SALE OF ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13666, 6 February 1908, Page 3

SALE OF ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP.

The Auckland Farmers' Union, Limited, (successors to Wakelin, Crane and Co.) report holding a very successful clearing: sale, on account of Mr. G. W. Bull, of Waikiekie, on the 23rd ult, when there was submitted to auction the wellknown- Waikiekie. stud, flock of Romney Marsh sheep, which have been for many years most carefully selected and culled, and have been registered in the Stud Book of tho Dominion. Buyers attended from the Waikato, Auckland, Helensville, W'airoa, Bay of islands, and surrounding districts. Bidding was brisk, and every line submitted was sold under keen competition at prices in favour of the vendor. The four and siy-tooth pedigree ewes and a ram bred by Mr. W. F. Jacob, of Kiwitea, were secured by Mr. James Close, of Ngaheio. Messrs. Woodward Bros., of Mount Albert, and Mr. A. E. Harding, of Mangawhare, purchased the twotooth ewes. Amongst the various stud rams offered were two particularly choice sheep sired by Wheeler and Glfiicoe rams; these were secured by Messrs. J. A. Finlayson, of Aponga, and C A". Wilson, of I'aparoa. The four and sixtooth pedigree rams were eagerly sought after, and realised from £5 5s to £4 15s The flock sheep sold well at good prices, and it was noted that settlers who previously only handled cattle were operating with a view to sheep-raising. It is to be regretted that more do not follow their example, as there is no doubt we have in our county large tracts of land far more suitable for sheep than cattle. Mr. G. K. Cliff; who has purchased Mr. Bull's property, was.the largest buyer of the cattle submitted. Mr. J. Rountrce, of Waikiekie, secured the 24-year-old pedigree Shorthorn bull, bred, by Messrs. Woodward Bros., of Auckland.

NORTHERN SALES. The Auckland Farmers' Union, Limited, held their first annual sheep fair at Karao on the 31st tilt., mid report a. most successful sale, 4200 sheep being penned. The bulk of the ewes offering were huge-framed, sound, good sheep, and several lines of lambs would bear comparison with those offering in any yards in the province. To those who have. been, in doubt as to tho suitability of the northern portion of the province for sheep-farming, the quality of the sheep offered must have been convincing." There was a good attendance of buyers, and competition was brisk throughout, nearly all the lots finding purchasers. Prices were easier than those obtaining at th» corresponding Sale last year, but this was generally anticipated, owing to the decline in wool values, the dry weather, and the reports regarding the markets further south. Good-framed, sound young ewes made from 15s to 16s fid, six-tooth to full-mouth ewes 14s to 16s, older ewes 10s 6d to 13s 6it, two-tooth wethers 13s to lbs, four and six-tooth wethers* 14s to 16s, lambs (good strong stores) 8s to 10.?, others 6s 6d to "8a 6d, fat wethers from 35s to 17s 9d,' fat ewes 14s to 16s, lambs 10s to 12s 6d.

AUSTRALIAN MARKETS. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. SYDNEY, February 5. Wheat: Chick, As 3d; milling, 4s 4d. Flour, £10 ss. Oats, white. 5s 3d; Algerian, milling, 3s 4cl. Maize. 4s lOd. Bran and pollard, 14cl. Potatoes, Tasmanian, £5. Onions, Victorian, £6 10s. Butter. 107s to 109s. Cheese, 7d. Bacon, 9d. MELBOURNE, February 5. Wheat, 4s 4d. Flour, £10. The oat market is quiet. Algerian milling, 3a Id; feeding. 2s lid. Barley. Cape, feeding, 3s 6d; malting, 4s; English,. 5s cd. Bran and pollard, 14Ad. Potatoes, £2 ss. Onions, £5 to £5 10s. ' ADELAIDE, February 5. Wheat, 4a lid. Flour. £9 10s. Bran, and Bollard, lid.

! THE "GET-UP" OF WOOL. j CARELESSNESS OF GROWERS- i [FROM OCR OWSf COBBESPOSDEST.j .':'' London, December 27. j A Bradford correspondent observes that j " the ' get-up' of wool i is a perennial question, and one that is deserving of M mucnattention as ever at the hands of all woo - growers." He holds that the present aiga , range of prices has made many ,-%*° 7r " ers somewhat careless in their methods of preparation for market, there evidently being abroad a feeling that they will get just the same P"ce by scamping the job and putting in the skirts as if they took them out. Oe- ( cause the raw material has this last few years been'commanding high values that is no reason whatever for licensing any man for adopting less vigorous and thorough methods of getting up his clip for market in a-businesslike way, but from what he saw at the July and October series of London sales the correspondent is positive that many New Zealand clips are bein carelessly handled. Complaints have lately been numerous that; the crossbred wools of New Zealand have been anything but what they should be in point of cleanliness and growth, and especially in the lack of appreciation as to what'is "required by buyers. "On pulling out some of tho combing," one says, .* I•struck my baud into a lot of seeds and skirts, and this aroused suspicion. Pulling out of the halo a whole fleece, I opened it. when I beheld on the neck and the breech a whole mass of seeds. Certainly, the belly., portion had been removed, but what is known as 'biddybiddy' was simply plastered oh tho neck and flank end, completely spoiling tho better part of the. fleece.; Thinking I had got hold of an exceptional fleece, I went to two or three other bales,, and did likewise, and in every case the* top and bottom of each fleece was full of, seed. Here was a flagrant case of absolute neglect to. conform to the common elementary principles of preparing wool for market. Now, the seeds of which I am _ complaining are seeds which are found in no other country's wool except New Zealand, and if a man had taken a score of handfuls and deliberately plastered them on there could not have been more. Those combing wools lost at least a penny per lb, if not lid, because the necks and breech had not been removed. Good bright 40's crossbred wool, worth then lid, fetched only 9id. In another case where we had a lot of fine halfbred and fine crossbred, the owner had left in all the skirts, there being not even a single bale of pieces or bellies made out of the whole, clip. If even one bale had been made .it would have vastly, improved the combing wool, for in the same bale we had three parts of fleeces giving a ' clean yield' of 75 . per cent., and other, parts not more than 40 per cent. ' Then, again," he says, " a little appreciation of the question of quality would load to better results. What sense is there in any man baling together fleece wool of 36's and 50's quality? Why,- there is at once more than a penny per lb difference between the two on the ground of quality alone, while a man seeking good halfbred will gladly give lid to 12d per lb, whereas the average price to-day for 26's to 40's is 8d to 9d. Anybody with a very elementary knowledge of wool can at once see -that when there is such a big difference in the quality of wool it will serve two separate and distinct trades. Owners of wool should show a little more interest in their clips, for oftentimes good money is lost because. of a lack of appreciation of these' small details, which are so essential in tho getup of all wool. This question of preparing wool for market in a proper, businesslike way goes to the very root of the wool trade, affecting both the producer and the consumer alike. Apart from every other consideration, it pays the grower to get up his clip well. Buyers at once on examining a lot of wool can tell if there is anything left iu that should be out, and if the skirts and bellies are there it is a common occurrence if one man finds them to spread them out for others to see. In some way or other if a man finds them ho will pass on the word, or else leave behind, some mark to indicate to the next that something is wrong. There may not be any boycott, but the wool is bought with' the full knowledge that it will require plenty of sorting, ■which means a less price for the raw material; in other words, the farmer has to pay indirectly for the cost of sorting by his receiving a less price for his wool."

ADDINGTON STOCK MARKET. [Br TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Christchurch, Wednesday. At the Addington live stock market to-day there were fairly large .entries in most departments and a good attendance. .. Beef again. met with a dragging sale. Store"' sheep were in strong demand for the South: and fat lambs were firm. There was no change in. the quotations for pigs. i . . The yarding of store sheep was a large one and was made up chiefly of Jamba and ewes. The presence of buyers from South Canterbury and North Otago effected a considerable improvement in the demand, and prices 'in some lines showed an advance of Is per head, young ewe« and la'mb3 for rape feeding being mostly sought after. •',_,. The yarding of fat lambs was larger than last week, "and, though there . were a number of good lots, the bulk were irregular in quality. The export buyers were operating freely at the previous week's rates, and for light and unfinished lambs graziers were competing in sympathy with the market for stores. Light lambs improved in price. The range of valued was as follows:—Tegs, 15a to 17s (a few extra to 18s); standard weights, 14s to., 15s; . lighter, 12s 6d to 13s 6d; rape lambs, 10s to 13s 6d. There was a moderate yarding of fat sheep. The entry of fat cattle totalled 266 head, a few pens being very prime, but the remainder consisted chiefly of unfinished heifers and steers. The sale was again a dragging one, but prices wore without change. There was a moderate entry 9f fat pigs and few stores. The former sold at . late rates, but stores were rather duller of sale. Choppers gold ftt £3 to £4; large baconers, to 555; ordinary, 45s to 50s (equal to 5d per lb); porkers, 55s to 45s 6d' (equal to 5d to 5Jd per lb); large stores, 25s to 30s; medium, 16s to 20s; suckers and baconers, 10s to 14s.

DUNEDIN GRAIN MARKET. [BV TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN, Wednesday. Oats: The quantity of old oats on hand is small. Fair inquiry is expected for shipment, and to supply orders shippers are turning attention to the r.ew crop. So far only a few samples have come to hand and they have found buyers at a shade below the values ruling for old oats. Prime milling (old) is quoted at 2s 3^d; good to best feed, 2s 2d to 2s 3d; inferior to medium, 2s to 2s lid. Wheat: No samples of new crop have come forward. Tho quantity of old wheat on hand is very limited and is mostly going off as fowl feed at prices fully equal to quotations for milling. Prime milling is quoted at 5s to 5a 2d; best whole fowl wheat, 4s lOd to ss; medium, 4s 6d to 4s 9d; inferior and broken, 3s 6d to 4s 3d.

BURNSIDE STOCK SALE. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] ' Dunedin-, Wednesday. At the Burusidc stock market to-day 1572 sheep were penned, being a medium yarding. Wethers and maiden ewes brought prices much on a par- with last week's rates, but medium and inferior sorts were much lower and showed a drop of ;Is to'' 2s per head. Best wethers realised 17s to 18s 6d (extra 22s 3d); good, 15s od to 16s 6d; medium, 13s 6d to 15s. ..- Best ewes, 168 to 18s; medium and inferior, 8b to lis. Lambs: 1023 were penned, which was a large yarding. Three-quarters was sold to freezing buyers for export. Last week's rates were fully maintained. Best lambs realised 15s. to 17s; medium, 12s to 14s; unfinished sorts, 10a to 12s. Cattle: 103 were yarded. There was a medium entry and prices obtained show no improvement on last week's low values. Rest bullocks made up to £10: good, £7 to £8 10s; medium, £6 to £7. Best cows and heifers sold up to £6155. Pigs: 200 were yarded, which was a heavy enttv. In consequence there was a decline of 2s 6ri per head all round. Suckers realised 13s to 15s; slips, 22s to 265; stores, 28s to 355; porkers, 37s to 425; light baconers, 44s to 50s; heavy baconers, 50s to 61s.

LONDON. By Telegraph.— Association.— London, February 4. METALS silver, 2s l^d. Copper: On spot. £60 17s 6d; at three months, £61. 10s. Electrolytic, £63. Supplies, 46,580 tons; deliveries, 44,630 tons; stocks, 20.660 tons; afloat, 3610 tons. Tin: On spot, £125 ss; at three months, £126. WOOL. Wool was in good sale yesterday at unchanged rates. WHEAT. The wheat market is firm. Wheat afloat for the United Kingdom, 3,555,000 quarters; for the Continent, 1,435,000 quarters; Atlantic shipments, 205,000 quarters; Pacilic, 145,000 quarters.