13s 9d, There was a very jwor yarding of store sheep, and the demand* was, limited. Sales were: —147 half and three-quarterbred lambs (mixed sexes), 11a sd; 30 fullmouth "halfbred ewes in lamb,_ 9s 3d; 40 sound-mouth crossbred ewes ih lamb, 13s sd; 113 four,. six and eight-tooth do., 16s lOd; 328 two-tooth halfbred wethers, 15s 2d. A fat heifer at £6, and cows springing .at £8 12s 6d,' and a cow jn full profit at £5 10s, were the only sales made of cattle. . . .'-.