OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2429, 3 October 1900, Page 7

OUR YORKSHIRE LETTER.

(Fhoit'Oui* Special CortitESPONDENT.) BRADFORD, August 3. SENSATIONAL SALE OF XIVE STOCK. BUENOS AYRES BUYERS SWEEP THE DEGK One would have thought that ihe. outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the Argentine would have put a damper upon the pedigree live stock exportation to South America, but ! instead of that exporters have returned to the I game with renewed vigour and life. For the [ past six years South America has ■ been England's best customer for the__very cream of her cattle and sheep, and although last year some said that ihe country's resources were being taxed and that the demand had about been met, yet judging by the recent buying by the largest South American exporters, such a statement in no genoa holds good. That well-known Lincoln sheep and i shorthorn breeder, Mr -Henry Dudding, Riby | Grcve, Great Grim&by, held last week his ani mial sale of pedigree live stock, and as the i event is of much interest and importance to colonial stockmon, i feel that i must say something about the sale. It may be mentioned that during the past 10 years no other j flock has been drawn upon &o extensively as ' Mr Duddmg'3 by colonial and South American live stock buyers. In giving a brief epitome of the sale the Farmer and Stockbreeder says that "it is two years since an English-bred ram was sold at aucfiGii for lOOOgs" at Mr fi. Dudding' s second annual sale — an event many said would never happen again, and wilh trade depressed, few . would have ixpeeted it this year. For the I second time, however, Mr itei-ry Dudding ' has had the honour of breeding and selling a lOOOgs ram. At the fourth annual Kiby Grove sale, Riby Champion II was sold very quickly for that amount, which, though not a iresh i record, equals the standing one held by the ' same Hock. This grand lam, undoubtedly better in many respects than the ram yold at , the came iiguro and to the same purchaser (Mr Jf. Miller) two years ago, has, in all respects, equaLed him both in the- showyarcl and sale ring, for he .has never known deieat-. iiow j many bids there were for him up to 500gs wo ,' cannot tell, but we had not been in the ring ' live minutao when Air J. Church bid that sum. i Thence onwards the competition lay be- ' twesu Mr Church and Mr F. Miller. 'ihe bttcr, as already announced, amid cheers, s-ecured this fine sheep. After such a start the bystaudeis were prepared 'for a good sale, bin lew anticipated a demand to i^ako the avciage work oat at £77 17s 9d, us against £33 5s bd in 1359 and £86 19s in 1898. This year's sale, vrhon tlie market value and demand for Lincoin sheep is taken into consideration, is better than even the 1893 high averages. The iirsL 20 rams sold in 1095 averaged £137 Is od, and the first 20 this year made an average of ! £148 9s 3d, a great testimony of their high quality and merit. For all the best rams, Aiessrs Aliiier, Church, and Maclennan made i a very keen fight, the former, as will be seen, , coming off vicior in most instances. There J weie ; as always is the case, several rams that failed to secure the support they deseived; and went at values whioit will pay their nurchaser over and over "again. One point, however is most clearly shown — namely, that for j the best there is -both a thorough good dei mand and keen competition at high values. "If this" salo, which is the commencement, can be taken as an indication of the future { trade this season, it is plain that those j breeders who have piofited by List year's experience and* draited their sheep well, and , only kept the best, will find when sale time J comes a good demand at satisfactory prices, j " The 43 yearling ewes did not sell at quite so' good an average as last year, the first prize Royal pen having already been sold and the ' champion pen at the Lincoln County show j (ewe hoggs in the wool) not being included } in the sale naturally reducing the average. Twenty-five of the ewes were, however, purchased for export to Canada for Messrs Patrick Bros., two being secured, by Mr Candy for the Argentine, and the remainder being kept at home." Out of the 50 rams sold Mr F. Miller took no less than 19,- paying for ths iirst lOOOgs, several of his other purchases 1 ranging up to 200gs, while Mr James Church ! took 11 yearling rams at high figure*'. The destination of all these is Buenos Ayres. The prices throughout show that South America has an insatiable maw for the best class of Lincoln or lustie wool rams. Almost all the pisrcha^es made were for abroad. Not the leriot gratifying feature of the sale was the very large number of flocks represented in the breeding. It is worthy of note t-hat the sire of this lOOOgs ram was bred outside of Mr Dudding' s flock. AUSTRALASIAN PRODUCE NOTES. During recent weeks unueually hot weather has prevailed throughout the United Kingdom, and as could only be expected this has seriously affected the market in frozen meats, reducing consumption and consequently affecting demand in the wholesale. "With a dull and dragging trade a considerable drop in prices of United States sides has taken t>lace, to-day's quotation being s«d to sgd per 1b: As regards frozen meats, the position is far from satisfactory in all departments. In beef, there has teen an increa&o for the first six s months' of this year when compared to the corresponding half of last year of 95,537 quarters. Imports from New Zealand have been large, and generally speaking quality and condition have been good. The source of discomfiture to Australian beef continues

to be an ever-increasing supply from, the River Plate, which seoms to give satisfaction, and finds a ready sale at rather less money than the New Zealand article. As before said, with the slacker demand prices have eased until to-day New Zealand hinds are mo king 4|d to 4 id and fores 3£d to 3|d; Australian hinds 4-d to 4^d and fores 2|d per Ib. It is a significant fact, but values foe all fore quarters have kept this summer unusually high, and this will be seen from the. mention of the fact that at this time last year New Zealland and Auytialian fores were selling at l^d to l|d. Stocks are light, holders anticipating the übiial summer slump having realised while prices wore good. In frozen mutton there continues to be good supplies, imports so far this 'year exceeding by 67,4-34- carcases the number of the corresponding months of last year. Trade is dull and dragging. Dunedin and Southland F'heep cannot now be quoted higher than 3gd to 3|d per lb, which" price covers the well known W. M. E. Co. brand of the best weights. Imports of Australian mutton have lately been very light, as could only be expected, and it is as well they have been. Prices have hero dwindled, and from 33d. obtainable a month ago havo fallen to 31d. Australian wheat is quoted at 31s 6d to 32s per 4S6lb. Stocks of Australian and New Zealand butter are very light, a few of the choicest qualities having recently been sold at 100s to 102s. The imports during June amounted to 117

tons from Australia and 54& from New Zealand ; — total 666 tons.

Queensland beef is quoted : Hinds 2s 9dj fores Is lid per stone of 31b.

CURRENT WOOL PRICES.

The position of the wool market this week is, practically speaking, no better than what it was a week ago, but whelhor it be* any worse it is hard to ray. 'Co do business is" a very hard job indeed, and all the more 30 beeatise prices are so very unsatisfactory. It is a fact that no more money can be made for pny class of stock than could be made a fortnight ago, and although inquiries have been frequent yet there is at the back of them no solid basis on' which transactions' can be expected. Spinners continue to display the greatest indifference regarding purchasing anything, and freely state the market is with tlie.i!. On the other hand there is a sure and cfartain increase of standing machinery, and contraction is the cider of t*% day, especially in qualities ranging over bOs, user^ stating positively that fresh orders they cannot obtain. • The following table shows the full course of prices during the past month, and also slates the general asking prices of merchants to-day: —

<c 5) Sr I I Description of Staple. 3 >> hj 1-5 Linooln hogg& Lincoln vvetheis Deep-grown hoggs ... Deep-grown wethers ... White siiter huggs ... Whii c supir weihers . I'ishhopgs Irish wethers Shropshire hoggs ...j SI Bupshhvj wetbers ... vjiuiuary halt bred hoggs Ozdin-rj' half bred ewts Wiltihire Town tegs ... Wiltiliire Dowu ewes Ordinaij' We, Buenos Aj res tops Ordinary (iO's, colonial tops Super CU'&, colonial lops Ordinary 40's, colonial tops Ordinal y :36"5, colonial tops Turkey aveiage mohair (Jape tusts, mohair ... d. 8 7i 74 7 8 n 8 7i 10 y d. SI n 7 8 d. ?! 7 8 7A 71 • 7 Hi 14 d. 82 8 7 8 7£ 71 7 SJ.V S-H d. 81 7i 71 7 8 lh 7" 9i 71 d. 7i 7i 8 S 7 ]2 12 7 12 12 71 12 12 7i 12 ,1-J 7} 12 Vi £0 19 IS* 182 18| •22 21 I 20 i 20 £0 2:) 22 21 21 21 9f 10 10 10 J 101 lit 174 9 18 lb"i ■9 18 ,61 9 18 16* 9 18 AH