STOCK PRICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17031, 3 May 1923, Page 3

STOCK PRICES.

SUMMARY OF YESTERDAYS SALE. Fat sheep showed an advance of from 2s to 4s tkl a head at the metropolitan ueekly market at Addington yesterday, and butchers had to pay more lor their mutton than has been the case for some time. Yesterday wether mutton was costing butchers from bid to bid a lb and ewe from 4Jd to Practically the whole of the small entry of eight races went to the butchers, prices generally being above freezer?.' limits. Top wether price, 40s. was obtained by Air £. ATncent. (Normanby) tor thirteen, and top ewe prices, 345, by Alessrs F. Bebbington (Lauriston) and H. Al’Lcnaghan ‘ (Killinchy) for small lots. Although the entry of fat cattle was a large one, totalling 420 head, the sale tvas much brighter than it was last week, and prices showed an improvement of from 20s a head on medium beef up to 30s a head on the primes!. Inferior steer and cow beef did not share in the improvement. In fact, if anything, this class Avas easier. Extra prime averaged 30s a ICOlb, good to prime 27s to 28s 6d, medium 24s to 2bs, and rough from 17s down to 10s in cases. There were also improved prices for store sheep. Store lambs were from Is Gd to 2s a head better than last week, AAethers from 2s to 3s, whilst better class ewes also made prices above those Avhich have been ruling for the past month. A line of loti .4 and 6-tooth half-bred Avethers made 27s lOd, the best store aa ether price obtained at Addington for some time. These wethers Avere not especi ally big. but they were fairly forward. A line of good Romney cross guaranteed sound mouthed empty ewes made 30s 6d. * Although the entry of store cattle was a large one there Avas only one line of good stuff forward. This Avas a line of two and three-year-okl heifers Avhich were passed in at £4. The remainder of the entry consisted ot odds and ends and nondescript lots. The yarding of dairy cattle Avas largei than it has liecn for some time and as a result, prices Avere slightly easio all round. There was a fall in the price of both bacon and pork. This aa*os due to the fact that a large yarding met with a slack demand. The entry oi store pigs was an exceptionally large one and. with only « few buyers present, price? fell sharply. A'endors had to accept very low figures in order to effect soles. AA’eaners sold at as low as 2s 6d. Following are ranges of values: - MAT SHEEP. Extra prime wethers, 35s to 365: a few special to 40s. Prime wethers. 31s 6d to 34s Gd. Medium wethers. 29s 3d to 31s 3d. T.iirht. wethers. 26s to 29«Kxfra prime ewes. 31s to 345. Prime ewes. 27s Gd to 30s Gd. Medium ewes, 24a Gd to 2fa Bd. Light ewes, 2i)s to ‘23s 6d. Old ewes. 15s to 19s. FAT CATTLE. Extra prime steers, to £ls 7e 6d. Prime steers. £lO 10s to .£l3 10s. Medium steers. £7 15s to £lO ss. Light steers. £4 IDs to £7 ss. Extra prime heifers, to £lO 2s Gd. Prime heifers, £6 5s to £9. Ordinary heifers, £4 to £5 15s. Prime cows. £5 10s to £8 7s 6d. Medium cows. £3 15s to £5 ss. Old cows, £2 58 to £3 ss. .STORE CATTLE. Three-year-old steers. £4 5s to £4 17s Gd Two-year-old steers, £2 10s to £2 17s Cd. Yearling steers. £1 to £1 6s. Two to two and a-half-year-old heifers. £2 -los to £3 ss. Yearling heifers. £1 Tsb to £2. Fresh cows, £1 5s to £1 14s 6^. Poor cows. lSe to £1 2s 6d. Bulls. £2 to £4 10s. DAIRY CATTLE. Good second, third and fourth culvers, just, calved or close to calving, £6 10fi to £ll 10s; ext ra good, to £ls. Good springing heifers. £7 to £10: extrn good, to £!4. Backward springers, £2 10k to £3 10s. Aged and inferior soi*ts, £1 to £1 10s. PIGS. Choppers, £2 7s Gd to £4 Se. Light baconera, £3 to £3 lOe. Heavy huconer3. £3 12b 6d to £4 ss. Extra heavy baconers. to £4 12s. Average price per lb, ljd to 52d. Spy ! dally erood to Gd. Light porkers, £1 l<s ß to £2 2s <sd. Heavy porkers, £2 5s to £2 12b Gd. Average price per lb, s>.d to o}d. Large stores, 30s. Medium stores, 20s to 265. Small stores, 10s to 16s. Weaners, 2s 6d to 8s for ordinary sortspecially good to 10s. •