COMMERCIAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 397, 20 September 1911, Page 5

COMMERCIAL.

The Farmers' Auctioneering Co., report:— On 12th and 15th inst. we held our annual spring horse fair at Cambridge. Considering the season the horses were brought forward in very good condition. Some of the draughts from regular clients and breeders were in splendid order and the owners must have given a great deal of attention and spent a lot in feed to bring the horses out in the buckle they were in. The class generally was fully up to our usual spring sales, the medium draughts, three and four years old especially representing a splendid lot. The heavy draughts are getting scarcer every year. Although there were a fair lot and there was the absence of the weedy and scrubby mobs. Buyers were present from all parts of the' North Island and Australian buyers were also represented. Competition was good from start to finish and prices really improved as the sale went on. As has been the case at our last three annual spring sales, draught horses have easily outnumbered the entry of light horses, farmers realising that the former show much the better return for feeding. At the same time the man who brings forward a good serviceable hack or light harness sort can get a good price. To breed these, however, seems a harder problem than getting the ordinary farm horse, and the difference appears to be that in breeding the draught, nine out of ten are useful and profitable to rear, while in the light class perhaps one in ten are remunerative to the actual breeder. Prices realised were : —Heavy draughts 3 to 5 years £44 to £52, medium draughts same age £33 to £4O, lighter sorts same age £24 to £3O, aged draughts £l6 to £22, upstanding hacks and light harness horses of a good class £2O to £29, useful hacks and harness horses £l3 to £lB, ponies and light hacks £8 to £l2, unbroken horses also sold well and the same quotations will apply to them. During the four days 768 horses were sold and 174 failed to reach owners' expectation 1 ?.