MARKET REPORTS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIX, Issue 11556, 18 April 1898, Page 6

MARKET REPORTS.

HORSE SALES. The horse markets on, Saturday were the worst from .a vendor's point of view that have been held here for a long time, there being absolutely no demand for any class. The, entries were fairly large, but included very few good sorts. A few medium draughts were on offer, and these brought from £l2 to £2O for one or two medium-aged animals, but anything that was at all aged was exceedingly hard to quit. The light horses included a few very fair harness sorts and some useful hacks, but only half a dozen changed hands at from £3 to £9 10s. PIGS AND POULTRY. Fat pigs were conspicuous by their absence from the markets on Saturday, but stores and smaller sorts were considerably in excess of supply, and were extremely hard to quit, as it is now impossible to turn them into the paddocks to feed, as the roots of the grass are becoming exposed through the continued dry weather, and they would do an immense amount of damage, while all other kinds of feed are very scarce. Poultry came forward in fair numbers, and any good table birds met a ready sale, but others were somewhat neglected. Prices realised were: —For Pigs—Stores 10s to 13s, suckers and weaners 3s 6d to 7s 6d. For Poultry—Good roosters 2s 6d to 4s, backward sorts Is 3d to 2s, good hens 2s to 2s 9d, and older sorts Is 6d to Is 9d, good ducks 3s 6d to 3s 9d,. and smaller sorts 2s 9d, geese 3s 6d to 4s, cock turkeys 11s to 13s, and hens 4s 3d to 5s 6d, all at per pair.

PROPERTY SALE. On Saturday Messrs Tonks, Norton and Co. offered by auction a number of sections in Sydenham, close to the tramway terminus. Most of the sections did not realise owners’ expectations, and were withdrawn. Two sections in Forbes' Street, however, were disposed of at £24 10s each. CLEARING SALE. Messrs Pyne and Co. held a most successful clearing sale at Drayton, Methven, on Thursday last, on account of Mr E. P. Chap l man. There was a very large attendance of farmers and others. Horses, cows, sheep and implements met with good competition, and every line was quitted at full market values. In fat sheep a big line of wethers realised 13s Id, ewes from 7s to 10s Id, and lambs 7s lOd, cull ewes selling at 4s lOd to 6s Id, and store lambs at 3s 6d. LAND SALES. At Ashburton on Saturday, Messrs Friedlander Bros, sold at auction Mr John Brown’s farm at Wakanui to Mr Hugh M’Cosker for £ls 7s 6d an acre. Mr D. Thomas sold a 10-acre lot in the Longbeach district, the property of Mr Robert Stockdill, for £26 10s per acre, to Mr J. Hopwood, of Longbeach. GRAIN AND PRODUCE. The exports of grain and produce shipped from Lyttelton for the past week included the .following lines :—1135 sacks wheat, 1981 .sacks and 1366 bags flour, 308 sacks oats, 220, sacks, barley, 12. sacks meal, 290 sacks malt, 490 sacks bran, 110 sacks sharps, 65 sacks pollard, 12 sacks beans, 118 sacks peas, 901 sacks seed,. 3583 sacks potatoes. 2467 sacks;ohi6ns, c 7O cases cheese, 70'cases bacon, 400 boxes biftter; 60 bales hay and 268 cases meats*. t ... v.; .