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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 46, 18 March 1898, Page 15

BURNSIDE RAM AND EWE FAIR. The following are the entries received up to Saturday for the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society's annual ram and ewe fair to be held at Burnside next Thursday : — Stud rams — Border Leicestsrs 11, Romney 6 ; flock ram? — Border Leicesters 350, Romney 47, Shropshire 36. This makes a total of 480 as against 1037 received last year, but as further entries are expected the total may be increased. The sale will start at 11 a.m. with stud sheep, and be continued with flocks entered in the " New Zealand Flock Book." Although the number of entries is considerably less than in former year^, still all the principle breeders in Otago and Southland are represented, and purchasers will have an opportunity of procuring' good strains. Breeders recognise that it is necessary for them to be represented at these fairs, but, owing: to the unsatisfactory prices obtained in former years, and elsewhere, now only send forward a limited number ; pieferring to deai privately with their flocks.

At the Amuri sheep fair at Calverden on March 11 about 120,000 sheep were entered for sale. The attendanca of buyers was very large and most of the sheep sold — in fact, many, farmers and graziers were unable to supply their wants. Good crossbred freezers fetched from 9s 6d for two-tooth maiden ewes up to 13s 3d for prime. Store wethers also met with good competition, and lambs and breeding ewes sold fairly well. The whole of the sheep sold went direct to farmers, graziers, exporters, or boilers, and not a line was bought by a dealer.

Messrs Wright, Stephenson, and Co. (in conjunction with Messrs. Fleming and Hedley) held a clearing sale on Thursday last at Otekaike of surplus stock from Otekaike, Station Peak, and Benmore stations. The total number of sheep sold was about 27,000. There was a very large attendance, buyers from as far north as Christohurch and as far south as Invercargill being present.

The following are the particulars of the Otekaike sales :—I,OOO: — 1,000 full-mouthed merino ewes, at 3s sd, to Mr. E. Harris (Elephant Hill) ; 993 do, at 3s 2d, to Mr. James McLean (Waikaia) ; 1480 fullmouthed merino wethers, 3s 3d, to Mr. T. Macaulay (for the N.Z. and A.L. Company, Moeraki) ; 12G crossbred ewes and wethers, at 6s 2d, to Mr. William Sutherland ; 50 two-tooth merino rams, at 2g8., to Mr. W. Grant (Timaru) ; 30 do. at 2gs., to Mr. D. McLeod (Kingston) ; 5 two-tooth Border Leicester rams, at 10s, to Mr. A. Mclnnes (Otiake) ; 5 do, to Mr. G. Adamson, at 7s Gd ; the balance of old rams,, for boiling down, sold 3s Gd ; 28 full-mouthed halfbred rams, at Bs, to Mr. Ellis ; 12 six-tooth halfbred rams at 10s 6d, to Messrs. D. Reid and Co. ; 7 do, at 9s, to Mr. W. O. McKellar.

Station Peak Sheep — 1,000 two-tooth half bred ewes, at 5s 2d, to Mr. W. O. McKellar ; 504 do, at 5s sd, to Mr. W. O. McKellar ; 500 full-mouthed half bred ewes, at 3s 10d, to Mr. John McDonald ; 1710 do, at 3s lOd to Mr. A. Thomson ; 697 full and broken- mouthed halfbred ewes, at 2s 7d, to Mr. R. Sutherland (Maerewhenua) ; 1160 full-mouthed merino ewes, at 2s sd, to Mr. James McLean (Waikaia).

Benmore Sheep — The above sheep were nearly all brokenmouthed and in low condition, and were mostly taken for boiling down at — for wethers, 9d to Is Id ; and for ewes, at 3d all round. There were 8100 wethers and (>(>00 ewe^. A nice line of 3 ( .)4 crossbred Romney ewes sold at 5s Id to (5s Id; and 28.) four-tooth halfbred wethers, at 5s ; 2SS ha' f bred culls (mixed ages and sexes) at Is 3d.

Messrs. Nelson Bro3. (Limited) have receive 1 the following cablegram from the Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, London, on March 1 1 :—": — " Frozen meat market shows signs of improvement owing to a rather better demand. Quotations : Best Canterbury mutton, 3}d ; do. Dunedin and Southland, 2J-d ; Napier and North Island, 2|d and 2^d ; best quality lamb, 5d ; second do., 4|d."