COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 230, 31 December 1880, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Ashburton Retail ListButter, inferior to best, P lb, 6d to Bd. Eggs, P dozen, lock Cheese, prime quality, P lb, 6d to 81. Bacon, prime smoked, if lb, iod to is. Hams, in cloth, P lb, is id. Flour, in bags, j? icolb, 13s. Oatmeal, p 25H1, 4s. Lard, P lb, yd. Auctioneers’ Report. Messrs. H. Matson and Co. report on the live stock market, &'c., for the week ending Thursday, December 23rd, ISSO, as follows : Yesterday’s weekly market at the Addington saleyards was no exception to those held on previous years during the holidays, both as regards supplies of stock and the transaction of business. About 3,000 sheep and zoo head of cattle only were sent to hand, hut as the trade had previously “ stocked in,” heavily for Christmas requirements, there was very little wanted, and half the entry was turned out unsold. A large proportion of ihc market in fat sheep was made up of merinos, including some very prime quality ; but these were even more dull of sale than'crossbreds, and the auction was dragging from beginning to end. A few lines of very nice crossbreds changed owners at from 93 to ios 6d ; medium weight and quality, 7s 6d to 8s pel ; merino wethers, to 6d; do. ewes, to 6s. We quote no change in the value of mutton from prices as ruling for several weeks past, but attribute the dullness of trade to the fact of butchers being over-sup-plied. Store sheep are still selling well, but buyers are acting more cautiously as to prices, and where sales arc - effected, owners, in the majority of cases, have to give way a little. The fat cattle sale was very much like a repetition of last week’s transactions. There was, however, but a small entry, and even this was more than sufficient ; and so far from there being any life or competition in the market, salesmen had great difficulty in placing the various lo f s at the low rates ruling. Prices were about the same as last week ; fair average weight steers realising 1-7 to:s and LB, light weight do and heifers L 5 15 s I® L - Very few-store cattle were yarded, but nearly ail were sold at prices which must have been comparatively satisfactoiy. Ihe totals yarded for the dav comprised 3,218 sheep, 221 head of cattle, and 32 pigs, of which our entry included 1,266 sheep, 145 fat lambs, 92 head of cattle, and 22 pigs. In fat sheep, we sold cross-breds from 73 6d to 10s ; merino wethers, to 7s to 7s 6d ; store merino ewes, to 4s 6d to 4s gd. Fat cattle.—Steers, from L62s6d to L 7 12s 6cl ; cows and heifers, L 4 10s to L 7. Store cattle. —Two to three-year-old, mixed sexes, L 4 ios to L 5 12s 6d ; yearlings to two-year-old, L2 Ss to L 3 ios ; dairy cows to L 7. Since yesterday’s sale, a considerable quantity of rain has fallen, which, if damaging in some cases to the grain crops, must be of more than corresponding advantage to our pastures and recently sown turnip crops.