H.B. STOCK SALE REVIEW

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 196, 4 September 1937, Page 17

H.B. STOCK SALE REVIEW

Sensational Selling for ► Fat Cattlc BUTCHERS' BLACK DAY The -welcome rains which have been a salvation to many parts of Hawlce 's Bay completely upset the equilibrium of the jnarkets this week. The sensational advance in values for fat stoek provided vendors with a reraarkable inningS that is so frequently h'oped for but so rarely occurs. "With tho shortage of fat cattle already acute, and the 1 smallest yarding made for several years, the stage was set for a phenomenal market. The starting figures frequently exceeded late knocking-down prices, and the bids came in 'a running fire from butchers anxious to seeure supplies. With the fear oi being left; competition was forced from the outset, and from the >values paid butchers have little prospect of showing any margin, no. matter how fmely they do the cutting. The buying demonstrated the limits to which. the butchers were ready to go simply to keep their shops open. "We have been the chopping block to-day. It has been a bad day for us. We would have been in the same boat Jast week if it had not been for the Gisborne entries, 1 ' remarked a butcher, who added that his purchases would enable him to keep his shop ,open, but that there would not be anything in it for himself. Rarely have the female pens been so devoid Of quality, lot after lot being plain and unfinished, some being in store condition only. With the excellent condition of the Gisborne eattle still fresh in the minds of the butchers, Wednesday's pens were at a disadvantage and looked poorer than they would otherwise have done. Only immediate yequirements were bought to tide the butchers over until the arrival of . another big draf t by rail from the Gisborne district for next week's sale. This consignment is being anxiously awaited to relieve ' the shortage of quality beef. . Quqries hg to whether female pens were guarapteed empty were answered without the elightegt demur. Usually this question is answered cautiously, ahd in a'big' yarding a gttarantee is given in order to effect saies. '^No guarantees are given. 'You buy as you see them," was the attitude, and not being on the box seat in such a small offering, butchers accepted the ppsition. Bidding Not Aflected. The abeence of guarantees in no way ; aft'ected the bidding, "there being one , consolation that the butchers would not ; have to wait long to see the extent of j the risks that they might have taken. A noticeable f eature was how remarkably young some of the" cows looked to ope auctioneer. Frequently he remarked: "We think that they are heifers but you can deeide for yourselves, ' ' It is safe to assume that no one else was preparod to agree with him, as in some cases age told its story only too plainly. The principal ejatry of ox beef was on aeeount of Mr. Donald Campbell and off his Waipiropiro property, being handy-sized young bulloeks which Should provide good cutting, The beavy bullock bought' by Mr. J. B. Fletcher for £17 7/-, the record price since 1927, tumed the scales on the following morning in the Works at 9941bs. Being deep grown he would provide good cutting, and was aetually the cheapest beef offered. The saying that wheu prices are high the heavy beef is the cheapest proved to be correet. A bright spot in Wednesday's selling was the offering of store eattle, when the improvement shown last week was fully maintained. The rain undoubtedly gave the market the brightenin^ tone that it has been yearning for several weeks past. A good inquiry was shown with competition being keen. Yearling steers have made the greatest recovery, well-grown entries making to £6 10/-. Three-year steers made £9 8/-, but the two-year-olds were on the small side and rather light, making £7 17/-. Three-year Hereford heifers were not so easy to trade, there being little difference m the breeding lines and those' which have been speyed. That they had at least been workers in elearing up the hard country that they had come off was evident in the breeding cows which generally were in low condition. They were in coptrast to the breeding cows in(Povei'ty Bay, which are in prime condition, although they have calves at foot. Breeding cows in really good condition would sell well in advance of Wednesday's rates. Large Store Cattle Ejitry. The store cattle market for Hawke's Bay will be determined at Waipukurau on Tuesday, when a large yarding will be made. One of the brolters alone will offer over 1000 steers of mixed ages. The outlook is now encouraging, and once there is suffieient' feed available Hawke's Bay will be a buyer's and not a seller's market. The sheep yarding on "Wednesday was the smallest that the veteran stockman, Mr. Wallace, has known for 30 years, and for the few pens of hoggets, few of which had quality in their favour, the values paid made very dear buying. At Waipukurau on Tuesday, a line of mixed-aged wethers, off very hard country, and nevor liaving seen a hlado of English gi'ass, niaile tlio asloundiiig value of 29/3, ii i c!i on Llie basis oi quality niadc tliem al least 2/- a lioad ■ dearer than anything else sold this | scasou. Off that hard country wethers,

when put on to good feed, do particularly well, but a number in this line were on the small side. Consideration is already being giveu to thq new season's two-tooth ewes, and in the Poverty Bay forward saies have been made' &t 34/- off the. shears. In Hawke's Bay this price has been bettered by 2/- and the figure of 40/* has been mentioned. In Marton last week woolly ewe hoggets brought to 40/9, Equally dear saies have taken place elsewhere, ' and the writing is on the wall for big values to figure prominently for well-bred two-tooths showing breeding at the next ewe fairs. The fat sheep market was certainly difficult to follow. The ewe {rfns were eagerly sought after" by the butchers, with the 40/- mark being frequently pasged. The heaviest of tliQ ewes would npt exeeed 601bs>? and the twq pens of wethers which 'should kill out at 561bs. at 39/-, certainly made mueh better buying than the ewes. The only reasonable buying was some pens of woolly hoggets bought at 27/6. These were havier than they looked, killing out from 44 to 481bs. Apart from the superior quaiity they were a much better proposition than the ewes. Some of the butchers appeur to havn an atlraciion frir ewes, wliicl? is f];9icu1t to understand, and fliere is a likollhood thatr the "nrice of ivool has an influcnce in tho sollin "