AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 609, 16 May 1882, Page 2

AUCTIONEERS' REPORTS.

Messrs 11. Matson and Co. report on the Live Stock Market, etc.. for the week end ing Thursday, May 11th, 1882, as fol- | oWß : _At yesterday's Addington market a moderate supply of sheep only came to hand, and of these a laige proportion were stores and second-rate quality mutton. In fat sheep, Messrs B. M. Morten, C.Burnett, F. Houghton, and F. Pyne, were amongst the principal contributors. The last named owner brought forward one of the choicest lines of mutton we have had in the market this season, in the shape of 130 2-tooth half-breds, by merino rams out of crossbred ewes. These wero of undeniable quality, remarkably well woolled, and for two-tooths of their class were wonders in weight. They brought 13s Gd and 13s 9d per head, and at that price were certainly ns cheap, as anything in the market. Without recording any actual drop in price. we consider the trade for fat sheep was a little weaker, especially for inferior classes. The best orossbreds brought 13s Gd to 15s, mixed lines 12s to 13s, merinos 8s Gd to 12-s. The entry of store sheep was chiefly made up of small lots of aged merinos, the bulk of which were sold— full mouth wethers to 7s Gd, fresh conditioned ewes of the same age to 5s 6d, cull lots 2s Gd to 3s Gd. In fat lambs the season may be considered as wver, tho lines of any extent arc worth more money as stores." The fat cattle sale, on the whole, was of a decidedly more satisfactory character than for severe I weeks past. Tiie *caii"»e of this we do not attribute to any improvement in the trade, but to the f»ct that a better and more saleable class of cntte were sent to hand. This we consider is to a great extent the solution of the unsatisfactory slate of the market for many inanibs past—"viz., that a very large proportion of what has been brought into the yards as beef has been scarcely deserving the name, and the ' trade " have shown their disupprovol of such quality by either refusing to bid for the same or by their lack of competition allowing ■vviJoep, to drop to the lowest ebb. Our experience of the Addington market and those who attend il as buyers of fat stock is, that however sUokthe demand maybe, tho best quality will always command attention, and proportionately high prices, to the comparative neglect of inferior lines. Among others on Wednesday we placed fat. steers for Mr Rutherford at from ;G7 15.-4 to £ 0 5s per head ; heifers for the samo owner at from £G to £7 10.-!; and other lots of good cattle, account various owner?, at com-;,-iunding proportionate rates. In stores there is no alteration to report, either in the class brought to hand or in prises. For lines of good three year old stoeru. there is a largo enquiry with but very few coming to hand ; for other ages there is but little demand and prices are still very low. In pigs, our remarks of last week were fully borne out at yesterday's sale, viz., that for good quality, well grazed baconers, there would he an increasing demand, prices during the day being marked by a very decided improvement for " right " weights. Porkers and stores are not much wanted, and sell at prices comparatively low, though for tho former values were a little better. The totals yarded for the day comprised 5464 sheep, 377 head of cattle, and — pigs.