COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2400, 15 January 1909, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

MATAWIIERO STOCK SALES. The New Year has not brought with if any marked improvement in the value of sheep or cattle, for there was a slack market at the usual weekly, stock sale hold at Matavvhe.ro yesterday. The yarding of sheep was unusually snnril', under 1000 head in all being penned. The dry season ancl the scarcity of good grass probably kept a number of farmers from - sending in entries, while the short supply of fat sheep can bo attributed to the demand for prime mutton and lambs from the freezing works. What sheep were offered found ready buyers but prices made no marked advance. Eat cattle were plentiful and were hard to sell, while out of a large yarding of stores a few pens were passed, but some of these were afterwards disposed of privately. Sellers were unfortunate in striking a dull market. SHEEP. The two yards did not hold 1000 sheep iu all, but the prices realised were quite up to recent rates. All the pens were sold under the hammer, and those containing well-forward stock found good competition. There was no prime mutton or Jamb on offer. The following were the principal pens sold: 237 well-forward wethers 9s Gd, 86 wethers 9s 3d, 51 fat and forward ewes 10s. 35 forward ewes Bs, 16 -wethers in poor condition 4s, a pun oi 182 old owes 3s, 58 fat lambs 8s id, aud 193 well-forward lambs Ss. cattle. The cattle pens held about 400 head, chiefly stores. The quality oi butchers’ supplies was not up to the average,and corresponding prices were obtained, a number of pens being passed in. The, following were the prices obtained: Store steers from £2 to £4, v ear ling steers from £1 10s to to*, store cows from £2 to £2 ios, 1 heifer £4 Is. 2 young heiiers £-.2a od, 3 small yearling heifers 295, 4/ forward cows £3 12s Gd, 2 dairy cows £3 2s Gd, 3 small store betters £2 its, 10 young well-growu steers £2, and a clrw cow 355.PIGS AND HORSES. There was a poor demand for pigs. One baconef sold at 14s and a porkei A bay mare in foal sold for £6 and horse aiid gig failed to roach the reserve.

WOOL. ANTWERP SALES. United Press Association, Copyright. LONDON, Jan. T 4. The Antwerp wool sales opened with food competition on English and German account, the prices improving by five to ten centinise for merinos, ancl ten centimes for crossbreds ; 2050 bales of La Plata wool were offered, and 1392 sold, while a further 250 sold after the sales. AUCKLAND SALES. fPress Association.l AUCKLAND, Jan. 14. At the sales yesterday wool generally showed a downward tendency, the American buyers withholding suppevi t, principally on account of bad getup and faulty packing of wool. There was a total catalogue of 7233 bales, the largest sale vet held in Auckland. The prices ranged: Eor cross-bred and half-bred B*d to 10d, medium cross-bred and Romney /id to J.,h coarse cross-bred and Lincoln Gd to 7d. inferior and stained od to p[d. lambs old to B}d, and Jocks and pieces (in poor demand( 2d to od. The top offer of the day was 10Jd tor » ticularlv* choice lialf-brecl Inie aaiu -o bales from the Waikato, but tins was passed in. CHRISTCHURCH SALES. CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 14. f The third of the current season s series of wool sal.es opened to-dav. There was a good attendance of buyers, colonial, Home, Continental and American linns being fully represented. There were many complaints oi tiie wool being wasty and washy, and in many cases the clips did not compare favorably with the wool offered at the corresponding sale last year, or to that held in December. This is attributed mainly to the sheep having been grazed on turnips last winter for a longer per. o<l than usual. The sale opened .with an exceptionally good demand and keen competition, the strongest demand being for medium to good half-bred and crossbred. There was not a large quantity of superior wools offered, tand for this description prices were hardly equal to tlio.se obtained at last Christchurch sales, the decline equalling about id. Owing to the American demand, medium wools, as previously mentioned, sold well up to recent quotations, and if there was any alteration in values, it was in favor of growers. Ecu’ fleeces there was an exceptionally animated demand, and the prices obtained constituted a record for the season. During the early part of the sale the English buyers were not so been as previously, ancl the Continental buyers took a good proportion of the wool s(/.d, the local factories also taking a considerable quantity. The passing, ias at the December sale, were comparatively light. The following was the range of Prices: /Merino super lOd to 12}d, 'medium to good 8d to 93d-, inferior 7]d to 7-id, hailfbred super 9£d to. lid - , medium to good 8d to 9d, inferior 53d to 7i'd; halfibred super 9?pl to lid, medium to good 8d to 9d, inferior 53d to "3d; three-quarterbred, super, Sid to lOi'd, medium to good 7<l to Sd, inferior 03d to 6£-d; crossbred, medium to good - 53d to Sid, inferior 4d to o]d; long wool, medium to good Gd to . 7d, inferior to 53d; Down wool, inferior 73d; Corriedale, 73d to 10|cl; 'Shropshire, 7id t 0.73; pieces, mermo s£d to 9fd, three-qnarterbred old to 61 d, halfibred 34d - to lOd, crossbred 3|d to Gd, locks 23d to 63, bellies 33d to Bcl, cr-ivtchings 3id to /id. FROZEN MEAT. NAPIER, Jan. 11, The C.C. and D. Coy. cable: The demand for a-11 classes of frozen meat is very weak. The value of lamb has declined id. To-day’s quotatons are: Canterbury mutton 3|d, 'Napier, Wellington, and North Island 34d. Lamb, first quality sd, second quality 41-d. 'Beef, hindquarters' 3|d, forequarters 3d.