H.B. STOCK SALE REVIEW

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 37, 6 November 1937, Page 17

H.B. STOCK SALE REVIEW

Fine Quality Cattle at Stortford Lodge Y0UNG EWES WANTED jButcbere oti Wednesday certainly liad tlieir anxieties relieved in regard to the obtaining of prime ox-beef when the largest best quality draft of flnished cattle seen in the yards for a long time was put through the Bellingring, Quality was uniform throughout, there being no tail-end whatever. With the best that Poverty Bay has to offer, as.60 per eent, were entries at the Gisborne ahow last week, butchers were aiforded tbeir first opportunity for some time of being able to mahe a selection and to be able to get a few good builocks oa. hand, The recent fall in the value of byproducts accounted.* for pritne beef being dowa about 4/- per 1001b. on the day, With the arrival of three butchers after lialf the draft was disposed of values improved by 2/- per lOOlb. The first -pen, which contained some of the show winners, met with a waitrand-see attitude on the part of those interested in buying. This resulted in the heaviest entry in the draft, which should scale over llSOlbs., being- passed at the only. bid of £15. Having the right of re-offer, it was brought at the conclusion of the yardnig when it realised £19 S»/-. Railed through on the Monday night, the draft cajne forward in siplendid condition. Every beast showed a solic! finishj not being puifed out with grass as a window dressing. Any builocks yarded next week will ifeed to show a good finish w they are not likely to be looked at, as butchers are hoW out of the position in which they had no aiternative. The three heayy cows in the Gisborne draft .carried far too much surplus fat for the summer trade especially, and in this Condition were not in demand. They wero slow of sale jn comparison with the pens of lighter cows showing a finish that was ideal for present use.and which would provide good cuiting. Biirnt Their Fingers. In the selling of female cattle a few locai owners nave not eseaped from having their fingers burned. "While the shortage was so acute and butchers hardly knew yrhere to turn for supplies, some who were holding cows regarded them as being so precious that they did not know what to ask for them, Butchers bave rnade offers of £12 and bettervin the paddock which have not been looked at. In the meantime Poverty Bay cattle have assisted to meet the position and since then these owners in question have had to come on to the market and accept at least £2 a bead less. This shows that the forcing of prohibitive price-levels has had its day and the repercussions adversely, act against such vendors in the end. Several lines were traded privately ' during the week at values which indicate that the peak price period is now definitely past and that butchers will gain some rehef from having to carry their shops, as has been the case for the last few months. Tlie store cattle market continues to be lifeless, but this is due in a measure »to buyers having little put in front of them that will attract attention. At Waipukurau on Tuesday almost the whoie oifering was in poor condition, having been hard wintered. The Atua Station yearling steers, which were well bred and had Rood coats, made good buying at £6 7/-. The xemainder of the yearljngs in both yards were poorly grown, not having improved since being weaned. Hospital paddocks were required for some of 'the lines and at the figures they were passed at, optimism is certainly not on the wane. Where vendors have reserves on lines buyers are showing a marked. diffidence as t© bidding and state that they are onjiy wasting their time. Where a line i$ announced as "being on the market" much mere interest is shown m the bidding. Buyers aro showing annoyance at lines being oifered where vendors have little or no inteHtion of selling. Good Waihua Gattlo. 02 liis Waihua property 'hnd railed ' down on Tuesday night, Mr. JB. H. I Glendining's draft of two-year Mereford steers * provided the only bright , spot in the sale. Showing good breedrng and size, "they illustrated the deraand for young cattle with quality, Announced as being "on the market," there was keen competition from the outset and at £8 8/- showed that the market was sound for vigorous lines which are not in need of a spell. Unless buyers from the West Coast are preseut, empty cows meet with little inquiry, and a line, in order to raake £6 5/-, has to be in reaily good order. The now season's two-tooth ewes otf the shears were tested for the first time on Wednesday, when a moclerate- . iy grown line in good order brought 31/1. If this sale can be taken as an indication, two-tooth eweB showing size and breeding by the time that the fairs come round will again command high figures." Some time ago lines were traded privately in Hawke's Bay for forward delivery at as high as 40/-. Although prices were only a shade ea-sier for the stoiv pens they took a good deal more goiting. I'be furtber recent lal t in skin* tliil uut help mat-. ters. The top lines of two-tooth wethers off the shears were in good i order and skould soou (ind their way i

mto the works. The Down-cross sliorn two-tooths did not meet with the same inquiry and the best, line made good buying at 21/-. The unshorn wether hoggets were a better iot than last week. . The top hue, ofi'ered on accouiit of Mis. G. B. Uhambers, of JBLavelock North, and bred at itidgmount statino, brougnt 84/3. They were well-bred and vveligrown and showed a good length of wooi which was, however, a little dry and rather fluffy. They would, bow- ; ever, liave passed for much older slioep on both size and condition. The lambs penned. with their inothers were reaily good, being weli developed and iorward. Quite a number should shortly bo ready for the fat buyer. Mpst,of the ewes might be suitable for -one more. breeding "season, but,. lrom the appearance of their mouths^ once they have weaned their lambs, they would be better as fattening propositions.