COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8149, 21 April 1887, Page 4

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, Wednesday Evening. LIVE STOCK MARKET, Tbe market at Addington yesterday was fairly attended, but there was very little general improvement in business, though the best qualities of beef and mutton brought slightly increased values. Cattle. A large supply of fat cattle was yarded, including a good proportion of prime quality. The demand was very limited, still a lew desirable beasts realised a slight improvement on last week’s values. The average, however, remained unaltered, and we quote prime beef 17s 6d to 18s per 1001 b middling to good, 15s to 16s; and inferior at 12s Gd to 14s. Prime steers sold at £6 to £6, the latter price being realised for the first lot of a nice line from the Chatmoss Estate, of which (he remainder were passed in at £7 10a a head. Ordinary quality and fat cows were in excess of the demand for such description?, and barely maintained late rates. Store cattle etill met with no demand, and out of a vary large entry, the only line of importance sold was one of well-conditioned three-year-old steers at £3 Iss, which three months ago would have easily fet hed £5 6e. Most of the cattle under this head ware of indifferent quality, and in very low condition. Dairy stock were offered in very large numbers, but of generally inferior quality. Some really good cows were, however, among tbe ontries > and these sold at £8 to £lO 5s each, being either springing or just calved. Ordinary cows brought from £3 10s to £5. Shew —There was a great falling off in the number of sheep penned, to-day's supply comprising only about 8000 of all descriptions. The demand for freezing was fairly active, and absorbed most of the lots of suitable weight and quality at an advance of nearly Is a head. Other qualities showed no change, the only noticeable feature of the sale being the good demand by graziers for nearly fat wethers for topping off, Wo quote inline cross-bred wethers 8s 6d 1o 11s each, the latter price being obtained for a capital line of cross-bred wethers, grazed by Mr M. Weir in Hagiey Fork, and the ewes of which

brought the excsp’ional price of 9a 6d. Store sheep wore no readier of sale than at late markets Good lines of cross-bred wethers for topping-off on turnips fonnd buyers at good prices compared with the values of fat sheep, hut nondescript lines can only be sold at nominal rates, and are mostly bought for boiling down, at Is to 2s 6d per head. Fat lambs were again lower, and the best pons realised only from 4s to the top price of 5j a head. Fair butchers’ qualities sold at from 3s to 4s. Stores brought from 2s 3d to 3a 6d. Pigs.—There was a heavy fall in the market for all descriptions. The supply consisted mostly of porkers and pigs of bacon weights, and these were solely competed for by the butchers. Good bacon weights sold at 39s for a line of seven pigs ; porkers, 13s to 30s; stores, 6s to 15s.