COMMERCIAL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 251, 12 April 1865, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

OTAGO, pal VETtf MACLEAJS, AST) CO'S MONTHLY XJVE STOCK, STATION, AKD WOOL REPORT. ISth March. “Ails P3.?t Month’s transactions show no improvement in fho value of any description of stock; on the contrary, we may report a great want of activity in the market. ' Purchases are only made for immediate requirements, and for stocking unoccupied country, there being no demand for speculation. Although the present price of stock is much lower than at this time last year, we have noticed but little cnange in the value of station properties, as our sales during the month will show,. The disinclination to speculate has caused capitalists to view the future with far more confidence, as investments can now he made, based upon calculations more sound than hitherto. The importations pf cattle from Australia, and the exodus of a large portion £f pur mining population to the West Coast, has caused a considerable reduction in the price of fat stock for the present; we. htwevcr, do not anticipate any further reduction in prime quality stock, as importations are likely to be very limited, and the gold discoveries; on the West Coast, causing a great increase to the population of this Island must in the end have a very beneficial effect on this Province. There is a considerable inquiry for iambs and young breeding ewes; but buyers expect a greater reduction than holders are willing to submit to. 1 Live Stoci. Fat Cattle. —The market has been well supplied, most of woich were imported, leaving at present only a portion of a cargo in first hands. Several lots of provincial catlle have piso been yarded, and realized but little batter than the price of stores this time last season; wc are of opinion that there are sufficient fat cattle in the province to meet our wants at fair rates, and that there is no margin to the importer from Australia- We have sold several mobs, both provincial and imported, at from ,C 3to 514 Price lOOlhs nominal. Fat Calves being only in fair supply, are still saleable at from £2 to 54. Store Cattle continueunsalable at anything approaching twaw rates. Several transactions have taken place during the month at from £0 to £7. Wo have sold over 603 head at these rates. Fa'. Sheep.—i The market has been completely glutted with fair and ordinary mutton, and sales could only be effected at greatly reduced rates. We quote present prices at from 11* to £l, according fo quality. We have sold ISOO at above rates. Store Sheep. —We have placed about 7,300, mostly young ewes and lambs, for which there is a fair demand, at 21s to 23s former, and 24s per pair for the latter. Wethers are but little inquired for, aud difficult of sale at over 13s to 14s. .Pin? Sheep. —We dispgspj of all Messrs Goldney Brothers, of Canterbury, pure bred sheep at fair rates—say £6 to £ls for rams, £"> to£lG 10s for ewes, and £4 for lambs. Somo of these sheep were very fine, being a portion of the late Mr Rich’s original flock. Six of the ewes purchased by Messrs E. A. and It. Julius deserve particular mention. Well-bred rams have been much sought after during the season, now nearly at its close, and we have disposed of a very largo number from the flocks'of Messrs Rich, Julius, Begraves, Bell, Willis, Archdeacon liadfield, Buckland, Maclanahan, and ether well-known breeders.

Station Properties. —As before intimafe j, there is, a strong inclination on the part of capitalists to invest in good properties, and we hare several buyers at fair value. We have sold to Robert Campbell, jun., Esq.. Run No. 2S, four years of lease nnexpired. about 50,000 acres, without improvements, together with 8000 mixed sheep, at £13,750, equal to cash. The above run was lately in the occupation of W. H. Daasoy, Esq. Also, on account of Charles Hopkinson, Esq., one-half interest in the Merino Downs Station, on the Mataura, for £SOOV Also, Run No. 244. Manuhcrikia District, lately occupied' by Messrs Block to Messrs Campbell’ and Low, containing about 30,000 acres, with 1500 ewes and 1400 latphs, for £9,200. Wool— Referring to our last Monthly Report, we prospectively glanced at the fntnrq prospects'of the wool trade in Europe, which was confirmed hy the advices received by the last mail, si owing that although a much better tone was exhibited in commercial circles owing to the improved aspect of the money market and the great rehuction in the rate of, discount; yet a considerable decline had taken place during the series of the November Sales in London on all 111-conditioned, waste, heavy grease and short stapled wools, hut Jong stapled wools were scarce, which, with all good scoured descriptions, were keenly competed for, and brought fsUy as high rates as ■ the previous August sales. It is. therefore, our desire to impress on our friends in this province the advantage of producing sound combing wool, which this climate and toil are so naturally and specially adapted for, if they desire good paying returns for their wool. We have only held one public sale of wool, viz.,, the 27th ultimo, since our last report; wo have some parcels due detained coastwise, otherwise we should have held our closing sale for this season during the past week. On the 27th we catalogued 283 hales, and owing to the superior character of the parcels we had to offer, wo succeeded in selling 236 hales at higher prices, both for washed and greasy, than has been realized this season in this province, showing, thqt even in a failing if wool is hroi.ght forward public sale, and exhibited with care so as to put forth its relative value, thereare buyers in this market who are pot limited, hut will give full value; hut on the other hand they are able to discern when the odds and ends are paired to them, and hence sales have been held in ’ pun Odin inhere there was no competition or .scarcely any {ffepted, and unless this was explained'such attempt*

might he construed into a want of buyers in Dunedin to get fair competition. Our price catalogue, which-we give with this, will bear out the above statement. Most tf? our wool ships are utar completion of their loading, and all expected to clear this month. Sea our shipping list. Our present quotations are;—Scorn ed fleece wool. Is 7d to 3s Id; scoured skin wool. Is to Is Bd;i washed fleece, superior. Is 7d to'is Bid; do, do., medium. Is 4d to Is 6d; washed fleece, inferior, is Id to Is 3d; greiisy do., superior, I’Jd to 11-Jd; do. do., inferior, 8d to 9d; greasy lambs, led to Is. Sheepskins. —Very few havo come to hand, fellmongers contracting at very high rates. Our slaughterers have been irfduced to'accept rather than submit to public sale. We have sold country skins, part full wool, at 6d per lb. Bides.— Our public sales have been fairly supplied, and the competition exhibited for picked heavy hides has brought out a value for that class hitherto unknown ia Dunedin, as will be seen by our quotations of actual sales. Light and medium classes have been difficult to move off, owing to the absence of shipping; we succeeded, however, in placing 300 last week at our quotations by private sale withdrawn at auction. Picked heavy hides, £*<} tb £{d,or or from 14s to 245; light and inferior hides, l|d to 2d, or from 7s 9d to 10s gd; medium heavy hides, 3£tJ to %\d, or from lls to 13s 6d; dry hides, 3s to 4s each. TaUoic.—K very small lot coming to our sales has brought for town use—Dark beef, 20 to 21 per cwt.; mixed beef, 23 to 29 per cwt.; fine mutton, 32 to 37-4 Prico Catalogue of Public Sale, 27th February.

Arrivals. —The only arrivals during the month have been—the Bengal, from Newcastle, is 6 head cattle and 150 sheep: Albion, from Melbourne, lIS pure rams; Gothenbwg. from Melbourne, AGO pure rams. Smre Sailed since IBtii February. —Malay. 1523 bales wool, 2ird February; Gala. 2323 hales wool, 3rd March; Commodore, 1359 bales wool, 28th February. Total bales shipped this season, 9709. Suits Loading. —Robert Henderson, about 1600 bales on hoard; Celseno, 1600 on board. Shipping Intelligence.— Gazehouud with 650 bales of wool on board, went on shore at Oamaru on the 13th inst.. aud has gone to pieces. 321 bales wool lauded, which, together with vessel, was sold by auction on 15th for £2,110, We understand the cargo aud vessel are insured.

Description. Mark. O d *C Shippers. Sold for Scouring. 1 1 AMC 1 1 „ rams Gxil Taieri hake 1 si 1 „ mixed 1 6 1 „ fleece GxM Beaumont 31 Si 31 rr ........ Hide Horae Statjon, C ft E in diamond 35 ni 33 locks ft pieces... GsM Beanmont 2 71 2 Fleece hoggetts 27 iGj 27 broken ..; 3 7 ft „ black 1 10| 1 „ partly washed T 3S 17 33 „ hot water „ T ft S 90 90 S ft F 5 19} 335 166 70 Private sale, delivery at Oamaru, portion of the clip of Messrs Julius, Rugged Ridge station Greasy ram hoggetts... '£ in diamond ... 6 10} 6 „ ditto w.-thers & ewes (| 12 10 12 Greasy pieces, locks, c Hick 3 6 3 22 22