AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 607, 9 May 1882, Page 2

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Mr A I. McGregor reports that at his Kale held hist Friday at Brooks' yards. Head of the Bay, about the usual number of cattle were yarded, and a large supply o* horses. The cattle entered partook mostly of tha nature of dry cows not in edf and old cows, no stock of the nature of good useful stores putting in an appearance. Stores are tbe only lines that at p-esent claim the attention of buyers, of whom there was a large attendance present. Every entry Bubmitted was sold with the exception of a few stags. A pen of dry cows in iVurly forward condition Bold at from £4 to £4 7s 6d eaoi. Dry cows in poor condition from £2 15i to £3 7h. Light weif-ht yearlings to 2-year-old. £115 aro £2 15h. Decent doing calves 25e. Horace were a perfect drug and very difficult to quit at any price. A number of sound useful backs were offered, and the highest bid that could be elicited was £5 to £5 10s, about half of owners ideaß, and th.y were consequently sent home ag liv. A draft of yearling and 2-year-old colts and fillies after the best local vires were unable to find a purchaser at any price. Mr Harry Lee of Christchurch submitted a few unbroken light draughts bred on the plains, which found purchasers at a trifle under £4 each, —a price not likely to induce him to try the Peninsula market again.

Messrs 11. Matson and Co. report on the Live Stock Market, etc., for the week end ing .Thursday, May 4th, 1882, as follows :—At yesterday's Addington market (owing probably to the wet weather of the previous day), there was a much smaller entry of sheep than has been penned _jr some time past. In mutton there were a few lines of especially primo quality, notably Messrs Gallagher, Morton, Hurst, and Pyue'u crossbreds, but the bulk of what " the trade " had to accept for their week's supplies was soarcely up to average. For the best quality a brisk competition was, shown, and sales were readily made at prices fully maintaining late quotations ; whilst lig it weights and mixed lota were comparatively neglected. Messrs Gallagher Bros, crossbreds brought equal to an average of 15a 3d per head— Mr F. Pyue's 14s 6d, Mr Hurst's 14s 6d to 14* 9d. and Mr R. M. Morten's 14s 6d to 15s. In merinos a choice lot brought lis 6d, but 7s 6d to 8s 6d was about the ruling rate. Young crossbred store sheop for | turnip feeding are much enquired after,, but there is a difficulty in procuring such, and merino wethers have in most cases to

be taken instead. For the former 9s 6d to lis is being asked and freely paid, whilst good sound mouth merino wethers suitable for the purpose before mentioned are realising from Gs 6d to 8 , according to size. and condition. Tho fat cattle sale was again an extremely dull and unsatisfacturv affair. The iinjor'ty of the trade had biiiiL'ht privately prior to the auction, and ihe I its brought" into the ring to chose from wen* of a very indifferent character. In prices we can quote no improvement, whilst the quality generally was th.* worst we have seen for many weeks, and the bulk would scarcely come within the range of what might be termed second rate. The store cattle trade remains unaltered, in other words the extremely low prices ruling; for some time past have very much shortened supplies, and yearlings, old cows. &c, now ro,pre<en: the majority of what come to hand. For such, prices ate at the lowest ebb, and generally speaking there is very little bu-iness being done in this class of. stock. In pigs values have improved somewhat, especially in good quality well grazed bacon hogs of from 140'bs to 1801hs, for which there is now a fair demand. The totals yarded for tbe day comprised 6262 sheep, 418 he-id of cattle, and 158 pigs.

Messrs Robert Wilkin & Co. report :— We held the usual weekly sale of sheepskins. &c.. on Thursday in our New Zealand wool stores. There was an average attendance of buyers and keen competition ; 2203 skins were catalogued, and disposed of nt satisfactory prices. Batchers' crossbred, large, 4s Gd, ss, 5s 51 ; do do, medium, 2s, 2s lid, 3s 9<l, 4s 6d ; do do, small, ls4d. Is 7d, 2s; do merino, large, 3s Gd, 3s lid, 4s 4d ; do do. medium, 2s, 2s lOd, 3s 6d ; do do small, Is 4d, Is Bd, 2s ; country crossbre 1, large, 4s sd, 5s 2d, 6s ; do do medium, 2s 2d, 2s lOd, 3s 6d, 4s 5d : do do small, Is 4d, Is 9d, 2s 2d ; do merino, large, 3s 6c.', 4s Id, 4s 8d ; do, do medium 2s, 2s lOd, 3s 6d ; do do, small, Is 4d, Is Bl>, 2s ; pelts, half woolled, lOd, Is Id. Is 4d ; do, small nnd late shorn, 3d, Gd, lOd. Fat and tallow—The trade was well represented, and the competition was good. 95 packages were catalogued, and all sold. Compared with late rates fat has declined £ of a penny per pound. Fat, best quality clean and well saved to 2£d per lb ; second quality to 2d per lb ; inferior at Id per lb. Tallow in small lot 3 at 15s and 18s per cwt for medium quality, and at 10s for inferior in casks, and at2£d to 2£ per lb in bags. Hides sound at 4d per lb, and 4£d per lh heavy hides ; hides damaged, weighing 55lbs and over at 3d per lh ; do. do. do under 551bs at per lb ; calfskins, sound at 4d per lb ; do cut and damaged at 2d per lb.