AUTUMN CATTLE FAIR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 May 1939, Page 3

AUTUMN CATTLE FAIR

BETTER TONE THAN ANTICIPATED. The Associated Auctioneers held their autumn cattle fair at Masterton yesterday. A yarding well up to ad- [ vertised numbers came forward, but numerically, the entry was much smaller than the usual autumn fairs. Gras-ic-rs are disinclined to send cattle to the saleyards with the weak market ruling today. There was a big attendance, although it was noticeable that outside buyers were not present. Contrary to expectations, there was a better tone about the sale than anticipat? ed, and although prices were decidedly low, they were estimated at about a £1 a head better than those ruling at Pahiatua last week. With the prices offering today, cattle look good buying, and any grasiers with feed were tempted to buy yesterday. Generally speaking the yarding was pretty mixed, very few bullocks were offered and cows and young cattle predominated. There was a fairly heavy yarding of fats, but few finished pens came forward. Several pens had gone back in condition and could not be held any longer. Only a pen or two of ox beef was offered, and these were unfinished, ery few pens of fat cows made over £6, while top price for bullocks was £9 ss, and fat heifers. £7 10s. Practically the whole yarding changed hands at the following prices, 3|year bullocks, £5 7s 6d to £6 12s; coloured, £4 3s; 2| year steers, £5 10s to £6 Is; 18mos steers, £3 to £4 ss; 21 year heifers, £3 5s to £4 2s; 18mos heifers, £2 to £2 17s; station cows (empty), £2 10s to £3 7s; station cows r.w. bull, £3 6s to £4 7s; fat heifers, £6 to £7 10s; fat cows, £5 to £6 10s; fwd. cows, £4 to £4 10s; fat bullocks, 8 10s to £9 10s; cull cows, 20s to 30s.

The sale of ‘sheep held before the cattle was dull. Several pens of ewes r.w. ram were offered but created no interest, only one pen changing hands at Bs, for sound mouth sheep. Store lambs were hard to sell, prices for medium healthy lambs being 5s to 6s. Values for other store sheep were also on the decline. Fats were about the same as last week. Following are prices—ewes, r.w. ram, 8s; 2-th wethers, 10s to 12s 6d. Woolly ewe lambs (good), 15s, medium, 9s 6d to 14s; wether lambs (good), Bs, medium, 5s to 6s, culls, 2s to 2s 6d, fat ewes, 13s 6d to 14s 6d; fat wethers, heavy), 235, medium, 18s to 19s 6d.