STOCK AND STATIONS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 250, 10 December 1878, Page 2

STOCK AND STATIONS.

After a few light and partial rains on Nov. 30 and following day, the weather lias again been intensly hot, parching all vegetation, and undoing the good hoped to be deprived from the small rainfall The prospects of the grain crop cannot be said to be at all improved, excepting in a few localities more favoured than others. The local wool sales opened on Dec. 3, with catalogues comprising about 2000 bales, and, though the prices obtained showed a marked decline on last season's rates, producers, considering the state of the. Home market and telegraphic advices to hand of the general state of trade, should be well satisfied with the values realised. Best merino made from B_d to 9fd"; second 7£d to B_d; best crossbred, to 9sd ; second, 7d to B£d. The bulk of the wool sols went into tjie hands of the local wool scourers,.but few parcels being taken up for shipment in grease. At Addington, on Wednesday, 5350 sheep and lambs, 188 head of cattle, and 46 pigs comprised the entries for the week's supply. Fat Sheep:—A fair proportion yarded, the bulk being taken up for the West Coast, which helped to sustain the market prices to about last .week's rates ; othervwise there would have been a further fall in prices, as the local buyers were disiii-clined-to operate. Fat Lambs were in over-supply, consequently none -but the best excited competition ; very prime lambs made 9s 6d, inferior down to ss. ' ; Fat Cattlo were in better supply, both for number and quality. The same cause as in the sheep trade (a demand for dhe West Coast) enabled vendors to effect-a clearance of many lines which would otherwise have passed out unsold. Quotations are about the same as last week, viz., prime quality from 32s Gd to 355; inferior and medium, 27s 6d to 30s.

The continued dry weather acts as a preventative to any transactions in lines of store cattle or sheep, which still remain very dull Of sale. In fact, sales can only .be effected by weekly reductions in prices. Messrs R. Wilkin and Co. report:— Sheepskins; At Thursday's sale we catalogued and sold 2756 skins. There was the usual attendance of buyers, and the • competition.,for Merinos was fairly brisk, • but very dull for crosa-breds. Cross-breds, large, well-woolled, 4s lOd to 5s 6d each ; •do, medium, two-thirds to three-fourths woolled, 3s to 33 9d each; do, • small . and inferior, ls 6d to 3s each. "Merinos, large, well-woolled, Ub 8d to 6s 3d each; do, medium, threefourths to full-wqolled, 4slod to 5s 8d 1 ■ «ach; do, "do, two -thirds to three-fourths* 4s to 4b lOd each; do, do, half to d&O'Skbefa woolled 3s 2d to 4s each ; do, ;l

small and inferior, 2s to 3s 2d each. Pelts' Id to ls 3d each ; lambskins, Is to Is 2d , each. Tallow: Our sale -of tallow was. limited. There was a full attendance of the trade, and biddings were brisk, as fol-lows:—Best-clean, well saved, 2sd to 2_d per lb ; second quality, lfd to 2sd per.lh; inferior and 'heated, to IJdT per lb. Hides were,-all'cleared ; sound, 3£d per lb ; damaged, 2sd per lb ; calfskins, 4d per tb. , :