COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2293, 11 September 1908, Page 1

COMMERCIAL.

MATAWHERO STOCK SALES

IMPROVED PRICES AND KEEN BIDDING.

Farmers will appreciate the healthy tone that was evident at the fortnightly sale of stock held' at Matawhoro yesterday, for prices were again oil tho upward grado, and buyers entered into keen competition for the better class of pens. Farmers also stuck out for good prices, and, in most instances, their demands were met. The sheep and young lambs looked particularly well and strong, giving evidence that tlioro is plenty of Iced. There was a largo yarding of hoggets, which reached high values, and in some cases one hundred per cent on their quotations two moutiis ago. Ewos with lambs wore wanted, all the pens finding ready buyers, and many farmers expressed themselves as entirely satisfied with tho opening of tho spring markets. SHEEP.

Tlic yarding of sheep totalled about 3000 head, cniefly hoggets and ewes with lambs, for which there was keen competition. One pen of 60 ewes with well-grown lambs, all in good couditition, sold as high as 17s lOd, and a pen of 15 woll-lonvard 'wother hoggets brought 13s 2d. Fat wethers also readied good values. 16 at .ros 9d, 164 at 15s Od, and 24 at 15s 3d wore the lots sold at auction. Fat owes mot with a good demand; 22 an prune condition with big fleeces soid ios, 2d at 14s 6d, 76 at 14s, and numerous smaller pens at 13s. Store wethers sold at 64 at 14s 6d, 27 in fair condition at 13s 4d, 116 6-tooth at ids lOd, and 04 4-tooth at 13s. One pen was. passed at auction land disposed of privately. Store owes were scarce and hard to sell; 144 fourtootlis brought 12s 3d, and 39 sold as low as 9s idd. The ewes with lambs looked well jand ,attracted buyers. The fleeces were clean and well grown and the lambs healthy and strong. Bidding was brisk for all pens offered, and though a few lots failed to reach the reserve all were quitted before the auctioneers loft tlio yards. The top price fell to a nice-looking lot of 60 with an equal number of lambs, which were quitted at 17. s lOd. The other pens were 171 ewes with 150 lambs 16s, 9 ewes with 12 lambs 16s, 44 llomney cross with Jambs 15s, 16 with lambs 10s 7d, and a pen of 70 ewes in rather poor condition with 86 lambs 9s. The hoggets also looked well und realised high values. The top price was 13s 2d for .a pen of 15 big wethers. Other sales were 159 forward wethers at 12s Bd, 35 wethers at 12s 7d, 63 forward mixed 12s 6d, 147 mixed in fair condition 11s, poorer sorts from 7s 5d to 8s Bd.

CATTLE. The yarding of cattle covered about 300 head, mostly stores. The chief sales were 65 steers £4 4s, 21 young steers poor in condition £3, 13 two-year-old steers £2 12s 6d, 9 yearlings £1 ss, 4 yearlings (small) 19s, one dairy cow £6, dairy heifers at £3 os and £3, one beef steer (small but forward) £3, and one bull £3.

PIGS. Nearly 20 pigs were penned, the following being the sales: Ouo porker at 40s, one do at 30s, biconers at 24s 6d and 26s 6d, weahers from 14s to 20s.

HORSES. Messrs Common, Shelton and Co., Ltd., and Messrs Dulgety and Co., Ltd., offered a small yarding ol horses, the following being tho sales: A light -draught colt by Blue Peter £2O, one harness pony £o, one bay harness horse and hack £lll 15s, and a hack gelding '£o. THE- LONDON MARKETS. [Piikbs Association.] NAPIER, Sept, 10. Tho Colonial Consignment and Distributing Company, London, to-day cabled tho following report on the liozen meat market: — ; Frozen meat is weaker, 10-day s prices nro iollows *. Osuitcrbury mutton 4id per lb, Napier, Wellington and North Island mutton -Lit. Lamb, first quality s]d, second quality oj|d. Beef, hindquarters 4§d, lorequarters 3:ld. hides! United Peess Association, Cofymqht (Received September 10, 9.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, Sept. 10. Hides. —The market for heavy and stouts is firm. Kips aro id lower.