COMMERCIAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1920, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

WEEKLY REPORTS. Newton Kin;.', Ltd., reports :- At Urcnui, on December (i, (lie yarding comprised both sheep and cattle. Sheep met with little demand at. the -hammer, hut the whole of the yarding was eventually cleared. Late rates ruled for cattle, practically the ivtole yarding . sold. Woolly hoggets 235, wethers (woolly) 29s to 32a 6d, owes and lambs 31s, dry ewes (woolly) 255, store cows £5 17s Od to £G ss, forward ditto £7 10s to £8 ss. fat cows £lO 10s, yearling heifers £3 Is, 15-month ditto £4 lis to £5 9s Od, empty heifers £5 17s Gd to £7 4s, yearling steers £2 10s to to £3 17s, 2-year-old ditto £5 7s Cd, springing heifers £9 5s to £lO 15s, choicer ditto £ls to £lO 15s, 2-year Jersev bull £2(l.

At Stony Itiver, on Dec. 7, a fair yarding attracted a good attendance of buyers and a steady market was maintained throughout. Prices for store cattle showed ,litle change. Dairy caltie were in keen demand. Store pigs 32s to 38s, vealevs £3 10s, store cows £0 10s to £7. 10s, forward ditto £8 "s Od io £!) 17s (id, 15-month heifers £4 7s to £4 10s, empty heifers £6 2s Cd to £9, incalf Jersey cows £ll 15s, springing heifers £8 15s to £ll 10s, better quality ditto £l2 Ids to £l4 10s, telfers In profit £ll 10s to £l3 15s, springing cows £lO 10s to £l(i, dairy cows £l3 10s, yearling bulls £5 7s Cd to £C 2s Cd, Shorthorn bull £lB 10s. On Thursday, Dee. 9, we conducted a clearing sale at Lepperton on account of Mr. ,f. Payne. Buyers attended in strong numbers, and everything offered realised good prices. The cows although low in condition were eagerly sought after. Dairy cows £0 10s to £l2, better sorts £l7 10s to £29, springing heifers £C 103 to £l2 10s,. stove cows £7 15s to £lO 10s, sow and litter £5 to £U, 7-year-old mare £32 10.

At Wniwakalho on December 10, we report n small yarding, but an improved Market. 15month cattle, especially, sold with a much better tone. Store cows £5 5s to £6 ss, empty Jersey cows £9 5s to £ll 6s, yearling steers £3 lis to £4 lGs, yearling Jersey heifers £l2 10s, 10-month heifers £5 5s to £5 17s Od, empty heifers £0 13s to £9 10s, springing leifers £l2 10s, dairy cows £l4, two-year Jersey hull fill.

At Okau, on Dec. 11, we report a fair yarding of both sheep and cattle. With the exception of one pen of bullocks everything sold. Wether hoggets 235, ewe hoggets 23s 4d, i and C-tooth wethers 28s 9d, all !.n the wool. Store cows £7 5s to £8 7s, 15month steers £4 10s to £5, aged light draught gelding £ll 10s.

The Farmers' Co-operative Organisation Society of N '/,.. Ltd., report for the week ending Deeemiber 11:

On Monday, at Opunake, there was only v. medium yarding. Frices taken all over were on a par witr. late rates. Quotations: Sucking pigs 14s to l's Cd, dairy heifers £8 Io 610, light cows £4 10s to £0 10s, medium cows £0 15s to £B, 2-year heifers £6 Ijs to £7, yearling small heifers Io £4 7s Od, yearling steers £3 10s to £4 7s Oil, small Jersey cross heifers to £5. At Manaia, on Tuesday, there was a fair yarding comprised chiefly of store cows. Several of the local graziers were operating, and a satisfactory sale resulted, prices being tlrm at previous rates. Best cows made to £lO lis, medium io good £7 10s to £9, light £5 to £7, fat 2-year bullocks to £ll, 2jear steers to £C, dairy heifers to £9 10s, unsound bulls £4 to £7. At Inglcivond, on Wednesday, there was a medium yarding of sheep and cattle. There was a good local competition for sheep, and prices realised were satisfactory to the vendors. Several of the back country buyers were in attendance, and there was good competition for tie small heifers and yearling steers, prices being about 5s to 10s per head better than late rates. There was also good competition in the dairy pens for anything showing finality, but oilier sons were not wanted. Quotations; Small mixed shorn Moolh to 20s 4d, shorn old ewes to 10s 4d, shorn forward f.m. wethers to 28s, woolly ewes with well-grown lambs at foot to 4Cs Od, medium lo good cows £7 to £8 15s, light £5 to £C 10s, three-year bullocks best to £4 17s, 2-year heifers to. £7 ss. yearling steers best to £4 17s, others to £3 15s, small empty yearling I'eifers £4 to £4 12s, better grown and fit Tor hull £s\ss to £6, yearling Jersey bulls lo £lO, best dairy cows £lB, others £9 and upwards, best dairy heifers £ll to £IC 10s, others £7 and upwards, draught mare, 7 years' £SO.

At Auroa, on Friday, there was a small entry. Prices were as follow: Light stores to £2 13s. best to £lO 14s. medium to good £7 to £9. sleers £4 10s In £0 lfls, yearling Jersey bulls to £lO, heifers to £lO ss, 2year ditto to £ll 12a Cd, dairy heifers to £ll.

The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co. Ltd. (Hawera branch) report for the week ending December 11:

On Monday, iit Knkaramea, wo had a good yarding of store cattle. Competition was fairly brisk for gro\«n cattle, and prices were on a par with recent sales. Young and dairy cuttle were hard to quit. We quote: Store pigs to fiSs, small ditto to 345, fnt cows (good) £l3 ss, medium ditto- to £ll 12s 6d, forward ditto to £lO 10s, others to £7 13s, 13-months grade Jersey bulls £ls 15s, steers £3 lis to £4 Is, dairy cows, medium sorts to £l3 15s. At Eltham. on Wednesday, we had a fair yarding. Bidding was lagging: apart from good cows .iiitl pigs, but in spite of this, most of tho entile were quitted at lato rates. We quote: Wer.ner nigs, to 20s, stores, small, 345, forward cows £0 to £lO 7s 6d. heifers £9 2s (Id. fresh conditioned ditto £7 10s to £B, others at market value, maiden bulls to £9 10s, yearlings £2 10s. sieers £3 lCs Cd.

On Thursday, at Hawera, we had a good yarding of boll' l sheen and store cattle, and for, both classes bidding was fairly brisk throughout, and practically all were sold at satisfactory prices. Rood cows sold at slightly improved rates. All sorts of dairy rattle were hard to quit, and tho vendors were all prepared to meet the market. We quote: Woolly hoggets 118s, shorn ditto 21s 3d to 24s Od, culls 14s Od, sows £3 ,Is, stores, small 38s, fat cows (medium) to £l2, forward ditto to £lO 14s, young cows' to £7 13s, I others at market value, 3-year bullocks £8 10s. yearling steers £3, ID-months good heifers £7, others £4 16s, maiden bulls £7 ss, springing heifers £O, cows £lO to £l4 lis. On Friday, at Waverley, our portion of tho' yarding, sheep, were penned in large numbers. There was a big attendance, bidding was slack, but in spite of tlis practically tlte whole of our yarding was sold at auction, and a. satisfactory sale resulted. We quote: Woolly hoggets (good) 32s M, shorn wethers 26s lOd to 20s lid, 2 and 4-tooth 25s lid, 2 and 4-tooth ewes 24s Od, 4-year bullocks £lO 15s.

WAIKATO STOCK MARKET. The Farmers' Co-op. Auctioneering Co. Ltd. report as follows: At Hamilton on Thursday, Dec. 9, we had an average yarding of sheep and cattle. Although vakies showed evidence of decline competition was not without briskness and practically everything- was cleared. Beef values were again easier, steers making to £ls Ids, cows to £ll I7s lid, cows, in fresh condition from £0 5s to £8 17s (id, n line ot Vk to 4-year steers in fair condit'on from tlw '.Vest Coast drew good bidding nn-.l made from £ll 17s (id to £l3 7s Gd for tie best. Smaller sorts £ll lis to £ll ss, 2-year empty heifers were again In demand and initio to £7 15s for tops, smaller £5 12s 06 to £0 ss, reaving? £4 .-•.• t.- £5, yearling rtee.-s £4 4s to £5 It (Id. Sheep sold mu -n hei'cr than at recent sales and everything yarded was satisfactorily cleared. Pat shorn wethers 345, ewes to 32s Gd, second quality 25s to 211s. rigs were in good supply and sold it last week's values. Baeoners to £5 15s, porkers £4 10. £4 Ids, slips £2 5s to £3 7s, weaners 20s to ".lis, dairy cows made lo £l3, others £C to £9. THE BUTTER TRADE. WEDDEL'S REVIEW. In iheir review of the imported dairy produce trade for the year ended .Tune 39, Weddel and Company, Limited, state that butler appears to form the "Inst ditch" of official food control, and the Ministry for Food shows no signs of relinquishing Its paralysing grip upon this trade. Wide fluctuations In prices have been recorded, and the ctmtin*

tied restriction oC trade lins brought no relief in regard ti> the acute shortage In butter supplies, Imports of butter into the United Kingdom for tho period totalled 4U..74S tuns, against an average of 210,000 tons liefore tho war. Attracted by tho higher prices obtainable through the decontrol of Euglisl. butter, the home supply was probably larger than usual, but Nits bad no' ctfect on the general situation. From July, 1919, to January 26, 1920, the wholesale price of Government butter was 2s 3d per lb, and the retail price 2s (id. Until February 23 it was 2s 3d wholesale, and 2s 8d retail; and from February until the end of Juno 2s Sy 3 d and 3s per lb: respectively. Towards the end of June'.-competition • of Irish butter ■• compelled the Ministry 10-teduce its prices to 2s 4%d wtolesale, -and-.2s Od retail. Iniportattbns from New Zealand for tho .twelve months totalled 12,380 tons, from Australia ir>,754 tons, from Denmark 34,591 tons, from Holland 2289 tans, from the United Stales 405". tons. The quality of much of the Government, butter has been very unsatisfactory, 'notably Danish and Dutch. The quality of Australian and Now Zealand butter was fully maintained, especially the former, and It is to he regretted that the Danes have not kept up their ■usual high standard.