BLENHEIM STOCK SALE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21418, 9 March 1935, Page 21

BLENHEIM STOCK SALE

WEDNESDAY'S PRICES There was a- record yarding for this season at Blenheim saleyards on Wednesday, when 757 fat sheep and 5390 stores were offered. There was a large attendance of buyers. Fat sheep were selling at from Is to Is Gd a head lower than last week, and store sheep were down by 2s a head. The quality of sheep was quite good in most cases, but it is evident that lack of feed and water are forcing many of those with surplus sheep to make an attempt to dispose of them before the pinch is felt. Fat ewes were in heavy demand and sold well. A pen of prime four-tooths brought top price of 14s 7d, and some small two-tooths 14s 3d. Fifteen prime heavy-weight wethers brought 20s Bd, and other pens of prime quality brought from 19s 6d down to 18s, medium 17s 3d, and light-weights 13s 6d to 16s 9d. The only lambs sold were a heavy line which brought 21s, and some light-weights lis 6d. Store ewes were again a varied assortment, containing a large number of younger sorts. Two-tooths were well represented. Two-tooth cressbred sold at lGs 6d to 17s. Pens of halbreds brought 15s and 16s Bd, and three-quarterbreds 16s 6d. Good four, six, and eight-tooth crossbreds fetched 12s to 14s lOd, halfbreds 15s; two, four, and six-tooth halfbreds 16s Id, and crossbreds 17s. Two, four, six, and eight-tooth three-quarterbreds 12s 4d to 13s 9d, four and six-tooth crossbreds 14s to 15s Id, and three-quarter-bred 13s 3d; two and four-tooth crossbreds 15s. Lambs were also in heavy supply. Rape lambs made from lis 3d to 13s 9d for best, others from 8s to 10s Bd. A good line of crossbred ewe lambs brought 14s Id, and halfbred wethers from 8s to l'ss for particularly good drafts. Small mixed-sex three-quarter-breds went at 6s 5d to 6s 9d, and similar crossbreds 7s 4d. Many pens of wethers were passed in. but the best sold as follows:—Four and six-tooth halfbreds 13s lid and 13s 9d, light halfbred two-tooths 12s 3d and crossbreds 9s 6d. Forward six and eight-tooth halfbreds 14s 2d to 14s Gd, and four, six, and eight-tooth halfbreds 13s 3d. Departmental statisticians continue to show unwillingness to admit the optimism of their first forecasts of the wheat crop for the season 'says a southern writer). They reduced their earliest estimates of the acreage sown by about 12A per cent., and later reduced their estimated yield an acre by four bushels. So far as South and Mid-Canterbury were concerned, the area sown was probably 25 per cent, below last year's, and the fall in average an aero is very much greater than four bushels. A recent statement, apparently semi-official, referred to the recovery made in South Canterbury. This was true of specially favoured districts, but mill owners place the yield at from 10 to 20 bushels an acre below the 1934 level. Probably the correct figure is midway between these estimates.