Commercial.

Opunake Times, Volume III, Issue 114, 6 August 1895, Page 3

Commercial.

Mr Newton King’s Weekly Report.

New Plymouth, August 1.

Cattle.—The continued severity of the weather is having a marked effect upon stock ; young cattle especially are looking rough, and there has been heavy mortality amongst them, many of this class showing signs of weakness.

The sale of Mr H. Johnson’s dairy stock at Stratford, on Tuesday, was held under unusual circumstances as regards weather, the country being covered with a mantle of snow, which, however pleasing from a picturesque point of view, was not conducive to the comfort of live stock, and the cows consequently were looking rough and empty. In spite of this, however, the sale was a very satisfactory one, buyers being plentiful and bidding brisk, nearly every line being sold at good prices, only a few stores and backward calves going home. Forward springers made np to £7 7s 6d; spring calvers, £4 to £6; cows in milk, £3 10s to £5 15s; springing heifers, £3 10s to £4 7s Gd.

At Koru, on the same clay, I held a clearing sale on account of Mr Hopkins, when there was a good attendance of buyers. The cows did not come up to expectations, and for reasons similar to those before mentioned did not look at their best, prices being consequently lower than would otherwise have been the case. Cows in milk made £3 7s 6d to £4; spring calvers, £4 I2s Gd to £5 15s. Several lots on account of other vendors made similar prices. At Rahotu, on Wednesday, the yards were fairly tilled. There was a good attendance, but owing to reserves in nearly every case being from 5s to 10s above ruling rates there was not much opportunity of doing business, and only a few pens were sold. After the sale’ I placed several small lots at reduced reserves. I quote: Calves, 19s 6d to £1 Is ; good yearlings, 38s 6d; 12 to 15-month mixed, £2 4s; springing heifers, £4 ss; fat cows, £8 15s to £4 10s ; springers, £5.

Messrs F. R. Jackson and Cos.’

Stock Report.

Johnsonville, July 31. Our yards were well filled with fat cattle and sheep the former being of inferior to medium quality, with a few pens of prime. Sheep were well contested for, and sold at last sales’ rates. Pigs were fairly well represented, selling equal to former rates. Cattlebullocks, good, £8 to £6; others, £7 19s 6d ; small cattle, £6 5s to £6 15s ; cows, £4 2s 6d to £6 16s. We quote —Ox beef, 19s and cow beef, 16s per lOOlbs. Sheep—Wethers, 11s to 12s Id; ewes, 8s to IDs scl. Pigs— Baconers, 22s to 35s ; porkers, 16s to 20s; stores, 10s to 13s 6d ; small pigs, 6s to 7s.

Messrs Nolan, Tonks and Co.’s Stock Report.

On Thursday a good muster of both cattle and sheep came forward. Bidding was fairly brisk for both lines, resulting in almost everything selling at prices slightly in advance of last week’s quotations. On Wednesday last we held a dairy sale on account of Mr H. Knauff. Cows showing well in calf and of good description sold freely. Owing to the heavy fall of snow on Tuesday very few cattle came forward at Eltham, and consequently bidding was very slack. We quote—Fat heifers, £4 5s ; fat cows, £4 2s to £4 9s ; forward bullocks, £5 12s 6d to £5 15s; 3-year steers, £4 12s to £4 14s; yearling steers, 87s to £2 2s ; store cows, £2 10s to £2 14s; 2-year heifers, £2 4s to £2 6s ; yearling heifers, 80s to 35s ; hand-fed weaners, 22s to 29a Gd milch coavs, £4 10s to £5 ; springers, £3 12s 6d to £4 10smilch cows (at Mr Knauffa sale), from £3 10s to £8 2s Gd. SheepShorn hoggets, 4s 7d to 4s 8d ; Avooily hoggets, 6s to 7s; 2-tooth fat eAves, 8s 7d ; f.f.m. eAves, in lamb, 7s ; 2-tooth wethers, 7s lOd ; fat wethers, £9 lOd ; cull eAves, 3s.

Egmont Farmers’ Union (Ltd.) Report. Haweea, August 1. We held a clearing sale of Mr James Boddie at his farm on the Mountain Road, Normauby, on Friday the 26th ult. The day being fine there was a good attendance present, but bidding was slow for the dairy cattle, most of which were in backward condition. The farm was passed in, not reaching owners’ reserves. We quote—Cows and heifers, £2 10s to £G ss; pigs, 8s to 2s ; hacks and ponies, £2 15s to £4 10s.

Oar monthly horse fair was held on Saturday, the 27th ult. f there being rather more than,the advertised number of horses entered for sale, some of them being of good quality. The attendance was much larger than usual, and bidding brisker, so that the majority of horses changed hands before leaving the yards. We quote— Draughts, from £lO to £l9; harness horses, £8 10s to £l2s ; hacks, £2 17s Gd to £ll 10s.

There was only a small muster of cattle at Manaia on Wednesday, the 31st ult., there being too much snow in the bush fur vendors to bring their stock out, so that not a great deal of business was transacted. We quote—--18-month steers,' £2 4s to £2 10s ; weanois, mixed, lbs Gd to £1 2s 6d ; dairy cows, £3 3s to XI 7s Gd. During the past few days wo have placed some large lines of fat cattle privately.

Messrs Hunter and Nolan’s Report. Auckland, August 1. Horses—A steady demand lias existed, but rather a large number was brought forward, and prices were barely sustained. There was a good muster at the Durham Yards on Friday, including a shipment I'rom-Syd-

ney. Competition v, r as st ady. We quote—Heavy draught, £l2 to £lB 10s ; medium, £9 2s 6d to £l6 ; light harness horses, £5 10s to £ls 15s; hacks, £4 to £9 10s ; pair of carriage horses, £3l. Cattle—The supply has scarcely been up to the average, but there has been little or no alteration in value. The Newmarket yards were moderately supplied on Tuesday, and competition was good. Ox beef sold at from £1 to £1 2s 1001 b ; cows, £l.

Sheep—The Newmarket pens were filled on Tuesday; prices in favoi’ of the purchaser Is per head. Wethers ranged from 6s Gd to 14s per head; ewes, 5s 6 A to 10s 3d ; mixed sexfb, 6s to 8s 6d.

Pigs—Scarce ; porkers sold at from 18s to £1 17s Gd ; weaners, 3s 9s to 5s 6d.

London, August 1. Wool—Since close of last sales coarse greasy crossbred is Id to 1-Jd per lb higher; fine and medium greasy crossbreds are -|d to Id per lb higher. Washed and scoured crossbred and greasy crossbred lambs are per lb higher. The total quantity sold during the past sales is 300,000 bales, of which 128,000 bales have been taken for the Continent, and 62,000 bales for America. It is estimated that 32,000 bales have been held over for future disposal. - , Wheat —Market inactive.