ADDINGTON STOCK MARKET.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 91, 16 April 1908, Page 2

ADDINGTON STOCK MARKET.

[press association.] i CHRISTCHURCH, April 15. At the Addington live stock market to-day there was again a large entry of stock, though not nearly equal, to the last two weeks, store : sheep forming the bulk. For the better class of store sheep there was a good demand; fat lambs sold at last week's rates, and fat sheep, owing to a fairly large entry, showed a sharp decline; fat cattle were ,i firmer in price, and fat pigs were dull of sale; store cattle were in poor demand, but dairy cows met a better inquiry. , . - ; The yarding of store sheep was much below last week'! record, and 'was made up chiefly of indifferent quality. Ewes formed the bulk of the yarding, and with the* exception oi a few'two-tooths they were mostly of a, poor class. Low-conditioned,' travel-stained ewes could be disposed of only «at lower rates, but' the youngs er and better sorts met with a-fair demand at late rates. Lambs sold firmly, and goqts sorts showed a little improvement in values. There was nb change in the price of wethers, few lot Jipjin'l ';. on "offer.

There was a fairly large entry! of fat.sheep, including some good lines' or medium and heavy-weight wethers; but the bulk was made up of ewes. The bidding opened slack on account of the plentiful supply, and as butchers filled their requirements, prices fell away considerably, and there was a drop of 2s to 3s in wethers, and a still further decline in ewes, the light-conditioned and' aged sheep being the most difficult to sell. The export buyers operated in any lines of ewes that were obtainable .at prices within" their limits, especially towards the close of the1 nak The range of prices was: Prime wethers 18s to 235, extra to 25s 6d, lighter 14s 3d .to 17s ,6d; prime ewes 1.5s 6d to 18s 4d, medium 13s to 15s, aged and light 9s to 12s 6d.

The entry of fat lambs was not a large one, but the quality was better than last week, and chiefly on this account prices ruled somewhat higher. The sale was started at 9 o'clock, in order to get the lambs away early to the factories in view of the closing down for the Easter holidays, and the arrangement met With general approval. Tegs sold at 35s 6d to 10s lOd, ordinary freezers J2s to 15s, and store-conditioned lots 10s to 11s 6d.

• There were 300 head of fat cattle penned, and there was a larger proportion of prime sorts than has been the rule at late sales. There was a steady demand throughout, and prices were firmej. Best steer beef ?»ade 21s to 25s *6d, medium 18s .6d to 20s 6d, and cow and inferior 16s to 18s per 100 lbs. The range prices was: Steers £6 10s to £11 12s 6d, two extra £13s: heifers £5 to £8 7s 6d, extra to £8 12s 6d, arid cows £4 173 6d to £8, extra to £8 12s 6d. Veal calves were entered in fairly large numbers, and among them were several good lots of suckers. Prices ranged from 4s 6d to £3 10s, according to size and quality. The entry of store cattle wai of a poor class, the demand was v?-ry weak, animals in poor condition bemg_ almost unsaleable. Yearlings made 10s to 255, according to condition : two-year steers 40s to 555; two and a half to three year steers, in forward condition, 60s to 70s, and dry cows 15s to 22s 6d. An ordinaryr^ardlng of dairy cows of average quality met with an improved de&A l? d £8 at PriC6S m 5 Ss'tr^e^af'tn?slso^ and wfianers 9s to 12s. • .