LOCAL MARKETS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 224, 10 September 1878, Page 2

LOCAL MARKETS.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report on the land and live stock market, &c, for the week ending Thursday, Sept. 5, as follows: — Metropolitan Live Stock Market.—At the usual weekly auction held yesterday at the Addington Yards there was a heavy supply of stock (both sheep and cattle) penned for the day's, sale 5355 of the former, 461 head of cattle, and 42 pigs constituting the total entry. Of the quality of the mutton on offer we cannot speak too highly. There was a very large attendance of buyers, but sales opened somewhat sluggish for what little inferior mutton there was no offer, buyers preferring to give their attention to better quality, and for this there was a capital demand, the whole being quitted with a ready sale at from 15s to 20s each, 12s to 14s 6d being the ruling price for medium weights, merinos selling as high as 15s 6d each. The frosty nights of thei past week have directly counteracted the effect which might have been expected from the genial and sunny days we have been getting of late, totally checking the growth of.spring feed, and on Wednesday store sheep wee difficult to quit, even at prices obtainable a. fortnight since, and although the whole of our entry was cleared, paices for stores were scarcely as satisfactory as might have been expected. There is no doubt, however, but that another fortnight or Ihree weeks will make a lot of alteration in the price of sheep of this class. The cattle market was a crowded one, and presented more than an average supply of beer", the quality of which was very varied. In fat cattle we sold 1 nt £26, 2 at £16, 3 at £11 ss, 4 at £15 10s, 4 at £13, 4 at £12, 2 at £12 ss, 2 at £14, 3 at £13, 2 at &U ss, 2 at £10 10s, 2 at £12, 3 at £10 -ss, 3 at £11 10s, 3 at £10 ss, 3 at £9 15s.

Stores, 8 at £2 2s 6d. 3 at £5 15s, 9 at £5 15s, 3 at £7, 4 at £7 7s 6d. 3 at £6 17s 6d, 1/3 at £7, Bat £4 2s 6d, &c Most of the springers and dairy cows on offer were old and scrubby, and sold at proportionate values, from £6, £7 10s to £10 10a being ruling rates. In sheep our principal sales were—3o down wethers at 19s ; 130 do at 15s 3d to 15s 6d ; 147 cross-breds at 11s Gd, 51 at 13s 6d, 48 at 12s ; 342 of Gould and Cameron's merino wethers at 11s 6d and 12s ; 218 do ewes at 8s to 8s 3d:; 134 cross-t>reds from 15s 6d to 17s ; 394 (cull) hoggetts at 6s; IG6 do at 9s ; 139 at 8s 6d ; 106 merinos at 6s 3d ; 79 cross-breds at 11s, &c. In piga sve cleared our entry —17 at 36s ; 10 at 39s 5 at, 21s ; 7 at 12s. Wool, Sheepskins, Hides, and Tallow—At the usual weekly sale of the above, held this day, at our Canterbury Wool Stores, 3340 sheepskins, 700 ox hides, and 80 bags and packages of butchers' rough fat and tallow, comprised the auction. There was a fair attendance, and biddings were spirited and even throughout the sale, a clearance of all lots (hides excepted) being effected at full and satisfactory values. Best butchers x-bred made 6s 6d, 6s 9d, 7s, 7s 3d to 7s 5d ; medium do, 5s 6d to 5s 9d, 6s to 6s 5d ; ordinary to fair, 4s to 4s 6d, ss, to 5s 3d ; best merino 5s 6d, 5s 9d, 6s 6s 3d to 6s 5d ; medium do, 4s to 5s 3d ; ordinary do, 2s 6d to 2s 2d.— Country skins, 2s 6d to 6s 6d according to description. —Hides unsold.—Best butchers iough fat, 2£d 2fd to 2fd ; medium 2d, 2£d to 2fd; inferior and heated, Id to l£d.— Canterbury Horse Market—At Tattersails, on Saturday last, we submitted to auction 98 horses for the day's sale. Unbroken colts, which made from £45, £50, to £58 each, everyone of the line being placed at high prices, as per description. We also disposed of a line of ten mixed horses, as well as a large proportion of other entries at fair values ; last Saturday's sale being no exception to those lately preceding it in the demand it brought for draught horses, there being many buyers from the Ashburton and other districts for these. In fact, the general complaint is that, go where you may, there are but very few to be found, and for these few owners are asking exorbitant prices, the same applying to the North Island, importers saying that really good draught horses are very scarce, and difficult to obtain. Our quotations are—Best heavy draught, £50, £55 to £60 and £65 ; medium do, £35, £40, to £45 ; well-bred hacks and carriage horses, £20 to £30 ; ordinary, £14 to £18; weedy and inferior animals, various.