STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 7

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

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Weekly Slock Sain : J > Foiin'glqJy : Buraside, Wednesdays j Invercargi 1, Tuesdjy3 Aohburton, Tuesday* • I jfoniklv ■ ' Fortnightly: Wiaton, acd WaiBaldutlia, Fridays kouaiti.x G«re, Taeßduys J'eriodicaUu; Oamaru, Tuesdays ' \ Hetiot, Kelsc, and Kyebura. # N<3a.rly 200 head of cattle were yarded at Bunisido last week very) few of Die yarding being prime beef. Prices, owin^ to the large yarding, were easy. Prime I/uUocks brought from £8 to nearly £9; medium to good, £7 to £7 10. The buik of the warding were culls of all grades, from medium to inferior, and met a poor demand. Prices ranged from 30» to £5' It ' was a tori of clearing-out -sale of weedy stock, it eeesns quite evident that the supply of really prime beef is not likely to be h^avy, and there is abundant cvi deuce that the deterioration of the datry herds ext-ind3 to all classes of cattle. Breeding is lacking generally, and the malt<r shculd be given attention without delay. j About 1800 sheep were yarded, more than halt being Tnedium to good ■ewee. Prim^ -wethers brought 20s to 255; prime 6w?3, 16s to~~18s; medium, 8s to 12s. Nearly 600 lambs -were yarded, and" prices ranged from ■ 11s -to 17s 6d for all fit for freezing. Soire unfinished lots sold at from 9s to 10s. At Aldington iiearly 20,000 sheep and lambs were yarded last week. Ewes pre- ! dominated. Prices. show a fall on ■previeus week's rates. A feWpene of ivetliers were taken .for export, .Taut fher-e was less do- j mand "'fox" ewes - for freezing. Prime wethers brought 20s to 226, and 25s- for extra heavj-j .good light wethers for export sold At Tro'm 17s to ~l9s 6d; prime e*.ves, 15s to 16s 3dj -medium, ,13s to -143; old ewee, 10s toUs.' -About 60Q0. lambs and tegs avereiimong the -yarding. Two rival buyers bought 4003 between them. Tegs brought uo to 19s 6d; good to prime freezing lamos, 16s to 17s 8d; light weights, 14s 6d to 15s 9d; others, 11s to 13s. 1 am of opinion th--je& are good values. and the sellers should be quite satisfied. There seems little doubt that the prices now being paid for sheep and lambs are beyor.d what any one consigning at current rates of freight can expect to net, and the cause j is, at bottom, the freight war. The enorn.ous -ehipmentß now going from Argentina, coupled with New Zealand February to May shipments, will, I think, result in a heavy flump in London prices ere long, and it is not improbable that we shall ccc j London prices lower than for some years past. New Zealand farmers, however, wont suffer, as little or no frozen meat is going on consignment. ' Keeping in mind the large shipments of both mutton and lamb afloat and to arrive from New Zealand in March to August, the report from Weddel and Co., given^ below, under date March 9. is not cheerful j reading, and more so from the fact that j shipments of really prime mutton or lamb J from New Zealand are few and far between, \ the "buik of the shipments "being more or loss of the heavy and coarse types. Austi a'.ian now season's lambs will be' on the London market eairly in November prob- , ably, as lambing is in full swing in many parts of Australia now, and feed is ahund-' ai.t:"— MUTTON. '■New 'Zealand. — Importations during the past ( fortnight amounted to only 35,251 carcases, i The demand is still slow, and the short supply, more especially from the South Island, coaplitutes the sole element of strength in this department of the trade. Certain retailers, h-owevei, must continually use Canterbury sheep, and from these buyers slightly higher prices have been demanded and obtained, in spite of the cheapnes-s of Australian and stored New Zealand lambs. So small are stocks of i Canterbury sheep that quotations are practic- , ally nominal at 4Jd to 4^(3 per lb for carcases tinder Bllb, and 4d to 4Jd for heavier weights. . No Southan-i sheep are available. Best North . Island mutton realises 4d to 4 0-16 d per lb, but carcase* of secondary quality and heavy j weights are quoted down to 3gd per Jb. Ewes j are being sold at about 3d per lb. j Australian.— Receipts are moderate, totalling ' no more than 68,957 carcases. It is unfortu- j nate that the quality and condition oi the t grefct buik of present marketings are so un- , suitable for the best class of trade here. The ' coarseness and excessive fatness of the heavy , weights tmd the irregular quality of the i small carcases account for buyers' continued i preference for Eiver Plate mutton, even at a , premium. Choice, small sheen realise up to j 3id per lb, and medium weights are sold at 2i[d to 3d per lb, but heavies are difficult to sell at 22d to 2Jd per lb. I River Plate. — Fair average quantities are now coming to hand, the total arrivals during the past two wesks being 110,872 carcases. The . adverse influence of cheap beef and lamb is j to some extent counterbalanced by the shortage of New Zealand sheep, and, all thin*3 considered, the present rate of sale of mutton j must be regarded as satisfactory. In the provincial markets mutton is slightly dearer than ( at SmitliSeld just now. H«avy sheep are i quoted at 3d to 3Jd per lb; medium-sized carcases at 3id to 3id ; and small carcases | at 3id to 3d per lb in London. In ihei , country the top price for small selected car- 1 cases is id higher^ at 3id per lb.