ADDINGTON STOCK MARKET. Christchurch. January 5.

Otago Witness, Issue 2288, 6 January 1898, Page 26

ADDINGTON S TOCK MARKET. Christchurch. January 5.

There was a very large attendance at Addington market. Business seems nosy again fairly settled down after thd holiday*. The feature of the market was the h avy entry of l.xrnbs, which, forms a record for these yarda. The number which have corns forward this season far e^fee'i the yir-lir.gg for any previous year, caused by the be^vy lambing tbis y.-ar and tha scarcity ot feed, which has corupelleii owners to rut-h their limbs into th«r market, in many cases locg before they had a rived at a fit condition. Ou'. of the 5500 odd which wer- in the fat pens it is quite certain not more than 2000 could be styled prime ; nevertheless laige numbers were taksn for export. The entries for the day c-m prised 1171 sheep and lamb*, 378 head of cattle, and 417 pig--'.

Fdt Cattle. — 160 head yardsd, which included some very prime steera and a number of gojd quality light-weight heifers. Price 3 showed a furthe r decline, buyers showing a preference for small car'-ascH in view of the prevailing hot weather Prime beef brought from 15a 6d to 17s per 1001", quod beef Us fid to 15s, aud cows and inferior sorts 10d to 11s 6d. Pev head steers ran fiO'» £4 to £7 12- 6<l, hei'ers £1 53 to £tf, and cows £2 17a C-l t« £4 5-.

K.it Sheep —Some very good Hoes of crossbred wetlurs and ewes were a very great improvement on those which have been ori offer for some time. The sale opened very well, the better cla*ses of ewes being more sought after owing to short supply, but towards the end of the sale they leceded from 6M to 9d per head. B«st wethers were if anything a trifle easier, but the bulk w.s taken foi export. Prices ruling wen- 9s (o lls 4 I for cios bred wethers, 9s to 10* ?cl for wethers and maiden ewe', 8s to 10s f"r goo I young ewe.«, and from 4s to 7s 6d for others (there being a much larger proportion bold at over 6s than fi.r some time), 7s to 9s 3d for me mo wether", :ind 2b 4<i for merino ewes

F^t Lambs — S'JSO pynned. Although the local tiade and exporteis were in compe'ition for all the better lots it was only the veiy primest that held their own, what i-. generally kn >wn as useful little' l-iiubs being easier One of the best lines k< en in the market this season was a draft of 150 bred by Mr S. Sparks from Shropshire Down rams out of three quartei bred ewes obtained fiom the_ Stonyhurst flock, aud after some keen competition wpre secured by an exporter at 123 2-1. This, of course, wai an exceptional line. Fair to good freezing lambf may be quntedat from 9s to 11s Bd, meduim sorts 7s to 8s 6d, and gr<>zie»3 ! Hi e 0 at from 4s to 4>- 6J.

Pigs —a heavy yarding of all classes met good competition, ;ind the sale all through was one of the be3t held at the yards. Baconers w^re quite 4d par lb, and poricers a trifle over. Per head bac nets ran from 35s to 50s 6d ; porkers, 22s 6d to 30 Cd ; stores, 16s (3d to 21s ; and weancs, 8s to 13s 6d.