Commercial.

Opunake Times, Volume V, Issue 214, 22 September 1896, Page 2

Commercial.

Mr Newton King's Weekly Report; New Plymouth, August 17. Considering the unusually favorable season we have experienced, and the very forward state of the grass, prices for stock have not advanced as might have been expected, but with continued mild weather and consequent increased growth, an improved demand may be reasonably anticipated at an early date. Prices for dairy stock keep up remarkably well, considering the large number of cows which have come into the market, all clearing sales haying been well attended, and good prices realised for anything of fair quality. On Monday, at Cardiff, I held a clearing sale of Mr William's dairy stock. The cows were a nice lot, and met with keen competition. Springers made £6 5s to £7 15s ; late calvers, £3 15s to £5 12s 6d; Jersey bull, £7 ss; half.bred Jersey yearling heifers, 87s. .jT" At Stratford on Tuesday, there wai a large muster of stock, principally young cattle and heifers. For the former the demand was not strong, and a good many lots were passed in. Two or three lots of good forward springers made fair prices, but store and backward heifers were very dull indeed and were mostly unsold. 2to steers were well competed for and all of this class sold at fair prices. I quote—Calves, 16s to 18* 6d; good quality do, 84s ; 18 to 20month steers, 15s; 2to steers, 43s 6d to £8 23 ; 2-year empty heifers, 89s to 455; springers, 50s to £8 15s; empty cows, 85s to 50s. On Wednesday, at Eahotu, I held a clearing sale of Mr A. Monison's dairy stock; &c. There was good attendance, and prices on the whole were satisfactory. The cows were a fair lot, but a good proportion being aged, did not average hi?h rates, springers made up to £6l2s 6d; backward calvers, 60s to £4 ; cows in milk, £4 2s 6d to £6 2s 6d. At Waiwakaiho, on Thursday, the yards were filled to excess, the yard accommodation being taxed to the utmost. There was a large attendance, and all young cattle were well competed for, and nearly all sold at satisfactory rates, a few pens with high reserves being passed in. Big steera were very dull, only one pen of Siyear bullocks making anything like.** prices. Dairy stock were very dull, only one or two exceptionally good pens of springers selling at all well, medium and second quality being quite neglected. Calves made 21s 6d to 24s ; yearlings, 25s to 803; 2-year steers, 45s 6d to 50s; Bto bullooks, £4 to £4 2s; springing heifers (good), £3 10s to £4 2s 6d; medium quality do., 45s to £3 ; empty cows, 85s to 455; fresh condition do., 56s ; springers, 50s to £4 6s.

Egmont Farmers' Union (Limited) Report. Hawera, September 17. We held an unreserved sale of stock, &c, on behalf of Mr George Allen, at his farm, at Okaiawa, on Thursday, the 10th inst. The cows being in forward condition realised satisfactory prices, the average of the line being £6 jer head. Other things also sold very well. We quote:— Dairy cows, £3 15s to £8 12s 6d; dairy heifers, £8 to £4 10s; horses, 55s to £ls ; pigs, breeding sows, 85s to 43s ; slips, 8s to 16s. The entry of cattle at Stratford last Friday, the 11th iust., was larger than ever we remember before, inasmuch as our own yards were not large enough to contain, all the stock that came in, so that we had to arrange for other accomodation. Being mostly young heifers and dairy stock, and these classes not being in request just now, bidding was slow, although the bulk of the cattle changed hands before leaving the yards, at prices hv favor of purchasers. We quote: — 18 to 20-months steers, 49s to 57s 6d; dairy cow 3 and heifers, £3 15s to £5 ; store cows. 40s to £3 5s ; 2 to heifers, 39s to £3 10s; yearlings, 22s 6d to 82s 6d. . ' On Monday, the* 14th inst., Mr R. Burgon's clearing sale took place on farm, Wesley Grove, Okaiawa. The ( cows were rather backward, but for all that sold very well, as did all other stock as well as the sundries. We quote :—Dairy cows, £3 12s 6d to £7 ss; heifers in calf, 45s to £3 5s ; hoggets, 7s lOd. Our Hawera sale, which was held iu the Glover Road yards, Hawera, on Wednesday, the 16th inst., was about the flattest that we have experienced for a loug time, there being absolutely no demand for any clasa of cattle, so that comparatively small business was done. We quote:—Fat bullocks, £6 to £6 6s; fat cows, £4 51s; forward steers, £5 to £5 12s; dairy cows and heifers, £8 5a to £5 ; store cows and heifers, 40s to £8; 2-year heifers, 45s to 555. SheepHoggets, 8s to 14s; ewes and lambs, (culls), 7s 7d.

Messrs Hunter and Nolan's Report. Auckland, September 17. Horses were brought forward in barely average numbers. A demand has existed at last week's values. Quite as many as ou the previous week were disposed of by auction at the Durham- yards on Friday under steady competition. We quote:— Heavy draught, from £l3 to £2O 10s; medium draught, £9 10s to £l6 5s ; Light harness, £4 7s 6d to £l2 ss; hacks, £4 to £4 16s. Cattle. —There was a good muster at Newmarket on Tuesday, and the fat stock generally were of prime quality, for which there was smart bidding. Ox beef sold at from 18s to 20s 1001 b; cow, 16s to 18s; steers ranged from £5 10s to £lO ; cows, £4 to £6 17s 6d; dairy and store stock at the previous week's quotations.