LOCAL MARKETS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 222, 3 September 1878, Page 2

LOCAL MARKETS.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report upon the land and live stock market, &c, for the week ending Thursday, August 29, 1878, as follows :— At the Addington saleyards, yesterday, 397 head of cattle, 4220 sheep and 19 pigs comprised the entry for the day's sale. Although the number of sheep yarded was comparatively small, the greater portion were prime mutton, in fact .there was scarcely a pen of store sheep in the market prime merino wethers constituting an extensive item in the day's catalogue. For these there was a keen demand, the whole being quitted at extreme values, 10s to 12s being the ruling price. For cross-bred mutton competition was not quite so lively, excepting for very prime quality, and one or two lines of light weights were passed in unsold, whilst with a pen of extra heavy steep we topped the market at 20s each. The exorbitantly high price paid for beef this last fortnight has had the effect of sending dealers scouring the country in ail directions for cattle, and yesterday saw us with a crowded market of beef and cattle of all classes, a great deal of the former being little better than in half-store condition. This and the fact of several of our largest tradesmen having supplied themselves from the " outside," had the effect of making the cattle sale a " dragging " one, vendors not caring to accede to the concessions asked under last week's high rates, consequently many lines were passed in unsold. During the sale, there was a larger attendance of the public than we have seen for many months. Our entries for the day included 255 head of cattle, 2468 sheep, and 19 pigs. In Sheep, our principal sales were—l 23 cross-bred wethers at 16s 6dtol7s 6d, 20=at205,200 mixed cross-breds at 11s, 130 merino wethers at 12s, 100 cross-breds at 12s and 12s 6d, 52 hoggetts at 11s, 172 mixed cioss-breds at 10s 6d, 333 shorn 2-too'hs at Bs, 280 me'ino wethers at 11s, 11s 3d, to 11s 6d, 80 mixed 2-tooths at 9s, 144 cross-bred wethers at 14s to 14s Gel, 67 at 12s, 150 at 11s 6d. &c. In Fat Cattle we sold 4 steers at £13,3 at £15, 2at £12, 2 at £14 10s, 4 at £9 12s GJ, 3 at £8 ss, 2 at £11, oat £9 12s Gd,2 at £12 10s, &c. Stores 20 at £417s 6d, 14 at £517s 6d, 30 at £6, 6 at £3 15s, 8 at £2 ss, 4 at £5 12s 6d, 4 at £7, 5 at £5 10s, 3 at £3 10s, 2 at £3 15s, &c.—Pigs 19 rough stores at 7s.— Wool Sheepskins, Hides, and Tallow. At the usual weekly sale of the above, held this day at our Canterbury Wool Stores, 3970 sheepskins 600 ox hides, and 102 bags and packages of butchers' rough fat and tallow comprising the catalogue. Best butchers' cross-bred skins made from 6s to 6s 6d and 7s ; medium to lair, 4s 6d, 5s to 5s 9d ; best merino, 5s to Cα 9d ; medium do, 4s to 4s 9d ; ordinary do, 2s 6d to 3s 9d ; country skins, 2s 6d to ss; dry and badly saved, 6d to 2s; best butchers rough fat, 2d, 2id , to 2|d ; medium H-d to lfd inferior to heated IW, to All hides and calfskins passed in. Canterbury Horse market.—At Tattersall's, on Saturday last, 84 horses were passed under the hammer for the day's auction. This number comprised the usual assortment of hacks light harness horses, heavy draughts, &c. Of the latter class there were some really superior animals, such as there is now a great difficulty in obtaining, and for these competition was very keen, biddings running up to £58, and £60 each, at which prices several were quitted, and other lighter weights at from £40 to £50, with an increasing demand. We also submitted a consignment of weight-carrying hacks and harness horses from the Oaniaru district, nearly all of which were sold at from £15, £20, £25 each. We also placed an entire cliesnut 2-year-old colt, by Messenger, for 43 gns, and a large number of our other entries at prices as per desdescription. Our quotations are : —Best heavy draughts, £50, £55, to £60 and £65; medium do, £30 to £40'; well bred hack?, with weight carrying properties, £20 , £25, to £30 ; ordinary do, £15 to £18, weeds various.

Messrs Acland, Campbell, and Co. report having held a clearing sale of iive and dead stock at Mr S. Nutt'sfann, Tai Tapu, on Tuesday, August 27 : —The attendance ■was good, and biddings on the whole brisk, the stock fetching extreme rates more especially horses. Heavy draught £2G to £35, hackneys and ponies from £35 to £20, two-year-old and young stock at equally satisfactory rates. I'or sheep buyers did not seem to operate at the owners' valuel;so cross-bred ewes realised £1 7s 6d each, 14 cross-bred ewe lambs realised 14s each, 34 lambs realising 8s each, fat sheep realised 13s 6d each. In caitls miloh cows and springers, good quality, from £22 to £10; medium, from

£10 to £8; two-year r old steers and heifers, £5 15s to £5 2s (3d ; pigs at full values Implements, furniture, &c, realised capital prices. The draught entire Scotch Jock and the thoroughbred horse St. Leonards were passed in, the bidding not coming up to the owner's value. With the exceptions mentioned we quitted every lot.