ASHBURTON LIVE STOCK MARKET

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2245, 5 October 1889, Page 2

ASHBURTON LIVE STOCK MARKET

MR D. THOMAS. Mr D. Thomas (late of Matson, Cox and Co.) reports upon the Live Stock Market fo the Ashburton District for the week ending Octol er 4th, as follows : — : ''n Tuesdny at th. Ashburton yards the entry of sheep, cattle and pigs was an average one, and for anything choice either m fat and store sheep cxreme rates were obtained. This is not to be wondered at when the wonderful growth of grass now to be seen is taken into account. Farmers as a rule are timid m their biddings, evidently being afraid of being caught as they were three years ago by the su Jden collapse m prices. It is an old and true saying " that the burnt child dreads the fire." But I c'on't hesita'e to give such farme s the straight tip which is that there is not the slightest possibility of any such collapse taking place this year, for the very simple reason that we haven't got the sheep which are required m the country. The total entries for the day 1 consisted of 2584 fat and store sheep, 27 he«d of cattle and two pigs, of which my proportion was 1980 i-heep, and 20 head of cattle which were sold at prices as follows viz. :— 2O fat merino wethers los iod, others making us to 12s. Nofatcrossbreda m; crossbred ewes with lambs at foot, qs and 9s 6A ; 150 do. at iOi ; X2O do los id ; merino ewes m lamb and with lambs at foot, 180 at 5s id ; 240 do, I is ; 51 do, 103 per cent of lambs, 7s 6d ; 14$ crossbred hoggets, 9s 3d ; 101 crossbred hoggets (small) 7s 3d ; 314 crossbred hoggets, losSd ; 329 cros3b red hoggets, us 2d; 245 crossbred noegets, 8s nd, &c. In cattle I sold 12 head from Longbeach at £ji I fat cow, £5; I fat steer. £35*; springers from 403 to ss, &o. Any fat cattle coming forward just now would meet with a good reception. During the week I have sold several lines of fat and store sheep, notably 328 freezers, 198 and 360 crossbred ewes with lambs at foot, 478 crossbred hoggets, and several other lines of merino ewes and sheep for faitenlng at prices withheld. . I havo also sold several lines of wheat and oats at market quotations which havn't been satisfactory or remunerative to farmers,