AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 601, 18 April 1882, Page 2

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Mr A. I. McGregor reports holding , liis monthly sale of cattle at Head of the Bay ■on Friday last. The entries were notquito so numerous aa usual, owing, no doubt, to th-a alteration of date. The stock yarded, however, were fairly well competed for and sold readily. One or two lots of old cows and young heifers were withdrawn not cotaiug up to owners ideas. Cows to calve curly and springers are in good demand, inquiries being maue for those by •Chrtstchurch dealers. Good winter cows ■mny now be quoted at from £6 10s to £9. A line of 30 calven were sold privately on their way to the yards at 23s each, and a lot of :2 year-old steers, also privately, at £2 12s. A number, of cows in calf and to calve in spring were placed at from £2 17s to £4 12s according to age and condition Many fanners are now offering their surplus stocks of calves and 20s ni.y be quoted a« the average price. Unbroken chorees and hacks are quite unsaleable.

Messrs H. Matson and Co. report on the Live Stock Market, etc.. for the week end ing ?riiursday : April 13th, 1882, as follows :.:—DeHpite the wet wenther of the previous day, last Wednesday's market was again fully supplied with sheep, about 11-,000 being-penned for the sale. In mutton the proportion was scarcely up to the average, whilst in quality the i>ulk was second rate, presenting generally a very weather beaten appenrance. For the few lots of prime crossbred wethers, a good demand was shown, and prices ruled higher even than of late, the Longbeach sheep realisi g from 13s 9d to los 9d, a few of Mr W. B. Andrews' ewes to 16s 6d, while most of the lines of fat sheep changed hands at from 12s 6d to 13a 6d for average weight crossbreds, 8s 6d to 10s for fat merino wethers. In stores there was a large entry, chiefly of aged sheep, and though nearly every line was sold, prices on the who'e were marked by a slightly easier tone. Good, fresh conditioned young ewes, either crossbred or merinos, are still wanted, but they are becoming a scarcity, and command fully as high prices aa at any time during the season. In fat cattle there was a large ■entry of mixed -classes, including several pens of grand utters. Competition was «bout the same as for several weeks' past, and prices may be quoted as unaltered. Average weight steers brought £7 to £8 t per head; heifers arid light weights, £5 10s to £6 10s per head. Of about 100 «head submitted by ourselves, very few lots remained unsold. In store cattle a small number only came to hand, but this in no way had the effect of improving values, wliiuh were ruinously low, and many linen were difficult to quit at any price. The same may be said of pigs, of which there was a large entry. Heavy weight fat pigs ef indifferent quality and young stores are almost unsaleable, and we never rememlver seeing the pig trade nil round as bad as it is at the present time. To those who have pigs, and must dispose of them we should say send nothing but light weights and good quality for a little time, as once curing operations have started there will probably be a better demand for the heavier sorts. The totals yarded for the day comprised 11,538 sheep, 429 head of cattle, and 331 pigs.

Messrs R. Wilkin and Co. report: — Wβ held tlio usual weekly sale of shei-p----skins, &c\, in our New Zealand Wool Stores on Ihursihiy, at which there was a good attendance, and fairly spirited competition. Owing to the wet weather lately ,-experiencod, the skins were not in the , usual good condition, as the wool waa

H.-'tiirated with moisture, consequently the prices were in favor of buyers. Butchers' crossbred large. 3s 9d. i< 2d, 4s 8d ; do Ho, second quality, 2s 7d, 3a 3d, 3s 9<l; do merino, 3* 6d. 4s. 4s 4d ; do do,

second quality. 2s 51. 35,-3s 6d ; country crossbred, large. 5s 5s 6d. 6-; do do.

medium. 2s, 3s, 4s, sh; do do, stnnll, Is sd, Is Bd, 2s ; do merino, large. 3s, 3s sd, 3* KM ; flu do, second quality, Is Bd, 2- 1 , 2s 6d, 3s ; pelts, half woolled, Bd, Is, Is 3<i; do. small and lire shorn. 3d. 5d Bd. Fnt and Tnllow—There was an average attendance or' buyers, with spirited competition ; 78 packages were catalogued and all sold. Fur, best quality, clean and well saved, to 2-fd per Ib ; second quality, to 2£d per Ib; tallow, in small lots, and a'-i'ording , to quality, at 19* 6d per cvvt for casks, and at i2£d per Ib for bags.

Wool—We have no sale to report as yet, but parcels are coining to hand for our sale on Tuesday next, 18th inst.