STUD SHEEP PRICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18631, 12 February 1924, Page 8

STUD SHEEP PRICES.

BAINFIELD DISPERSAL SALE HIGH FIGURES REALISED. KEEN COMPETITION. Ost TELEGRAPH. -OWN . CORRESPONDENT.] INVEKCARGILL. Monday. Mr. W. D. Hunt's Bainfield stud of Romney sheep, built up from the famous Dr. Webster strain, have been dispersed by auction, which set records for the South Island. Buyers attended' from all parts of the Dominion. On the first day the offering consisted of shearing flock rams and ewes. The sheep were in splendid condition and although they had come through a hard winter the wool carried quite a good bloom. Never having been pampered lihey were offered in a natural condition, which showed that the animals possessed rugged constitutions. The sheep offered to-day were all shearlings, with the exception of a few pens of aged Wairongomai ewes, which were bred by Mr. A. Matthews, Featherston. The sheep offered were the result of 20 years' culling and breeding along sound lines, and all the animals were low-set, well sprung in the rib and carried even fleeces. The pens were evenly matched and it speaks volumes for the selection and breeding that enables so many pens of even quality to be offered. After a little delay the first pen was started at ajwut 10 guinea*, but so rapidly ] did the bids come in that 20 guineas was reached very soon. Up to 24 guineas went the bidding, where one bidder stopped, allowing the lot to be knocked down to an Argentine buyer. The opening price made buyers gasp a little and wonder what was to follow. However, this turned otft to be the top price for shearling rams, but the high start came es a surprise. Outside buyers continued to make the bidding, and it was not until the better pens were auctioned that local buyers' obtained some of t}je rams offered. In all 30 flock rams were purchased for shipment to the Argentine, and this purchase included some of the best of the flock rams offered. North Island Buyers. North Island buyers secured a good proportion of the offering, while some sheep were bought for the Chatham Islands. The largest purchase of shearling ewes- was Mr. Donald Mac Donald, of Edendale, who secured 110 of the medium-priced ewes. . _ The sale opened in good style in two lots which were purchased for the North Island at 14 guineas and 15V guineas. It was noticeable that North Island buyers, particularly from the Gisborne and Tolaga Bay districts, came into the ring whenever the best woolled sheep were ' under the hammer. The top price for ewes was 17 guineas, and this was secured for two pens, one of which went to Mr. Jas. Kirkpatrick, of Greenvale, while the other was secured by Messrs. W. Ayson and Son,. Waikaka Valley. Some of the ewes were purchased by Southland men, who have not previously handled purebred Romneys and will qo doubt be' used to found the other flocks. It was a great opportunity for a buyer to secure foundation stock, and this was recognised by many. The day's sale finished with some of the famous Wairongomai ewes, and these averaged about 6£ guineas, two pens of four-shear and oyer ewes making 9 guineas per head. The rams averaged £8 12s 9d, as against 5J guineas at the surplus sale of last year, while the shearling ewes ran out at £5 6s a head, which is fully 50 per cent, higher than the prices realised at the recent North Island dispersal sales. 220 and 260 Guineas for Rams. The South Island record for a Romney ram, 160 guineas, obtained at Mr. Hunt's first sale, was surpassed to-day by a comfortable marjgin on three of the stud rams auctioned. ' The sale opened on the two-shear./ ewes and bidding was keen after someone had broken the ice for the opening pens. Tho top price for this section was paid by Mr. D. McKenzie, of Waikaka. who secured a pen of exceptionally well grown sheen at 19 guineas. These were in good condition, in spite of the fact that iheir lambs had just been waned. Many outside buyers were again operating, and some of the ewes were bought for export. So keen was the "competition on the better pens that many of those who held buying' commissions were unable to operate, as the price was beyond their limits. Mr A. Matthews, of Wairongomai, Featherston, bought Bainfield, 383, of 1322, a fine bred ram, for 220 guineas. Then Bainfield 450, a magnificent ram, opening at 100 guineas, was run to 260 guineas, when Mr. W. J. A. McGregor, of 'Mount Linton, got ' him against Mr. R. M. Paterson, of Arrowtown, The next highest priced ram was Ajax IT., the sire of the ram which brought 220 guineas. He was secured by, Mr. R. M. Paterson, who followed the top-priced rani so consistently. ***-. Scattering of the Stud. With the falling of the hammer on the final pen •of ewes, the dispersal of the Bainfield Romney Marsh stud was completed. Some of the sheep purchased will be scattered throughout New Zealand, and will prove the class of stock that Southland is capable of producing. Many of the sheep sold were bred on modern linos, and it was only the best judges who recognised this class of sheep. The low set nuggety animal, with a good fleece, was the ideal of the Bainfield stud, and the dispersal will carry this type of animal into Various parts of the world. The sale totals were as follows:— flock rams. £3433 10s; 355 one-shear ewes, £1971 7s 6d; 310 two-shear ewes, £1785; 258 three-shear ewes, £868 17s 6d: 195 four-shear and over. £584 Is 3d; 34' stud rams, £1299 10s; 46 Matthew ewes. £326 12s 6d; total for 1570 head, £11,268 18s 9d, The averages were as follow .—Flock rams, £9 0s 8d; one-shear ewes, £5 lis* two-shear ewes, £5 15s; three-shear ; ewes' £3 9s 6d; four-shear ewes, £3: stud rams, £67 13s; Matthews ewes, £7 2s; grand average, £7 3s 6d. The Bainfield estate was sold by auction and high prices were realised. The homestead block of 11 acres brought £4000, and another block of 28 acres £2700' Every lot was sold at a highly satisfactory figure, the total reaching £79,895.