COMMERCIAL.

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1922, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

ADDINGTON MARKET. IMPROVED MUTTON PRICES. CHRISTCHURCH, October 3. All round entries were on the lighter side at the Metropolitan Market this week. Generally, there was a strengthening of values. The advance was more noticeable in the mutton section, following a succession of good sales, but store sheep, dairy cattle, and beef all met with a. more buoyant market. Store cattle scarcely showed the. improvement of last week, whilst bacon pigs recovered to a slight extent the easing of the previous sale. The continued small yarding of fat sheep appear to indicate supplies of fat stock arc very scarce throughout the province. It is notable that North Canterbury, generally a good source of supply at this time of year, is sending few slice]) forward. Possibly the much-improved feed prospects will increase local off erings in the course of a week or so. There was little outside beef in to-day and that the smaller penning did not create stronger improvement may be ascribed to the fact that several butchers still hold stocks of privately bought beef. However, the sale was a very buoyant one, particularly for lighter beef, the bigger bodies being scarcely so popular with the warmer weather setting in. Store sheep sold spiritedly at stronger values practically all round, notably for halfbred ewe hoggets. The day was beautifully fine, and there was a large attendance of farmers. STORE SHEEP. There was again a small entry of store shoe]), about the same number being forward as last week. Hoggets comprised the bulk of the yarding. There was a good attendance of buyers, ami the demand was particularly brisk throughout, with the result that all round prices were above the improved ones of the previous sale. A line of halfbred ewe hoggets made 28/-, a line of threequarter-bred ewe hoggets 23/-, ami a line of halfbred wether hoggets 21/10. Everything was sold at auction. Values were: — Aged ewes ami lambs 15/4 to 17/4 (all counted). Inferior aged ewes and lambs 10/6 (all counted - ). Four and six' amt eight-tooth halfbred wethers to 24/7. Four and six-tooth threequarter-bred wethers to 23/3. Eight-toothed halfbred wethers 22/1 to 22/3. Halfbred ewe hoggets 25/9 to 28/-. Good threequarter-bred ewe hoggets Medium threequarter-bred ewe hoggels to 20/6. Good halfbred wether hoggets to 21/10. Cull halfbred wether hoggets 15/4 to 17/-. Crossbred ewe hoggets to 22/-. Small crossbred wether hoggets Cull mixed sex crossbred hoggets 15/9. SPRING LAMBS. A penning of 290 compared with 234 last week. Some very plump sorts were forward. Notwithstanding the bigger entry the sale was a Aery brisk one, and fully equal to, if not a shade better, than last week, the bulk of th? lamb selling at up to 1/- per lb. Top figure was 34/-, secured by T. 11. Stephens (Irwell) for a pen of five, and T. Boyce (Templeton) for three. FAT SHEEP. The yarding was again on the small side for the weekly necessities of the trade, comprising a shade over nine races. The bulk were good prime sheep, and included a much bigger sprinkling of shorn. 'Die southern end of the province again provided a heavy proportion of the primest mutton. The number of the entries from this quarter week after week and their outstanding quality have been quite a notable feature of the market. The sale was an erratic one, covering a difference in values at various stages of up to 3/per head. It opened a shade stronger than last week, and gradually improved until about two-thirds through, at which stage big well-woolled wethers were showing an advance up to 3/G per head on last week, lighter sorts about 2/-. Over the last race or two a fair proportion of this appreciation was lost, and on an average, compared with last week, heavy wethers were up about 2/per head, ami lighter sheep by 1/6. Sonic outstanding prices were realised. L. Ruddock (Southbridge) had an excellent draft forward, a truck of 53 making 42/3 to 45/3, the average being 43/5, practically 4/- per head more than similar sheep made last week. W. G. Thompson (Waihao Forks) sold 50 at 35/6 to 45/-, three at the top price and 13 at 39/9, and C. G. C. Harper (Geraldine) a line of Corriedales at 36/10 to 40/6, five at the top price and 13 at 39/6. Best price for shorn wethers was secured by F. G. Frampton. (Doyleston), 23 of a draft of 120 making 30/4. An exceptionaly fine line of 40 ewes, penned by J. Connolly (Rakaia) made from 28/8 to 34/6, the latter price for a pen of nine. Values were:— Extra prime wethers, 39/- to 43/-. A few special to 45/3. Prime wethers, 34/6 to 38/6. Medium wethers, 30/- to 34/-. Light wethers, 25/- to 29/6. Extra prime ewes, to 34/6. Prime ewes, 29/- to 32/-. Ordinary owes, 25/- to 28/6. Light ewes, 20/- to 24/-. Prime shorn wethers, 27/- to 30/4, Medium shorn wethers, 24/- to 26/6. Prime hoggets, 24/6 to 27/6. Ordinary hoggets, 21/- to 24/-. FAT CATTLE. A penning of 247 head, compared with 308 last week. The quality was not wo good. North Island supplies

were the smallest for some time, com prising a single draft of 28, and outside districts were not represented. A few good drafts were forward, but a good proportion of the yarding was made up of small lots of two or three. The market opened a shade easier for big bodies, but quite up to, and in the case of lighter sorts in excess of, the values ruling last week. Three parts through there was a slight easing, but over the last race there was a pronounced recovery, ami in a few cases values were a couple of shillings per 1001 b better than last week. Averaging up the value, beef of 9001 b and over was from 31/- to 34/- per 1001 b, well finished 700’s to 850’s from 33/- to 35/-, and good heifer beef from 34/- up to 37/in a few cases. Very little beef sold at under 30/- per 1001 b, and only rough beef below 25/-. Top price was .£l6 5/- for a steer sent forward by W. Brown (Waihao Downs), but the highest priced lot was from Sir Geo. Clifford (Stoneyhurst), six steers making from £l5 7/6 to £l6 2/6, one at the latter price and two at £l6. Values were: — Extra prime steers, to £l6 5/-. Prime steers, £l3 10/- to £l5. Light steers, £7 to £ll 5/-. Prime heifers, £9 10/- to £ll 15/-. Medium hcifeis, £7 15/- to £9 7/6. Light heifers, £6 17/6 to £7 12/6. Extra prime cows, to £l3. 1 Prime cows, £8 10/- to £ll.

Medium cows, £6 12/6 to £8 5/-. Light and aged cows, £4 to £6 5/VEALERS. The entry of vealers was smaller | than last week, but again the quality > was poor. As a result of the smaller ■ entry a rise of about 5/- per head on last week’s closing rates was recorded. X’alues were:— Runners, to £4 15/-. Vealers, £3 5/- to £4 5/-. Small calves, 8/- upwards. STORE CATTLE. The entry of store ('attic was a fairly large one. A few lines of good steers and heifers were forward, but generally the quality was rather inferior. ; ’Die demand was hardly so keen as las! week, and prices were not so good. Values were: — Extra good three-year-old steers to £5 14/.. ‘ _ | Good three-year-old steers £4 5/- to ‘ £1 15/-. (■rood two-year-old steers to £3 10/-. : Ordinary two-year-old steers £2 to £2 .-/■■ | \carling steers, £1 to £1 5/-. Two and two and a half-year-old 1 heifers £2 15/- to £3. Good 18-months-old heifers, £2 13/- to . Good yearling heifers to £2 4 -. Ordinary 18-months-old and yearling ; heifers £1 7/6 to £1 12/6. Good cows to £3 10/-. DAIRY CATTLE. There was a medium yarding of fair ! (piality cows and heifers, but there were • no extra good sorts forward. The demand was better than last week, and prices showed a decided improvement on late rates, springing heifers in par- • ticular selling well. Some classes of cows, notably good sorts at the drop, ! showed an advance equal to £3 per head, ami altogether the sale was a refresh- ’ ing one after the recent dull markets. ; Values were:—■ Good second, third and fourth culvers, sjiringing, £6 to £lO 10/-. Medium second, third, and fourth culvers, springing, £3 to £5 10/-. Aged and inferior springers, £1 10/- ’ to £2 10/-. Good springing heifers £7 to £lO. Meilium springing heifers, £4 to £6 , 10/Weedy sorts £2 to £3 10/-. FAT PIGS. A medium entry of pigs was forward, and though porkers were again weak, the demand for baconers was rather better, the curing firms operating with more freedom. Values Averc as fol- i lows:— Light baconers £3 to £3 10/-. Choppers £3 to £5 13/-. Heavy baconers, £3 12/6 to £3 17/6. j Extra heavy baconers to £4 2/6. Average price per lb spl to 6d. Light porkers £1 18/- to £2 5/-. Heavy porkers £2 7/6 to £2 17/6. Average price per lb 7d to Bd. STORE PIGS. A large yarding of store pigs Avas' L offered to a large number of very keen buyers. Prices were good throughout, being above the rate that might be expected to rule in view of the depressed .state of the fat pig trade. No large stores were offered. The demand for good Avcaners was very keen. Values tvere: — Small weaners 14/- to 18/-. Good Aveaners to 25/-. Slips 18/- to 27/-. Medium stores 30/- to 40/-. Sows in pig to £5. r- 1,1