ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21708, 15 February 1936, Page 9

ADDINGTON MARKET

PRICES ; FIRMER

EXCELLENT DEMAND FOR BREEDING EWES

The rains of the last 10 days have considerably brightened, the fanning outlook in Canterbury, and it was mainly this. ; bet*2r . spirit that stimulated buyers in most sections at Addington on Wednesday. Yfirdings, particularly of fat stock, were sonaewhat smaller, and this again was a help to vendors. - Stock ,as a general thing, do not look as well this year as they generally do, and in the fat lamb and fat sheep pens particularly, butchers were presented with;ah entry that contained considerably less than their requirements o£ really prime sorts. Store Sheep The entry of store lambs was smaller than the one forward last week, and though really profitable-looking lambs were hard to find among those offered, the quality was considerably better. There was more evenness in the penning, and buyers, who were there in large numbers, were able to bid up well on most of the lines. The inclusion of a number of regular station drafts was a feature, and though most of them were typical small, hard, backcountry sorts, they met a keen market at values a full shilling a head in advance of those ruling last week for the same class of lamb. A few lines, of West Coast lambs, mostly big-framed three-quarterbreds, were included, and they looked well and sold well. Odd pens of shorn Chatham Islands Romneys were also included. At the prices paid, most of the lambs were very fully valued, when the state of the meat market is considered. In the store sheep pens there was a big entry, but the quality was not at all up to the usual standard of yarding at this early part of the season. Quality was hard to find, though there were odd good lines. The inclusion of a number of lines of merino wethers did nothing to improve the appearance of the offering. From the outset the sale was brisk, at times' almost excited, and ..values were very firm. Wethers sold steadily at unchanged rates, but there was quite a useful advance in ewes of all sorts.' Buyers seemed to discriminate little between ewes with good mouths and those with no teeth at all, and practically every line fetched prices that on the face of it looked too high. For the most part the ewes were of the patchiest son of quality, and as a rule the lines offered were made up of sheep of all shapes and sizes. The best of the offering was a draft of two-tooths from one of the better-known Corriedale flocks, and they sold very well at 325. Another line of two-tooths, English Leicester cross, made the same money. The impression among farmers is that ewes are going to be scarce in March, with the North Island and Marlborough closing as sources of supply, and certainly if the rates paid for the ewes . offered at Addington are to be, taken as an indication, prices will bef ! of those last year. It will. 5 . be remembered that last year prfcesf were Considered dangerously high, and in view of the uncertain outlook for farm produce of all kinds this year,' values appear already to be over-op-timistic; Good old ewes brought excellent prices, anything with a year or two left being worth at least £l, Even old and poor types were worth 15s upwards if* they showed any quality. The market for four and five-year-old ewes is probably at present, up to 5s a head better than it was last year.

Fat Lambs If the West Coast lambs forwarded in the fat pens had been left out, the market would have been a thoroughly poor selection, relieved by only a few choice lines. The West Coast consignments, of which there were fortunately quite a number, built up the quality to a certain extent, but the-yarding was not one of which Canterbury farmers could be proud.. The total was smaller too, and there was exceptionally keen competition among the butchers for their requirements. Values were well uo. as much as 2s in some cases, and the sale was quite the best for the season. Exporters operated freely at full schedule rates.

Fat Sheep The quality of the fat sheep entry was more even than it was last week, but with the hard time sheep have been having lately, naturally it was not as good as it generally Is at this time of year. The few lines of Southland; sheep included showed that Canterbury is not the only part of New Zealand suffering from a lack of proper feed. These sheep were good, but they ■ were not of the standard usually seen in southern consignments. The sale started' keen and remained keen till the end, the best ewes and wethers recording an advance of up to Is 6d a head, and all others showing an advance. Butchers bought keenly for their requirements, which were hard to fill, and exporters operated with a good, deal more determination than they have shown for some time. Wethers— '

Fat Cattle The fat cattle yarding was smaller than that forward last week, and was all over of slightly better* quality, though there was the same dearth of really prime steers. The sale was definitely brighter. Steers of the best class were up to £1 a head . dearer, and even cows, which were less numerous and of better appearance, rose by about 10s a head, Bidding was inclined to be but altogether the sale was more encouraging.

Feb. 13. Feb. 12, 1935. 1936. Lambs— s. s. S. 3. Good rape Ordinary' rape .. to 161 — to 181 11 to 13 141 to 17 Small and backward 6 to 10 11 to 14 Ewes— Ord, s.m. halfbred — to 161 18 to 23 Good 2-th Jbred — to 281 — to.32, Good 2-th xbred 26 to 271 — to 32

Lambs— Extra prime . 28 to 31 29 to 33 Prime . 24 to 27 28 to 281 • Medium-weight - 21J to 231 23 to 251 Light . 17 to 21 18 to 221

Extra prime heavy — to 29 — to 311 Prime heavy ..' 23 to; 23 25 to 261 .Prime ; med.-wgt. 21 to 221 221 to 241 Medium 18 to 201 201 to 22 Light — to 17 18 to 20 Ewes— Extra prime to 211 23 to 30 Prime 17i to 20 191 to 221 Prime med-wgt. 14 to 17, 161 to 181 Ordinary Hi to 13 121 to 151 Light 9i to 11 8 to 12

steers—. , t *. .■Ex. prime heavy — to 101 to 114 Primp heavy .. .8 to Prime mea,-wgt. , 7j to 9 9 1} to 11 to Pi : Medium, •• - 4ito. 53 to 7 Light,, _ to 4 to 5 Heifers— . Extra' prime ,. — to Prime , ’ .. 43 to ?• SI 6 to to Medium ..3 to4J 44 to 53 Light : .. — to .33 to 34 Cows—s . n to 94 Extra prime .. — tp Prime \ .. 44,to 54 44 to 6 Medium •., 2V to 4 34 to 44 Light .. — to 24 to 3