LEVIN STOCK SALES

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 May 1911, Page 3

LEVIN STOCK SALES

BIG YAIIDINGS. SOME CHOICE LINES. There wore exceptionally large yarding# at the Levin stock sales yesterday, and g<K>d attoiida.iiee.s of fanners. At .Messrs Dalgety and Company's sales there were very heavy yardiiigs of sheep. A line of really good I'at and forward wethers were yarded by Mr T. Bevan, .Jnr., oi'Mnnnkau, but they did not fetch the owner's reserves, and wont out unsold. Messrs Skernian and Podevin also yarded a big entry of ewes and wethers— all very good class stuff. Mr J. R. .McDonald sent in a large entry of sheep, amongst them being some really lirst-class fat ewes, wethers, and lambs. These attracted much attention and sold very well. Mr N". ICirkealdio yarded a lot of fine, forward, woolly lambs, and: tliese brought- good prices under the hammer. Not many fat cattle came forward, but what did sold well. Some fine springing heifers realised good prices, though going generally was slow. There was a total oleanaaice of cattle, and the greater bulk of the sheep were sold. Messrs Abraham and Williams yarded 3,000 sheep and 390 head of cattle. Competition at auction was not brisk, and buyers were inclined to hang back until after the sale. The greater portion of the sheep changed hands, but the bulk of the cattle went out unsold, very little demand existing for stores. Several good lines of ewes and lambs were.' yarded, but the demand was not. keen. 'AN INTEREST INC RETROSPECT. The increasing popularity of the Levin Stock Sales was commented upon by several fanners. Dealing generally in a retrospective sense, one of the oldest settlers said that dairying had caused cattle for fattening purposes to depreciate, because dairy farmers had gone in for Jerseys and discarded the Shorthorn. "In the early diays, we had," he said, "all Shorthorn cattle. We •had good coloured cattle which were easier to fatten. In so far as .sheep are conCernlcd there has becpi an enormous improvement. People now go in for the Romney, which do l well on the whole of this wast. In fact, they are the sheep that do well on the hills. The farmers are taking deep interest in sheep in this district," he added. Comparing the sales of the yards to-day with a few years ago. he said their popularity was attested by a look round the yards. Sale after sale the yardings were exceptionally large, and he prophesied they would continue to be so. Farmers were going in for the Romney extensively, because they were easily fattened, and were the best ewes for rearing fat lambs, "fn a very brief time it will lie necessary to enlarge the sale yards very considerably, because great development lies anead in the rearing and fattening of sheep and cattle in this country," he concluded. DALGETY AND COMPANY Report:—We yarded some -1000 slice]) and 100 head of cattle. .Bidding at auction was somewhat lacking in spirit and anything inferior was hard to quit. We yarded some fine fat sheep and lambs on 'account of Mr J. R. McDonald, which s-.jld well. Altogether we had: a good sale, and report the following prices : Fat wethers lGs (3d; fat ewes Lis; fat lambs 10s 9d : ewes in lamb 8s Gd; empty ewes 5s 9d; culls 3s, 2s 9d; small 2-tooth ewes a.nd wethers 7s Bd, (3s 7d ; lain'bs 8s -Id, 5s lid, 5s 10(1, 3s Bd, 3s; rams 10s. Cattle : Fat cows £G; forward cows £-1 2s (3d ; store cows £2, £3 ; 18-month steers, £3 8s; 18-inonth heifers, £3; weaners 15s. ABRAHAM. AND WILLIAMS, LIMITED., Report:—-At Levin on Friday v.e offered a yarding of 3000 sheep and 390 head of cattle. Bidding ivas not at all brisk and the majority of the stuff was passed in under the hammer. With few exceptions sheep changed hands after the sale but the bulk of the cattle went >;it unsold. Quotations: Fat and forward wethers (good), 14s 4d, 15s 5:1 and 15s !)d; store wethers, 12s id, 12s (3d and 13s; small wethers, 9s Gd ; fat ewes, 12s (3d to 12s lOd; forward ewes, 10s Gd to lis 6d; goo.l store ewes 8s 3d to 9s; storo ewes, Gs to 7s; cull ewes, -Is to Is (3d; fat and forward lambs, 9s to 10s; store lambs, Is Gd; woolly lambs, 8s (:d to 9s 9'J ; several pens of good ewes in. lamb were offered, hut no demand existed for tlicin. Fat cows, £5 to CG 15s; forward cows, £3 10s to £1 10s; store cows, £2 15s to £3 ss; breeding cows, £2 17s Gd; mo-ther-reared weaners, 35s to £2 1 0s;

20-month steers, £3 Is; springing heifers, £5; wean era, 15s to 27s 6d; bulls,- £3 4s to £6 Is. THE LEVIN AUCTIONEERING COMPANY Report on their pig and poultry sale, held at Levin yesterday. Only a moderate yarding of pigs came forward, consisting principally of porkers. The market was rather weaker than recent sales, owing to the absence of .several Wellington butchers, who usually operate a.t our sale. Wo, however, effected a clearance of all porkers offered. Poultry of all descriptions were in large supply, and the market was good/especially for ducks iand hens. We quote: heavy porkers, 30s; medium, 245, 25s .to 2Gs (id; light, 20s fro 22s 6d; stores, 10s, 12s, ■ 14s to 18s; waaners, to 8s 6d; ccokerelSj Is to Is 8d; liens, Is 9d, Is lOd, 9s, 2s 3d to 2s 7d; ducks, Is Bd, 2s 3d to 3s 6d; all at each. We also nold <i larg€ quantity of sundry ai tides at this sale on account of a settler who is leaving Levin.