AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3521, 11 January 1886, Page 2

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

MrD. Maoloan (for Messvs James A. Graoio and Co.) reports for the ps:st week as follows : Horses.— The Christinas and New Year holidays interfered with the usual Saturday's sales, no sales being held on the 26th December and 2ndinst., m consequence of whioh a large entry of horses were to-day passed unaer tho hammer, G5 head having been submitted. The entries consisted of a large proportion of useful farm horses, and a number of ordinary hacks, for the former olasa an active enquiry existed, and the bulk of their entries fonnd ready purchasers at good values ; for the latter class at present there is but little demand. They have to repeat what was stated m their last report, viz., that if good young draughts are sent m jnst now for sale, they will bring fair prices, and owners of those would do wel to forward during the next few weeks, as after harvest reqnirements are supplied, the demand may fall off. On account of Messrs Shea, Stratford, Evans, Alexander, Mcc, Taylor, and others, they sold 23 head at from £16 to £25 10a for fair good draughts, and a shade under those figures for inferior sorts. A very nioe team of 3 colts and fillies brought £71. Another team of 3, not so good, brought £ 9, and a third team consisting of 3 nice mares', brought £61 10s, and m eaoh case the competition was lively. Store and Pat Stock.— Store sheep and cattle at present are difficult to place at anything like decent prices. At their usual auction sales, there has been little business done, and it is difficult to say what prices are likely to be m the face of the long continued dry weather. They have had no large sales to report, but have placed small lines of good crossbred hoggets at from 6s 6d to 6s Od ; ateers from £2 5s to £4. Fat stook are at present oheap. Prime mutton they quote at about ljd per lb, and boef at about 153 per lOOlbs. Messrs Jonas and Bourn report the following stock having been sold by them ainoe their last report: — The want of rain throughout the district is being severely felt, and more especially by tho holders of stock ; fodder is very scarce, and the offeots of it has been particularly noticeable upon the price of sheep. Pleasant Point.— Thoy held their regular monthly salo at this plaoo on tho 4th inst. There was a good number of stock yarded, tho majority of whioh fonnd purchasers. The following are tho prices obtained :— Sheep, 128 orossbred hoggets, at 7s 6d; 28 wethers, nearly fat at 7s Id; 214 ewes and lambs at 7s 9d ; 196 crossbred hoggets at 8s ; 75 crossbred ewes and wethers at 6s 6d ; 190 crossbred hoggets at Ss 6d ; 160 merino ewos (poor) at Is 6d; 250 orossbred hoggets at 7s 6d; 35 owes and wotheratfat), at 7a 4d ; 58 crossbred owes (fat) at 6s 3d ; 45 orossbred hoggets, 8s 9d; 505 ewes and iamba (all combed), 3b 3d; 167 merino owob (poor) at 1« 6d ; 54 lambs at 2s. Cattlo— 5 yearlings at 15a -, 17 steers and heifers, 18 months old, at 325 ; 5 steers, nearly fat, at .£5 7a 6d ; 4 steers and heifsrs, at £4 15s ; 4 steers and heifers at £6 5s ; 6 heifers at £4 10s • miloh cows £3 15s to £8 2s 6d. The sale was well attended, and the prices obtained will compare very favorably with recent quotations taking into consideration the condition and quality of the stock. Horses.— The horse market is particularly dull, very few good sorts coming forward, and infnnor and weedy sorts may be sa d to be quite unsaleable. The entry to-day was not a large one, and none were of a saleable class. A few good draught horßes would find purchasers at quotation". They quote staunoh heavy draughts from £16 to £25 ; medium do from £3 to £17 ; hacks and light harness horse 3 from £i to £16 according to stamp and qtulaty.