Commercial Intelligence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 345, 29 January 1866, Page 2

Commercial Intelligence.

OTAGO. Driver, Maclean & Co.’s 'Monthly Live Stock, Station’ AND WOOLEepoRT. Dunedin, IStli January. We have again to report a great want of activity in business during the past month. Few sales of Stock of any magnitude have been effected, as the attention of runholders has been taken up with shearing, which on many stations has not yet been completed. We, however, look confidently to the ensuing mouth, when we hope to see the views of buyers aud sellers brought together. At present there are many of both in the market, but in the absence of fixed prices for various classes of Stock, little business has as yet resulted. Fat Stock.—The market has been fairly supplied with Fat Cattle, of good quality—during the Christmas week espccialls the stocks in the hands of our butchers was of a quality not to be excelled. Prices have slightly advanced during the past fortnight, and will, we have no doubt, remain firm. Fat Sheep come forward in moderate numbers but the quality generally is not very superior, which leads us to believe that the expected large supply after shearing will not materially affect the priceof first-class mutton. Store Stock.—There is at present a healthy. demand for mixed mobs of good Store Cattle, and the few lots offering find purchasers without difficulty at fair rates. Youn" Ewes, Wethers, and Lambs are offering in considerable numbers, the former and latter being in good demand ; but for the reasons we have already stated, but few transactions have taken place. As the season advances we hope to see Store Wethers in better favor. '

We have sold during the month Fat Bullocks at £l6 to £lB 12s 6d per head, or equal to 45s to 50s per lOOlhs., which latter we consider the current rate for prime quality. Fat Wethers, on stations, in the wool, at 2Xs 9d to 22s each; in town, shorn, prime, 17s 6d to 20s each: or equal to 4|d per lb. Fat Lambs, at 15s each. - Store Cattle. One very choice moh, mixed ages and sexes, at £8 each; bullocks, over 3 years, £lO to £ll. Store Sheep.—Maiden ewes, at 19s each ; 4,6, and 8-tooth ditto, at 16s each; wethers, at 12s to 13s each; lambs, at 20s to 21s per pair.

Station Properties.—During the month we have had an unusual number of enquiries for this class of investment, and we have every reason to beheve that desirable properties will fully maintain their present value. The following transactions have taken place during the month:—Mr M'Evoy’s run on the Waitaki, 34,000 acres, of which 11,000 are in hundreds, 2500 freehold, and fair improvements: together with 11,500 mixed sheep, delivered in the wool, ■with this year’s increase, for £17,500, to Messrs Gardner and Fraham. Also, a portion of Messrs Wilkin and Thomson’s Wanaka runs, say 150,000 acres, with 12,000 mixed sheep, delivery after shearing, for £25,000, to Mr J. M. Loughnan.

l> ool.—As only a portion of the present clip has yet come to nand, wo have held but one sale, on the 6th inst., when we offered 500 bales of different sorts, most of which was sold at prices satisfactory to the growers—viz., greasy fleece, Merino, at Bld to lOd per lb; do. Leicester, at lid to Is 3 Jd, do.; washed fleece Merino, at Is 4Jd to Is 6d do. • do. Leicester, at Is 9-id to Is do.; scoured skin Wool’ at Is lOd to Is lo|[d do.; scoured fleece Wool, at Is lOd to’ 2s do. The attendance was numerous, aud the bidding most spirited, buyers being disposed to invest at prices to leave a margin for remittance and expenses. A A mistaken idea exists amongst some of our growers, that Wool, if sold in the Colonies, is bought by speculators with a view to large profits; hut this is not tho case, as most of our purchasers are merchants who buy simply as a remittance ; and if their object—to place funds in the London market at par—he obtained, they are quite satisfied j in fact the difference in the expense of sending Wool to the home market hy such buyers, from that which the grower has to pay, if sent through an agent, is almost a satisfactory profit in itself. We regret to say the greatest difficulty we have to contend with in establishing a permanent Wool Market, is not the want of buyers, but the want of sellers, who are induced, by the great competition at present existing between agents, to send their Wool home under advance when in nine cases out of ten, after a year’s delay, it does not nett the price for which it could have been sold here. Sheepskins.—We have sold several large parcels of Station Skins, at from Is 4d to 3s 6d each. Hides are worth—Sound, heavy, 13s 6d each; do, medium, 9s to Us 6d each; do., light, 7s 6d each. Good shipping parcels are in demand. Tallow. —Very little at present in the market, and the demand brisk. We sold a few casks fair mutton at £36 per ton. Our next Wool Sale win be held on the 19th inst., when about 600 bales of Washed, Scoured, and Greasy, will be offered. AUCKLAND. LIVE STOCK MARKET. Mh BucKLArfD’s report for week ending January 19. At the H aymarket on Saturday fodder was in usual sup* ply; meadow hay brought about £4 the ton, and oaten hay about £6. Maize dull of sale at 6s 3d the bushel. A largo muster of unbroken horse stock, generally of mid dling quality, sold at low rates. At the Triangle about 30 head grown cattle, three-fourths fat, sold freely, at fully late rates. At Newmarkqt on Thursday there was a large muster of stock. Store cattlfe, in middling condition, sold at relatively, high rates; and pens of three-year-old steers, in

fresh condition, 'Drought from £8 2s 6d to to £9 each, rat cattle were plentiful, but not generally of prime quality; they were lower in price about 5s the 1001 b; a few choice animals realised 49s the 1001 b., but the average of the market was about 32s the IOOIb. Sheep offered Plentifully; there is a steady inquiry for ewes at full pricesr and store wethers were at late rates; but fat sheep were lower 2s per head, merino wethers bringing from 21s to 26s each and above; 100 were withdrawn from the sale. Lambs were also lower in price. Calves were in full supply, and not so free of sale. Pigs were in limited supply, and sold freely.

Messes Huntee & Co.’s Report for week ending January 19.

Tfe have to report that fat cattle have not maintained the rates that have been ruling for the last few weeks: we consider them fully five shillings the hundred pounds less than what they have been for the last four weeks, and with a disposition only to purchase what was prime qualities. Medium qualities not fully fat were difficult to sell. We had a large market; but not of the best qualities. Dairy Cows.—There was a good number brought into the market, and all sold at fair prices. Store Cattle.—There was a good show of store cattle of different sorts, which were mostly all sold about the same rates as have been ruling for some time hack. Veal Calves were in large supply, add sold well. Sheep Market.—We had a large market of fat sheep and lambs, which were mostly all sold. We consider them two or three shillings ahead less this week than last. Medium qualities brought from 21s to 25s a head. Some prime half-breds brought 34s each. Lambs brought 23s and 24s each.

Otahuhu Sale. —We had a large market at Otahuhu of store cattle and dairy cows. About one hundred head were sold. We consider prices about the same as the last month’s. Steers brought from £5 10s to £7 10s a head : heifers, from £5 to £6los a head; dairy cows, from £7 to £l2 10s each. A lot of store sheep, half fat, brought 22s each.

Horse Market. —We had a full market of horses on Saturlast, hut principally of an inferior class, both of draught and saddle horses. Prices were considerably down from last week’s rates, and sales difficult to effect; but still any horses that were really good sold at fair prices. Drury Sale.—We held our usual monthly sale at Drury this week. Thera was a fair sale of cattle and sheep. Merino ewes, wit h half-bred lambs, brought 32s 6d each. Store cattle gnd dairy cows ruled about the same as at Otahuhu.

The following rates have ruled during the week;—Pro-vincial-fattened cattle, prime, 40s the 1001 b; dairy cows, £lO to £ls; young store stock steers, £6 to £7 17s 6d; heifers, £5 to £8; sheep medium qualities, 22s 6d to 25 s; good half-breds, 33s to 34s sd; lambs, 23s to 24a. Horse market: Inferior draught horses, £ls to £25; good extra heavy, £25 to £4O; hacks, £8 to £2O, superior ditto, £2O to £25; light harness horses, £ls to £3O: maize, 6s 34 to 6s 64 a bushel: hay, £4 to £5 per ton.

ENGLAND. LONDON "WOOL EEPOET.— November 24.

The total number of bales catalogued is 52,000. The sales opened with a good attendance of buyers. The prices of good Sydney combing wool advanced 2d; medium, lid. Cape and all descriptions disposed of freely. New clip anxiously looked for and satisfactory sales, at increased prices, anticipated. A great scarcity of good combing wools were manifested. The total exports to the colonies as compared with the previous month show an increase to Victoria of £129,588: to Sydney, of £124,807; to Queensland, of £46,389; to Adelaide, of £79,619; to Tasmania, of £15,508; to New Zealand, of £97,823.