COMMERCIAL.

Grey River Argus, 18 March 1922, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

ADDINGTON MARKET. CHRISTCHURCH, March 17. There were large yardings of stock at the metropolitan weekly market at Addington. Fat lambs, however, were not forward in particularly large numbers, the entry being somewhat smaller than last -week. The sale of fat lambs was brighter than the previous one, and prices showed an advance. A large entry of store sheep met with a satisfactory demand, and some excellent prices were paid for good breeding ewes. The fat sheep sale was rather erratic, but generally prices were a shade ( easier than last -week except for prime wethers. Steer beef showed an advance in price, but there was again an over-supply of cow beef. Fat pigs sold at about last week’s values, but store pigs were a good deal cheaper. FAT CATTLE. There was an entry of 217 head of fat cattle, compared with 350 last week. Some -well-finished steers were forward, but none equal to the top price steers of the previous sale. The sale was rather dull at the start, but. it improved as it progressed, and ended firmly. Steer beef prices showed an advance on late rates, but cow beef was again in over-supply. Fewer passings were made than at the previous sale. Extra prime beef sold at 30/- to 32/6 per 1001 b. The best line forward was 23 steers from Mr S. Andrew (Kaikoura). They made from £l2 to £l5 2/6. Top price was £l6 12/6. Values W’ere: — Extra prime steers to £l6 2/6. Prime steers, £ll to £l4 17/6. Medium steers, £8 5/- to £lO 12/6. Inferior steers, £6 to £B. Extra prime heifers to £ll 5/-. Prime heifers, £6 5/- to £8 17/6. Ordinary heifers, £4 5/- to £6. Prime cows, £5 15/- to £7 15/-. Ordinary cows, £3 15/- to £5 10/-. STORE CATTLE. There was a small yarding of store cattle, and, apart from a line of 28 yearling steers, they mostly comprised odd lots. There w r as a fair demand, some of the sales being:— Eighteen-months-old heifers, £3 10/-. Good two-year-old heifers to £4. Two-and-a-half-year-old steers £3 15/-Two-year-old steers £3 2/6. ■ Yearling steers £2 to £3 1/-. DAIRY,CATTLE. There was a fairly large yarding of dairy cattle. The demand was good, especially for anything showing quality, and a satisfactory clearance was effected. Last -week’s prices were maintained. Values were:— Good second and third cal vers £8 to £l2. Ordinary second and third culvers £4 to £7 10/-. Good springing heifers to £l3. Ordinary springing heifers £7 10/to £ll. Aged and inferior dbws £1 10/- to £4. VEALERS. The entry of vealers was fairly mrge, but calves fit for butchers’ purposes were scarce, and these consequently showed a sharp advance in price. Small and inferior calves were about the same Values were:— Runners to £6.

Good vealers £3 10/- to £4 5/-. Medium vealers £2 to £2 5/-. Small calves 3/- upwards. FAT SHEEP. The entry of fat sheep filled 11 races, compared with 13 last week. The number of wethers forward was larger, but the demand eased as the sale progressed. However, it brightened again towards the close. Taken all round prices, except for prime wether mutton, were a shade easier than last week. Good, prices were paid for some pens of excellently finished wethers. A big proportion of the ewes and lighter wethers -were bought by the freezing buyers, and very few passings were made. Top price 33/6. Values were:— Extra prime wethers 25/- to 33/6. Prime wethers 19/6 to 22/6. Medium wethers, 17/6 to 19/3. Lighter wethers 16/- to 17/3. Prime ewes 15/9 to 19/6. Medium ewes 13/3 to 15/6. Light ewes 9/- to 13/-. LAT LAMBS. The fat lambs forward numbered 4550, compared with 5030 last week, and generally the quality was better. The sale was freer than the previous one and prices showed an advance. The average price paid by freezing buyers was about 6 7-8 d per lb, and for some pens they paid 7d. Altogether the exporters secured about 3300 lambs and paid as much as 24/2 for a good pen. Butchers bought a proportion of the J heavy-weights, and a few of the lighter sorts went to graziers. A few pens were passed, but these were disposed of later on privately. Top price, 25/-. Values were:— Extra prime lambs, 23/- to 25/-. Prime lambs, 19/9 to 226. Medium lambs, 17/6 to 19/6. Light and unfinished, lambs,, 14/- to 17/3. STORE SHEEP. The yarding of store sheep was again a very large one, and it included lines from Marlborough and the Chatham Islands. The bulk of the yarding consisted of ewes, very few wethers being forward. The quality of the ewes varied considerably, ranging from excellent breeding stuff to inferior, and lambs showed a similar range in quality. The sale throughout was satisfactory, competition being very keen for good ewes, for which some outstanding prices were paid. Forward rape lambs were also in good demand. Taken all round, prices were remarkably good considering the values in other sections. Nearly the whole entry was cleared at auction. The excellent price of 30/3 was paid for a fine line of 140 twotooth half-bred ewes. Values were:—-

Forward rape lambs 15/- to 17/8. Good lambs 13/- to 14/6. Medium lambs 10/- to 12/6. Small lambs, 7/9 to 9/9. Cull lambs 5/4 to 7/6. Extra good two-tooth half-bred owes to 30/3. Good four and six-tooth ewes 18/6 to 21/-. Ordinary four, six and eight-tooth ewes 16/7 to 17/-. Good six and eight-tooth ewes 22/3 to 24/10. Ordinary six and eight-tooth ewes 15/- to 17/6. Low-conditioned and inferior four, six and eight-tooth ewes 9/6 to 13/6. Inferior two-tooth ewes 11/6 to 14/-. Rape eWes 6/10 to 9/6. Cull ewes 3/3 to 5/9. Four and six-tooth wethers to 16/-. Fair four and six-tooth wethers 11/9 to 14/3. Inferior four and six-tooth -wethers 9/3 to 11/3. Good two-tooth wethers to 13/7. PIGS. There was a big entry of fat pigs of mixed quality. In the early part of the sale the demand was good, but it fell away towards the end. However, taken all round, prices were l about equal to those ruling last week. Values were:— Choppers, £2 10/- to £5 17/6. Light baconers, £3 5/- to £3 19/-. Heavy baconers, £3 15/- to £4 10/-. Extra heavy baconers to £5. Average price per lb, 6-}d. - Light porkers, 45/- to 30/-. Heavy porkers, 55/- to’ 66/-. Average price per lb, 8d to Sid. There was a, big yarding of store pigs and a further sagging in values, i Weaners were lower in price than for a considerable time. Prices were:— Good sows in pig to £4. Good stores, 30/- to 42/-. Medium stores, 21/- to 25/-. Good weaners, 10/-. Small weaners, 3/- to 6/-. AUSTRALIAN GRAIN. (Recd. March 17, at 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 17. Barley is quoted: English 4/4; Cape 3/- to 3/1. Oats, 3/3 to 3/6. Potatoes, £4 to £4 10s. Onions, £6 5s to £6 10s, i