FLOCK RAM FAIR

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25448, 20 March 1948, Page 9

FLOCK RAM FAIR

MOST ERRATIC DEMAND FINE WOOLLED SHEEP FAVOURED Only one of the four wool breeds offered at the second day of the Christchurch Flock Ram Fair yesterday sold consistently well, and that was the Lincoln, in which only two rams were offered. The Corriedales, halfbreds, and Romneys all hacLa most erratic sale, good for the best, buFfor others very difficult. The main cause of the uncertain demand was that buyers seemed to be interested only in fine-woolled rams in each of the breeds, and that more often than not rams in high condition were passed by in favour of rams carrying less condition. Evidence of careful preparation for the sale usually made rams suspect. This led in many cases to a breeder’s

second and third pens making more than his top pen. A secondary influence was possibly the weakening in wool overseas, though the market has yet to be tested for fine wools in New Zealand. The Corriedales this year displaced the Romneys as the largest breed numerically. They were an excellent lot, unusually even in type, and were altogether a first-class display of the breed. The total forward was 735, against 797 last year. Of these, 169 were passed, and the 566 rams sold averaged a little less than 9igns. The sale for the favoured rams was brisk enough, but the number of passings in a good quality offering shows that those out of fhvour were well below breeder's values. The fine-woolled rams were saleable at prices above those of last year, but the others were cheaper. Top price for the breed was 18gns, secured for a single from Jas. Reid (Darfield). A single from Lipcoin College made 17Jgns, and the top price for a pen was 17gns for five excellent rams from A. E. Cross (Bennetts). Jas. Reid was equal top last year with two other breeders at 22gns. The best rams made from 13gns to 18gns, with good at 9gns to 12gns and others from 2gns to 6gns. Many competent judges considered the halfbred entry to be more even and of better quality than any entered at the Christchurch fair before. Certainly they were an excellent lot of‘ rams, most of them in splendid order, and with some outstanding sheep included. The total forward was 353, against 423 last year, but almost half of the yarding was passed, and 202 rams found buyers at auction. The average for the breed was slightly below lOgns. The sale, as with Corriedales, was most erratic. Fine-woolled rams sold readily, but sheep a little strong in the fleece were hard to quit at anything like reasonable prices. Condition again entered into the question, though among the halfbreds fewer sheep were in high condition. The Romney-Merino cross was neglected throughout the'day. Top price was 37gns for a single from the excellent lot sent forward by . Miss M. E. Goulter (Blenheim). Top- price last year was 18gns. L, G. Dollar (Seddon) sold a single at 24gns, and the estate of Jas. Stevenson (Flaxton) sold the top pen of five at the good price of 20gns. The best rams made from 15gns to 37gns, good from 9gns to 14gns, and others from 4gns to Bgns. The Romney - Marsh entry was considerably smaller than that forward last year and numbered 626 against 1109. It will be recalled that last year for a variety of reasons the catalogued entry came down eventually to about 800 rams This year's offering "was drawn from the • usual sources and once again included a nunjber of outstanding rams from Southland breeders. There was a great deal of interest in the consignment of rams flown from the North Island. They sold at low prices and the day was a poor reward for the enterprise of their breeder. Of the 626 rams offered; only 60 were passed, and the 566 sold averaged the modest price of 6gns. The discrimination against coarse wool and high condition. apparent in the other breeds, was most marked among the Romneys, where most breeders had spent time on careful preparation for the sale. As a whole, the rams were a very good lot, fully up to the best standards of the fair, but for the stronger wools the sale was never better than most disappointing. In addition, after a relatively brisk start, bidding slackened for a considerable period, though it regained its vigour toward the end, when there seemed to be more buyers about than at any time during the day. Top price for the breed, and for the day, was 55gns, which was paid for a single from the estate of D. Robertson (Conical Hills). Another single from tills flock made 42Jgns, the second price. Morrison Bros. (Waikaka) sold a single at 42gns, and G. S. Giddings (Fairlie) sold one at 40gns. Top price last year was 60gns. , The best rams made 16gns to 55gns, good from 8 to 15gns, and others from

3Jgns to 7gns. The two Lincolns offered, both from Voss Bros. (Longburn), made 33gns and The safes were (rams one-shear unless otherwise stated):— HALFBRED N.Z*. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., sold on account of:—• Miss M. E. Goulter (Blenheim): 1 at IGgns, 1 at 37gns, 2 at 17gns, 3 at 15gns. H. Matson and Co. sold on account of:— Estate J. Stevenson (Flaxton): 4 at 12 gns, 4 at llgns, 4 at Bigns. A. A. Adams (Greendale): 5 at 7Jgns. M. Casey (Seddon): 5 at 15gns. L. G. Dollar (Seddon): 5 at 16gns. Leslie Hills Estate: 5 at lOgns. . Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd. sold on account of:— „ Estate J. Stevenson (Flaxton): 5 at Bgns, 5 at Bgns, 5 at 7gns. A. E. Denton (Cheviot): 5 at Uigns. R. E. Colwill (Timaru): 5 at sgns. J. Deans (Homebush): 5 at 14gns. A. A. Adams (Sheffield): 5 at sgns, 5 at 4Jgns. L. G. Dollar (Seddon): 4 at 14gns. Leslie Hills Estate: 5 at sgns. L. D. Adams (Sheffield): 5 at sgns. G. J. H. Reid (Rotherham): 2 at sgns, 2 at 4gns. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., fold on account Of l~

| Mclntosh (West Eyreton): sat 4Jgns, T. L gl Jenkins (Sheffield): 5 at llgns, 5 at sgns, 5 at 4gns. H. B. Douglas (Greta): 5 ; at 9gns, sat 11 T nS ’F. Northcote (Waiau): 5 at llgns, 5 at lOgns, 5 at lOgns, 5 at 6gns. L. G. Dollar (Seddon): 1 at 24gns, 4 at 12gns, 3 at 15gns, 2 at llgns. A. A. Adams (Sheffield) : 5 at 7gns, 5 at Colwill (Timaru): 5 at 6Jgns. Mrs H. B. Westenra (Te Pirita): 4 at llgns. Leslie Hills Estate: 5 at 9gns, 4 at 7gns. N.Z. Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., sold on account of:— Estate J. Stevenson (Flaxton): 5 at 20gns, 5 at 16Jgns, 5 at 94gns. National Mortgage and Agency Co., Ltd., sold on account of:— M. Casey (Seddon): 1 at lOgns. R. E. Colwill (Timaru): 3 at 3gns. L. D. Adams (Sheffield): 5 at 31gns. LINCOLN N. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., sold on account of:— i Voss Bros. (Longburn): 1 at 20gns, 1 at 33gns. ROMNEY. Dalgety and Co., Ltd., sold on account of:— W. A. Buchan (Winchmore): 4 at sgns, 5 at 4gns. W. O'Malley and Sons 5 at 4gns, 2 at 6gns, 3 at 7gns, 5 at 13gns, 2 at Bgns. A. F. Marr (Mount Hutt): 4 at Signs. J. Mosley and Sons (Clydevale): 1 at 7gns, 3 at Bgns, 5 at 4gns. Morrison Bros. (Waikaka): 3 at lOgns. P. Campbell (Wyndham): 2 at 12gns, 3 at Bgns. G. S.’Giddings (Fairlie;: 2 at Uigns. J. S. Strachan (Apiti): 5 at lOgns, 4 at 6gns. 5 at 4gns, 5 at 4gns, 5 at 3gns, 5 at 3gns, 5 at 6gns, 4 at sgns. E. S. Taylor (Woodend): 5 at 9gns. 5 at sgns. Davies Bros. (Waiau): 5 at 6gns, 5 at sgns, 5 at 3Agns. F. P. Cookson (Eiffelton): 4 at 4gns. Estate D. Robertson (Gore): 1 at 55gns. C. C. McLeish (Wright’s Bush): 3 at 13gns, 3 at 15gns. N.Z. Farmers’ Co-operative Association of Canterbury, Ltd., sold on account of:— E. S. Taylor (Woodend): 5 at sJgns. P. Campbell (Wyndham): 4 Kt lOJgns, 3 at Signs. Estate D. Robertson (Gore): 3 at 161gns. G. S. Giddings (Fairlie): 3 at 9gns. McLeish Bros. (Otahutil: 1 at 14gns, 1 at 13gns. 3 at 15gns. A. E. Hunt (Wakefield): 2 at 4Jgns. A. F. Marr (Methven): 5 at 12gns. Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln): 3 at Bgns. S. C. Skurr (Oxford): 1 at 7gns, 1 at 7gns. 9 H. Matson and Company sold on account of:—

C. H. Adams (Greendale): 4 at 6gns. R. J. Low (Mount Hutt): 2 at 6gns. R. Oakley. (Mayfield): 4 at 9gns, 1 at

28gns. Morrison Bros. ( Waikaka): 2 at llgns, 3 at 12gns, 3 at lOgns. Estate D. Robertson (Gore): 3 at 20gns, 3 at 14gns, 1 at 42Jgns. W. O’Malley (Ikamatua): 2 at sgns, 3 at sAgns. C. C. McLeish (Wright’s Bush): 3 at 13gns, 3 at lOgns. S. C. Skurr (Oxford): 2 at 61gns, 1 twoshear at lOlgns, 1 three-shear at 6gns. J. Mosley and Sons (Clydevale): 1 at llgns. 1 at lOgns, 2 at 81gns. P. Campbell (Wyndham): 1 at 27jgns, 4 at lOgns, 3 at lOlgns. A. F. Marr (Methven): 4 at 9gns. Canterbury Agricultural College (Lincoln): 1 at 15gns. Pyne, Gould, Guinness Ltd., sold on account of:— F. P. Cookson (Eiffelton): 2 at 41gns. E. S. Taylor (Woodend): 5 at 4gns. A. F. Marr (Methven): 4 at Signs.

Letters Washed Up.— When advised that a bundle of soaden air-mail letters had been found on the New Brighton beach yesterday by Mrs A. E. Graham, of 62A Wilson’s road, St. Martins, the Chief Post Office made an investigation. It was found that the letters had been sent to a seaman from Australia between April and January and that he had apparently dumped them overboard.