ADDINGTON LIVE STOCK MARKET.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1343, 16 September 1886, Page 3

ADDINGTON LIVE STOCK MARKET.

The fine weather enabled large supplies of both sheep and citt’.e to be foi warded for yesterday’s Addington market; but notwithstanding that the attend moo w a large, business was decidedly flit. Oattle.—A largexonsignment from the North Island caused the fat cattle market to be somewhat over-supplied, and a substantial redaction from last week’s values had to be submitted to by sellers. A grand line of bullocks, forwarded by Mr A. Thompson, Foxton, realised from £lO to £ll a head, averaging £lO lls lOd. This was the best line that has been seen la the yards foe many a day. Other good steers and htlfers sold from £6 to £8; one grand heifer, £lO si; and beef may be quoted at 23i per lOOib for prime, and 20s, for ordinary. Fat calves were pretty numerous, and sold from 7s 6d up to 25a each. The advent of spring caused an Improved demand .for ttore cattle, and some good lines changed hands, at figure* considerably ahead cf those current lately. Three-year-old steers sold in lines at £4 8s 6d, £4loa and a forward line £slsa; rising two-year-olds, £2 9s; eighteen months, £2 3a: yearlings £1 10s. Dairy cows were only a m'dllingja aortment, and sold at £4 to £6 7s 6d.

Sheep.—The number of fat sheep penned was again very large ; and as butchers had bought pretty freely last week, and exporters were not in the market, the sale was a very doll one, and a clearance was only affected by accepting prices 2a to 2s 6d a head lower than the preceding market, and only the good prospects for wool prevented a farther drop. We quote best shop mutton 2| per lb ; ordinary, 2£d. Theca was a good proportion of first-class mntton. Messrs Gould and Cameron’s consignment, was as usual, brought out in a faultless style ; the crossbreds were lighter than recent drafts, but the Sonthdowns and merinos were apodal quality. The Racecourse Hill and Laghmor cross-bred wethers were of the prlmest quality, the former topping the ■ale ; but, perhaps, the beat quality in the market were Mr John Coe’s Shropshire Down crosses, and Mr W. H. Jamieson’s half-breds. On the other hand, many lots forwarded as fat, were simply well conditioned stores, and fonnd buyers among the graziers. Best cross-bred wethers sold at from 15s to 18s; ordinary and ewes, lls to 14r; best merino wethers, 10* to 13s ; ordinary, 7a so 9a. A fair number, for the season, of fat lambs were offered, prices ruling from 6a to 10s for ordinary to good, and up to 14a for extra pens. The store sheep market was an important o: e, and there was spirited competition for all desirable lines, of which several were yarded, Besides those ■old among the fat sheep, the principal ■ales were—4s4 cros;-bred hoggets, 7a Id; 69 do, 7« 7d ; 202 2-tooth cr.ms-breda, 8s 3d ; 230 2-tooth long wools, 10s 2 and 4-tooth cross-bred ewes and lambs, 9s; old merino ewes in lamb, 2i 4d; 450 crcss-bred ewea, in lamb to Leicester ram*, at 4i lid. . Pigs were a small entry, consisting again principaliyfof porkers and stores, for which there was a good demand at quite late rates.