EWES IN DEMAND

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 9, 21 December 1933, Page 15

EWES IN DEMAND

FAT SHEEP VALUES LAMBS SLIGHTLY EASIER. BIG ENTRY OF 7600 HEAD. With export operators taking a keen interest in freezing lines of ewes, values for this class of stock were slightly improved at the Stortford Lodge sale yesterday, when a big yarding of 7000 fat sheep were entered. Wethers realised values which were much on a par with those of last week, while iamb lines sold at rates which were on a par to slightly easier. There were a number of big drafts entered, particularly of lamb lines, and included amongst these were a number of AVairoa entries, The demand was steady from the commencement of the sale, export buyers paying the greatest attention to the bigger lines entered, while local buyers were competing on smaller lines. Some buying of ewes was done by farmers in the ewe entries, and this assisted in tho absorption of the entry. Some of the entries and prices paid, from which an idea of the state of the market may be obtained, were as follow:— A line of 106 black-face crossbred lambs, medium-framed and well-finish-ed, realised 17/9. Down from Kahuranaki and offered on account of Mr W. Campbell, a line of 99 medium-framed light-conditioned black-face lambs met the market at 16/4. Medium-framed and finished, a pen of 60 shorn ewes made 11/1. A draft of 77 2-th. wethers, earlyshorn, well-grown and finished, realised 20/6, passing at this figure. A similar pen to the previous line, 62 shorn 2-th. wethers, sold out at 21/-. In from a Poukawa vendor, a pen of 103 shorn ewes, well-framed and carrying medium prime to prime order, sold out at 12/2. Small and light, a pen of 93 blackface and white-face crossbred lambs made 15/8. A bid of 20/- secured a line of 40 shorn 2-th. wethers, medium-framed and carrying prime order. Down from Puketapu and offered on account of Mr J. B. Le Quesne, a line of 57 white-face lambs, medium-fram-ed and finished, made 17/-. A small pen of 5 black-face lambs sold at 19/-. A draft of 641 white-face lambs, medium weights and fairly grown, made 18/-. A line of 106 black-face lambs, similarly framed and better finished, sold out at 19/-. A light line of 377 black-face crossbred lambs met the market at 16/3. . A line of 203 white-face crossbred lambs sold at 18/3. A bid of 19/6 secured a pen of 117 white-face crossbred lambs, well grown and carrying prime order. Fairly-framed but lightly finished, a pen of 272 white-face lambs made 16/-. An even line of medium weights, a draft of 250 black-face crossbred lambs realised 18/-. Down from Mangatahi and offered on account of Mr J. Graham, a line of 125 shorn ewes, well grown and carrying prin -. order, sold in three cuts at 13/3, 13/-, and 12/4. A small pen of four wethers, shorn and prime made 21/3. A pen of 26 shorn ewes, well framed and carrying prime order, met the market at 13/1. A pen of 12 blaek-face crossbred lambs sold out at 22/-.

Last week there appeared on this page some comment on the origin of the Polled Hereford breed of cattle, following on the telegraphed report from Wellington that the first bull of this breed to be imported into the South Island had arrived, to the order of Mr A. S. Holms, of Southland. The claim that this is the first Polled Hereford bull to come to the South Island is disputed by Mr J. L. Macfarlane, of Lyndon. Waiau, who has written in saying that he purchased and took delivery of a Polled Hereford bull in September for his herd of Hereford cows.