THE WEEK'S STOCK MARKETS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 111, 27 May 1937, Page 12

THE WEEK'S STOCK MARKETS

Selling Difficult td Follow at Stortford

LAMB PRICES FLUCTUATE Although the threatening critical period was averted by the recent rain, several farmeri are flnding no alternative but to come on to the market in order to reduee their carryings of sheep. This largely acCOUnted for the much larger yarding than waa expected at Stortford Lodge yesterday, when the selling Was difficult to follotv. Fof lambs especially values fluctuated to a much greater degree than usual, and in the ebb and flow, which was very noticeable, buyers were given their opportunitiCs. Oll tiie dthgr hahd, vendors had nothing to complain abotit. "I am going to clear out or elso 2 shall be tempted to buy at these prices; and I haven 't got the available feed to place anything, ' ' roin'a.rked oue wellknown farmer at a period When values wer6 febbing and mctking slOw selling. Despite the shortage of feed over a fairly wide area,- sheep have done exceptionally well, and a review of the pehs at late saies shows a surprisixigly low percentage of hard-conditioned lots, some of which are always to be found even in the best of seasons.' A gOneral feature is tliat most lines are well woolled. A wool -expert yesterday/ in discussing the question, said ho did not consider that the unfavourable conditions would have any adverse efliect on the wool clip, which so far had grown well.

Breediiig Ewes Easier Breeding ewes failed to hold to last week's values, a surprise being the difficulty in trading eariy-lambing five-year-olds in good order and well mouthed. The better lots made good buying at values which are not likeiy to invoive tbe new dwners in aiiy sort of a gamble. On thfe aay, wethers provided the best selling, some bCiitg dear dnough owing td being Carry-Dver propositions. The best-conditioncd line was an entry of Corriedale-crosa on account oi' "Tauroa" station which should hang up eventually as exceptionafly hnequality mutton. Woolly lambs, wnich predominated in the yarding, pfoVidcd a Wide range of quality, most of Which was medium td inferior. The best-gfdwn lbts hcld their own in the selling, but an easing badk todk plhce fdr dther sdrts. Amdng the tops was a flne line of nicely-grown shofn Edmney wether lambs in ofE the Kahuranaki hills, which made 18/9. Mahy df these wefe practieally ready to hang np. • They dwarfed alany of the Woolly lines and were anothCr inStance of how well early-shorn lines have shown np in the pens this season. In regard to the medium and inferior sorts, there is every indication tiiat tiiere will not be any shorthge of shiallgrown hoggets which will rdquire good management to develop into tisefnl twdtooth wethers. .

Omakere EWe Lambs. The outstanding entry of ew6 lambs for tbe week was at Waipukurau on Tuesday, when a well-grown line on account of Mr H. Norris, Omakere, topped the market. They showed the keeu demand that exists for quality, ahd entries showing size have not beOii plentiful in either yards this seasoii. In striking contrast was a line of exceptionally smail-grown ewe lambs iu very poor order, and to get 13/- fof them was a strugglo. Tho prospect of these Cver bedng of any use for breeding purposes is very remote. A tally of them taken at tbe end of tbe winter will probably disclose a sbortage. The fat pens certainly provided the best selling of the day. Butchers, with their BUpplies at a low ievel, wefe fully in the market an'd the innings for * thfe freezing schedule appears td have been closed for the season. Tbe yarding cOntained a good percentage of quality. Despite the dry spell, the ewes have fattened up well, and the sharp rise in prices following on the improvement that has taken place over late saies indicates that last season 's phenomenally high figures are likeiy to be eclipsed by a good margins The extfa-prime Southdown-cros6 entries on account of Mr B. T. St. Lawrence, o.f Haumoana, were some of the choicest quality mutton penned for some timo. Quality was aga/in in short supply in the fat cattle pens, prime ox beef being confined to few entries. Extra-primo steers showed to advantage agalnst the heavy bullocks, the value pet 1001b. being a good inargin in their favoui'. Sever al of the bullocks appeared to be ready for tbe fattening paddock rathor than having come oH ond.

Weaners Plentiful. More weaners than usual were offered, and the best well covered in their calf fat, having been well done o£E their mothers, made attfaetive entries to sell xeadily. Aged, unlinished cows Continue to iind a market firm on ihe freezing sehedule. Even the poorest sorts did not come within the "bOner" category of prices. The yardings give every indication that there will not be any shortage of secondary quality cow beef this winter. Weaners constituted over 90 per cent. of tho. increased yarding of store cattle yesterday, and to have maintained the rccovery uuide the prcvious week was very eatisfactory. Dilticulty in wintering was responsible for tlie penning of so much young stoek, much of which was quite well bred, showiug good coats. Some of the backward lines only wanted some good feeding to bring them away. . Having the breeding and the stamina, they made good buying at the values realised.