STOCK SALE REVIEW

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 43, 13 November 1937, Page 13

STOCK SALE REVIEW

The Past Week's Saies in Hawke's Bay MARKETS WERE QUIET This weelPs selling did not produce anything outstanding and the market throughout showed a quiefc tendency. The need for more rain robbed tbe market- of any speculative atmospbere and buyers appeared to b© content to feel their way. Quality pens were in ebort supply in tbe fat cattle section. Stor© cattle were again lifeless, wbil© th© offering of store sbeep, although realising quite good prices, was barder going than usual. Tbe fat sbeep offering was emaller tban ever in wbicb spring iambs came back to practically tbe works' scbedule. A look over tbe fat cattle pens revealed a, contrast from tbe yarding of iast weekj when, tbe best from Poverty Bay was on offer, and tbe butchers took the opportunity of stocking up and so obviated tbe necessity of railing any of the draft on to any of tbe other selling eentres, althougb some of the bullocks were purchased for outside sources. esom© of the cow pens and tbe best of tbe heifers mad© good quality: summer beef entries. Butchers are not wauting anything too gross now and are bolding off what migbt be termed tb© "tallow-bag" sorts. A number of graziers' propositions were worked in and, if more attention was given to gradpg, some valuable time could b© saved., Th© surprise offering of the day was undoubtedly tb© pen of Jersey and Jersey eross bullocks wbicb were unusuaiJ[y large-framed, being quite out of proportion to tEe popular small-framed dairy breed. Tbe purchaser certainly got weight for hip £13, but tb© quabty wouldl not b© that wbich would be di«played in 9, show window. A Mixed Lot,

Tb# Jersey pens genergl were a mixed iot, varying from prime young cows and heifers making to £6 10/-, as against £9 in tbe peak market, down to tialf-starved-looking aged cows. When t&e attention of an auctioneer was urawn to tbe poorness of som© of tbese entries be repiarked : "Tbese are good c© bundreds that I fiold for you feliows while you wer© away at tbe War." Xt migbt be said that many of tbe men were mucb better abl© to eat that cl.ass of m©at tben than now. Btore cattle failed to look UP at all and bope© for any recovery appear to be 'off. Tb© "genoral sbortag© of feed preplude many wbo are in need of cattle from coming into tb© market. A number, however, are having tbeir requirem©nts m©t privately. Of Jate few of th© lines offered bave been of a ptaudard that jvould attract cqmpetition,. and at any of tb© saies is reffect©4 tb© bard wintering that stock experienced, Last year yearlings did not. bav© a good tim© and, witb tbe hard winter following on, many are coming forw&rd as nnder-sized, poorly-done two-year-plds, for wbicb tbe vendors' ideas are generally mucb beyond those of th© buying market. Tbe opening sal© at Waipukurau set a price-level wbicb has since proved to be dangerously bigb and tb© cqjtne-back wbicb bas subsequCntly been staged has been a blow for tbose interested in cattl© raiping. Isolated Jines, well grown, sboiving breedling and in forward order, are still tb© bright spots and reflect tbo demand for good sorts. An instance of tbis was Mr, H. Hartree's lin© of forward young bullocks down from Ngaroto wbicb realised £10 3/-, Ewes Sell WeU. Two-tooth ewes, just off tbe sbears, mad© the biggest price so far for the season when a line weret passed at 34/7 . Hand-sborn, tbey bad quite a good slipe, and, being particularly well gr.own, would bave passed for older sbeep. Tbis sale indicates tbat tbere are not Hkely to be any cbeap two-tootb ewes for tbe next season. Many lines bave been already sold for forward dobvery and, from tbe values made, prices wiB again soarat tbe opening ejve fair, provided that tbe farmers will be abl© to stand it.. Tbe principal entry jn tbe stor© pens tbis week was a fine draft of forward four-tootb weXners wbicb made good buying at 26/-. In- about three weeks' time tbey shoujd look well, particularly bavxng?©. good slipe. On Wednesday quite a percentage were ready to hang up. Onc© tbe works schedule for tbe season is known, greater stibility will bo given. Many faxiners are expressing disappointment at the delay wbicb takes place in tb© announcement of tbe rates, but in tbis matter tbey liave n© alternative. Tb© furtber depreciation in the value og skins bas reacted in tbe prices for sbeep. Butchers are now receiving only 8/3 for tbeir best gkins as against 12/6 a siiort time ago. On tbe farrn the skins off tbe lcillers are ouly making 6/- now. Witb the average fieece down fully three pounds tbe value for skins is not iikely to improve.

Hoggets Sell Strongly. ; Woolly, fair-mouthed ewes, from which lambs bave been drafted into tbe works, made tbeir appearance in tbe yards on Wednesday and, as a fattening proposition, were not dear at 22/-. Hoggets continue to sell strongly, especially fat and forward Downeross, for which competition remains very keen. Particularly was tbis so ' on Tuesday when a line made a good sale at 27/6. In the fat pens spring lambs practi J cally came back to the works scbedule. ftlost of tbe butchers bave now tlieii own to pick from and are able to liold off going mucb over tbe scbedule Prime hoggets were again eager!\ souglit after, and from the values tbey bave been making of lat© they have been a most profitable fattening proposition, being much more so tlian older sbeep,