COMMERCIAL NEWS

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 99, 20 March 1863, Page 2

COMMERCIAL NEWS

DUNEDIN LITE STOCK MARKET. Driver, Maclean, & Co’s Report for Week ending 7th March, 1863 : The annual race meetinghavingtaken place (luring the week, but little business has been done in any description of stock, but most of our run-holders having finished shearing, we already notice an increased demand, with a greater inclination on the part of holders to sell consequently we may anticipale an improvement upon the limited transactions of the past two months. Fat Cattle. —No cattle have been yarded, the trade having supplied themselves largely at low rates the previous week" There are few cattle on hand fit for the butcher, as the greater proportion of the lute shipments from Gipp’a Land and North Island arc only saleable as stores. Last week good quality beef was sold as 45s per 100 lbs. This low r rate was caused by a larger number being forced upon the market than the requirements of the trade demand. For a reasonable number, we expect a considerable advance in price for the ensuing week. Fat Calves continue scarce, and saleable at £4 10s to £G, according to age. Store Cattle. —We have no transactions to report in Provineial-brcd stock. Several cargoes of Wellington cattle have come to hand. We have sold a small draft of ship bullocks, two years old and upwards at £l4. We quote good mixed herds at from £9 10s to £ll 10s; governed by ages, condition, and place of delivery. Working Bullocks and Dairy Cows. —We have to report the former in much more active demand, but without any advance in price. We hove disposed of several teams at from £45 to £52 10s per pair; first-class young bullocks would bring £GO per pair for limited number. Dairy cows, with calves or springing are saleable at £ls to £2O, at which price we have sold a few head. Fat Steep. —The market continues fully supplied with sheep of inferior quelity, mostly imported, and landed in bad condition which have to be sold as soon as possible after landing. More care should bo taken by shippers, in fittings and attention, as tbe loss has been very great on nearly all the late importations. We have sold during the week 550 wethers at from £os to 27s—these were but little better than stores. Prime mutton would bring 7d per lb. Store Sheep. —Young ewes and largo framed wethers are in good demand. We also have buyers for lambs (owes or mixed). We have sold 3,000 Victorian wethers at from 22s to 235. The market being now quite bare of imported sheep, we may expect a sb'ght advance in the prieo of acclimatized. We quote ewes, 2 to 6 tooth 27s to 32s 6d. Wethers, 4 tooth to full mouthed 24s to 265. Strong and clean imported stores are saleable at a slight reduction from these prices. Station. —Wo beg to call attention to one sale of the Mount Wendon station, on the 9th instant and Moa Flat Station, on the 30th inst. Horses. —The market this week has been remarkly dull, in consequence of the races taking place, combined with the immense number of inferior stock brought forward, and unless there is a complete stop to importations wo see no hope of any improvement for some time to come: price realized in many instances scarcely cover freight and expenses. First-class draught horses are in demand, and still maintain their price, and we think there is every probability of their doing so throughout the winter. During the week we have only disposed of 75 horses, principally of a light stamp. First-class draught are worth from £6O to £BS ; second class

do, from £4O to £55 ; inferior do, from £25 to £35. First-class saddle and harness horses from £lO to £55 ; second class do, from £25 to £35 inferior hackneys, from £8 to £lB ; but almost unsaleable. On Monday our sales commence v.-ith the race horses, and a lot of good cart stock. Duma;, Maclean and Co., Stock and Station Salesmen, Dunedin.