COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2423, 11 February 1909, Page 6

COMMERCIAL.

MATAWHERO STOCK SALES

There was a predominance of sellers and a scarcity of buyers at the, usual weekly sale ‘of stock at Matawhero yesterday. A few ruiihoklers were on the lookout for breeding ewes, but poor quality stock was avoided. One pen of old ewes was offered at Is' without finding a buyer. The top price was 11s 6d for a nice pen of Romney ewes from. To Araroa, while n poor quality pen of 300 sold at 3s. |.'at stock did not bring high prices, the butchers having the market all to themselves. SHEEP. The sheep pens held about SSOO head, mostly ewes and lambs. Ewes were in demand at a price, but buyers would not bid extravagant prices. There was a scarcity of fat wethers, one pen selling under the hammer at 10s. Fat ewes brought moderate prices, the principal pens being 11 I,- 10s, 4 at 9s 6d, 16 at 9s 3d, and 77 well-forwards at 9s 3d. Fat lambs w ere not in demand and only a tew wens were sold at prices from 6s 6d, t > 7s. Young ewes were wanted, but store sheep were not in general demand A nice pen of 293 Romney eves sold at 11s 6d and.. 194 wollc •nditioned 2-tooths at 10s 9d. Hie principal ewe pens sold at from 8s to :!•; 6d. The scarcity of feed and the continued dry season caused a slackness in tlio demand for lambs, and competition was dull, a number or peus being reserved for private treaty. The best pens sold at from 5s 9d to 9-, Id, a lot of 160 in forward condition realising the latter price. A f.-w pens of rams were ou offer and -aid: one 6-tooth Ronmey £1 Is, one Romney £1 Is, one Shropshire £1 Is, live Southdowns 3.) guineas, two Southdowns 4 guineas, and one Southdown £1 Is. CATTLE. The cattlo pens, held only about 70 head, mostly steers. There was i>l’ciotically no domund <it Ruction* tic only sales being 10 steers at £5 10s, 1 cow £3 7s 6d, and 1 cow 30s; while a nice pen of forward steers was passed in at £5. PIGS. Pi"s sold : 15 wcatiers at 9s, 3 porkers at £1 Is, 0 baconcrs £1 2s, and 0 porkers 15s. FROZEN MEAT. Mr. L. O. Ingram, agent for the British New Zealand Meat Co., was yesterday in receipt of a cable from ids principals, quoting the following prices:—North Island mutton, light and medium, 3 kl, heavy 3gd; lamb, prime old; beef, hindquarters, 2s 2d per stone; forequarters Is lid per .-tone.