ADDINGTON MARKET

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22509, 17 September 1938, Page 13

ADDINGTON MARKET

SLOW .FAT SHEEP SALE

IMPROVED DEMAND. FOR HOGGETS

The best feature at Wednesday's market was the. revival of interest in the store sheep market—or, to speak more correctly, in the hogget section of it. Wether hoggets had come down to a disastrously low price—l2s or 13s for quite good sheep. One' of the causes of this slipping was undoubtedly the backward state of spring growth. With all feed resources required for ewes and other stock, hoggets were not much wanted. But now that there is a definite spring in the grass and the shearing is not far away, 1 hoggets are entitled to improve substantially. It cannot be said that the 14s to 15s 9d which the best of the wether hoggets made oh Wednesday is out of the way. At the corresponding sale last year the best of the wether hoggets made up to 255, and the Class similar to that on Wednesday 235. The ewe and lamb market appeared better,, but there was little change when the quality of the ewes and their lambs ft considered. The ewes in the line that realised 17s 3d were mostly four, six, and eight-tooths, and some of the good percentages of lambs they had will be fit in a few weeks for the fat lamb pens. The average ewe and lamb showed little change at round about lis, and the ewes with razor backs were down as low as ss. The following is a comparison oi values with those ruling at the corresponding sale last year:—

Sept. 15, Sept. 14, 1937. 1938. s. s. s.- s.

Ewes ind lambs— :■•:;■.. --i Ex. good .. tp 20 14J to 17J '" .. 15 to 161 9J to 11J ..'Hi to 141 - .to 9

Hoggets— > •■ . Ex. good wether to 254 to 153 Good wether. ~ 21} to 23 13i to!4l Ordinary . - 'l9 J. to 22 to -124 Good "ewe .. ; ;to3oj.T- —- Fat Sheep

- The fat sheep market continues depressed. A comparison of last, year's prices with those of this week shows how far values have slipped. The causes of ' this disparity. are hard to explain. There is plenty of consumers' money around, and as the market at Smithfleld for both mutton and lamb is satisfactory, there should be no reason for a- drop of up to 40 " petcent, on the prices ruling last year One important cause doubtless y. the decline in the value of the skin but that does not account for more than half the spread. Another, of a smaller nature, is that the sheep are not so good this year on account of the backward season, but still the different classes of sheep are described according to condition. The markets have been over-supplied this year, aha prices have been easing, whereas at this time last year the pennings were no more .'than sufficient, and at the sale .corresponding to Wednesday's there was a further rise of up to 2s, whilst week there was a decline, of a jsbjjljng. Good wethers and ewes, which "formedra small proportion of the,total, penning, were actively sought by butchers, but graziers' wethers and light ewes had to be turned out to some extent.. .-. . •: •' '

In view of the disappointing prices ruling in the mutton section, the demand for beef is being maintained exceptionally well. Values are" practically on all fours with those of a year ago. There is perhaps a better proportion of finished cattle /coming in, and it has been quite plain that the run heifers! and cpws which -, have been: a feature of the market this last couple of years are much better types than Addington was accustomed to some years ago. However, as against this, there are now more derelict cows coming forward. When moderately forward cows are realising up to £5 5s in the store pens there seems to be no justification for penning up some of these burnt out old cows in the fats department. There is a good deal of complaint from vendors and auctioneers over their inclusion. The rejection of even 50 head each week would make an improvement. Good beef on Wednesday made on the average 40s per 1001 b, a price which cannot be complained about when the mutton market occu-

SHOW DATES

October 18 and. 19—Marlborough. October 20--Ellesmere. October 28— Amberley. \ ■ October 28 and 29—Timaru A. and P.

Association. November 3—Ashburton. November at Rangiora; November 10 and 11—Canterbury Met-

ropolitan. November 16—Waimate. November 18 and 19—North Otago, at

Oamaru. ■'>'■'■ ~ ■•.';-..'._■'■>'.. November 19 (Saturday)—Courtenay;

ot Kirwee. i, . „ November 26 (Saturday)—Bahksv Pen:insula; at Little River. ••■..-;.",. December 10-r Wyndham. ,• 1 4 \ December 31—Amuri Cob.and Pony, at Rotherham.

1939 February 7 and B—Dannevirke. February 14 and 15—Masterton. .' . February 18—Hawarden. ' ;■: March 21—Amurl, at Waiau. .-.•;*? ;«.■■ March 11—Cheviot. - ' '' ~ March 25—Methven. . •■ -ovf .■■•■-. April 10-Mackenzie Highland Show: at Fair He... ■ ■ ■ v'^V:.-

WethersEx. prime heavyto 53J to 381 Prime heavy 42 to 46 281 to 311 Prime mediumweight se to 40 25 to 271 Ordinary 31 to 35 21 to 23J Light .. ... EwesEx. prime heavy to 30 to 201 to 46J to 272 Prime heavy 34 to 37 20 to 23 Prime mediumweight 28 to 32 16 to 19 Ordinary 24 to 27 121 to IS I4ght to 23} to 12 Fat Cattle

pies its present position. SteersX. *. £ £ Ex. prime heavy to 221 to 193 Prime heavy 16 to 171 15 to 17 Prime mediumweight -14 to 151 131 to 151 Ordinary 10i to 131 101 to ; 13 Ught .,. „.< ...... to 10 ,; , to 10 Heifers— ' Ex. prime "' to: 141'' to 133 Prime 101 to 12 101 to Hi 83 to 10 Medium - .. 7J to 9J Light to 71 to 81 Cows ."Ex. 1 . prime ' ' ■ x* to 141 to 131 . Prime 83 to 101 9' to lOj Medium. . 61 to,; 81 ■■:" to' 6J 6J to 6; Ught .;; -,;~ : . to 6|