ADDINGTON MARKETS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LX, Issue 2441, 8 July 1897, Page 2

ADDINGTON MARKETS.

(By Telegraph.) CHRISTOHUBCfI, July 7. CATTLE. Of the 166 head of fat cattle yarded atiout 50 were m dealers' hands and were dealt with privately. These included some very prime steers. The cattle which came to auction were mostly lightweight steers and heifers, the latter predominating. The sale was extremely dull at first, pen after pen being passed without a bid. Only a small proportion of the entry changed hands, best beef realising from 16s to 17s 6d per lOOlbs, and inferior to medium 12s 6d • to . 15s. Prices per head were— Steprs £4 17s 6d to £7, heifers £3 12s 6d to £5 7a 6d, and cows £3 10s to £6155. About 50 dairy cows were on offer, better classes selling well at from £5 to £7 10s, but aged and weedy sorts were hard to quit at £2 to £4 10s. Stores were not m request, and with the present scarcity of feed only one or two were sold. SHEEP. The yarding included a fair proportion of really prime freezers, but there were a good many sorts not by any means finished, and rather more ewe mutton of the poorer class than was required. Freezing sheep sold very well and suitable weights fully upheld last week's quotations. Heavy weights, however, were easier by 6d per head, as buyers for orders are restricted to carcases which will kill out from 481 bto 721 b. Any lines that were not quite finished met poor competition. Only the very best classes of butchers mutton were m request, half finished and aged ewes being a perfect drug. Several lines were withdrawn. Among the larger lines of freez- — ing-gfee&p_were 850 crossbred wethers sent by Mr G. Rutheriord, Dalethorpe. Prime heavy weight wethers brought 16s 6d to 17s, freezing sheep 14s 9d to 16s 9d, according to weight and fleece, mixed wethers and maiden ewes not quite finished 12s 9d to 14s, butchers best heavy weight ewes 10s to 12s 2d, medium do 7s to 9s, merino wethers 6s 7d to 108 2d, and ewes 4s 3d to 6s Bd. The market for fat lambs is over for the season, and the four or five pens forward were taken for butchers purposes at from 7s to 10g. A few lots of store sheep sold fairly well ; turnip wethers brought 11s lOd to J2s3d, small two-tooths 9s sd, crossbred ewes m lamb 7s 9d to 7s lOd, lambs 6s 7d to 8s Id, and merino wethers 3s 3d. PIGS. The bulk of the pigs were prime fat sorts, including a line of halfbred Tamworths and !i5 splendid Berkshires, for both of which 47s per head was secured. There was a keen demand for the better classes of baconers and porkers, the prices for which ruled from 3£d to4d per lb, a distinct rise on late quotations • baconers 29s 6d to 48s 6d, porkers 17s to 298, good stores 8s to 10s 6d.