STOCK MARKET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1938, Page 12

STOCK MARKET

MASTERTON CATTLE FAIR. DROP IN PRICES. Wright, Stephenson and Co Ltd report: A supplementary cattle fair was held in the Masterton yards yesterday when, taking into consideration that we have already held three big fairs this spring, a very big entry came forward. Generally speaking the cattle yarded were not up to the usual high standard of Masterton fairs, and with the exception of fat cows, and a few lines of 2yr and lyr heifers, very few cutstanding pens were offered. There was only a moderate attendance, and it was noticeable that only a few outside buyers were present, although those who did attend were active buyers and took a fair portion of the yarding. With the exception of station heifer lines, markets were on the downward grade, especially fat cows, which showed a very definite drop—we considered prices in this section lower by 30s per head. However, cattle prices have been particularly high this spring, and it was not anticipated that the previous high levels would maintain yesterday. Store cattle were, nevertheless, selling at good paying prices to the breeder. There were no passings in our entry of 500 head, and we made a total clearance as under: — Fat cattle: A/c B. V. Skeet, fat heifers, £8; a/c P. H. Nathan, fat heifers, £7 18s; a/c Est J. W. A. Falloon, fat P.A.. heifers. £7 18s, £6 4s, P.A. cows, £5 1.9 s ,£7 Is; a/c O. H. Beetham, Hereford cows. £6 6s, £6 7s 6s, £6 11s; a/c Kummer Bros, fat bullocks, £lO 17s 6d; a/c other vendors, fat cows, £6 4s, P. A. heifers, £B, runners, £3 17s 6d, vealers, £2 14s, Jersey cows, £5. Store cattle: A/c Kummer Bros, 2yr P.A. steers, £8 2s 6d, 2yr Hereford steers, £6 15s, yearling Hereford steers, £4 15s, yearling Hereford heifers, £3 10s; a/c B. V. Skeet, P.A. cows, £6 Is. 2yr P.A. heifers, £5; a/c H. Scales, P.A. cows, £5 2s, yearling P.A. steers, £5 4s; a/c other vendors, 2yr steers, £6 7s 6d to £7 10s, 2yr P.A. heifers to £5 3s, yearling P.A. heifers to £3, P.A. cows £4 5s to £5 15s, yearling Hereford steers to £4 12s, cows with calves at foot, £4 5s to £5 16s. Sheep: Fat wethers to 18s 2d. fat ewes, 11s, 12s to 14s 3d, store 2-th wethers to 17s Bd, store ewes, 6s to 7s 6d. Pigs: Weaners to 265. DALGETY & CO. LTD. Messrs Dalgety and Co Ltd report on their Masterton Cattle Fair as follows: A full yarding of all classes of station cattle came forward and were, offered to a good attendance of buyers. The quality of the majority of the cattle was not up to the standard of previous fairs, and in some cases prices were down accordingly, but any pens showing quality were keenly sought after and made good values. There were no grown bullocks yarded, and any buyers requiring male cattle for the fattening paddock had to make their purchases in the two or three-year steer section.

Empty P.A. cows were slightly down in value compared with those of late sales, while in the two and three-year heifer section any quality lines met a good sale at values well op a par with those at our last fair, and a quality pen of two-year P.A. heifers offered on account of Mr Trevor Beethqm, “Kourarau,” topped the sale for the day at £7. Yearling steers and heifers made good values, and prices for this class of cattle remained firm, and in the steer section a nice line of well-grown P.A. Hereford cross yearlings offered I on account of Mr Beetham, after spir- | ited competition, topped the sale for I the yearlings penned and fell to the bid | of £7. There were a large number of fat cows and heifers yarded, resultingin a decline in values in this section of at least 15s per head. We were successful in making a total clearance, one pen only being passed at auction, but these cattle were disposed of privately before the end of the sale. The following list of our principal sales will int dicate values:—3yr P.A. steers a/c Brooklands Stn, £9 7s; 2yr P.A. steers a/c E. W. Bunny, “Te Roto,” £8 12s; 2yr Red Polled steers a/c do, £7 14s; 2yr Red Polled steers a/c Brooklands Stn, £7 13s; do a/c E. S. Taylor, £7 6s; 2yr Hereford steers a/c L. N. Donald, £7 7s; yearling P.A. steers a/c T. Beetham, •• “Kourarau,” £7; yearling Hereford steers a/c do, £5 10s; account other vendors: P.A. yearling steers, £4 15s, £5 to £s’ss; 2yr-P.A. heifers a/c T. Beetham, £7; do a/c R. Graham, £5 16s; med. do a/c other vendors, £5 to £5 7; Hereford- 2yr heifers a/c T. Beetham, £5 15s; empty P.A. cows a/c Geoff Laing, £5 10s; Hereford do a/c do £5; light-conditioned P.A. cows a/c other' vendors, £5 to £5 2s; yearling P.A. Hereford X heifers a/c T. Beetham, £3 15s; Hereford do a/c do £3 ,3s; prime fat P.A. cows, £7, £7 ss, £7 14s, £7 17s 6d to £8; fat P.A. cows, £6 10s, £6 14s to £6 17s; light do £6; fat P.A. heifers, £7 10s to £8; light fat bullocks, £lO to £lO 10s. N.Z. LOAN & MERCANTILE CO LTD. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Co Ltd. report:—At our cattle fair yesterday a good entry of station cattle came forward, our proportion comprising of 500 head. There was a fair attendance including outside buyers who took a fair proportion of the female cattle. With the exception of a few lines the quality of the yarding was very ordinary, but most lines of store cattle sold well at prices about 10s per head lower than the earlier cattle fairs. Fat cows were considerable cheaper, while fat bullocks remained at late rates. In our entry, Mr Alex McGregor topped the market for 18mos. steers at £7 ss, and Mrs P. R. Bunny, for 2-year steers at £8 15s. The following were the prices received: — Fat cattle: Fat bullocks, £ll, £l2, to £l2 10s; fat P.A. heifers, £8; heavy fat cows, £7 10s to £8; fat cows, £6 5s to £7; fat dairy cows, £4 7s 6d, £4 10s to £5; vealers £1 15s to £2. Steers: Coloured bullocks, £7 15s to / £7 18s; 2-year steers a/c Mrs P. R. ; Bunny, £8 15s; a/c M. D. McGregor, £7 10s; a/c N. G. Rayner, £7 2s 6d; ; a/c C. C. Horsbrugh, £6 10s; others, ' £6, £6 5s to £6 15s; 18mos P.A, steers I

a/c Alex McGregor £7 5s and £6; a/c T. Langdon, £4 7s; others £4 to £4 15s. >

Cows and heifers: Hereford cows and calves a/c R. G. Foreman £6 10s, 2-yr P.A. heifers a/c Alex McGregor, £6; others £5 5s to £6; yearling P.A. heifers a/c M. D. McGregor £3 12s 6d and £3 2s; a/c Alex McGregor £3 10s; fat and forward station cows, £5 ss, £5 10s to £5 15s. MASTERTON SALE. N.Z. LOAN AND MERCANTILE CO. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile report having held their weekly sale yesterday, when only a small entry of sheep came forward. Fats remained at late rates while the few stores were a little easier. We had a total clearance at the following prices:—Fat b.f. 2-ths, 17s 6d; fat ewes, 10s 6d to Ils; stores, 4-th wethers, 18s; 2-th wethers, 14s 3d to 15s 6d; woolly ewe hoggets, 26s 6d; dogs on account Wm Ward, £l6; £lO 10s; £9; £5; £4 10s to £3 10s.