COMMERCIAL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5024, 1 May 1877, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

The Customs dalles received at this part yesterday were m under;—. Spirits .. £65 6 3 I Ad valorem ;. 29 10 2 Tobacco .. 61 7 6 Tea .. .. 21 15 0 • Sugar... .. 140,10 II |. Total £274 S 10 BY TELEGRAPH. AUCKLAND SHAKE MARKET, (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ... . AUCKLAND, Monday. Buyers; National Bank, £3 8s ; Colonial Bank, £l-108.64; South British Insurance, £4; National Insurance, £1 10a; Standard Insurance, 14s <Jd ; New Zealand Insurance, £4 18s; Caledonian," £2 10s; Moanatairi, £lO 12s Gd ; WaitekaurU ICs 6d; Queen May, £1 2s Gd; Tokatea. 6s Gd ; Queen of Beauty, • £1 ; Thames Gold Mining Company, £2 ; Queen, Bs. Sellers: Caledonian, £3 ; Moanatairi, £lO 17s 6d ; Waitekauri, 17s 6d; Albumin; £1 19s; Queen of Beauty, £l, 2s; Kumnui, £l7s ; Piako, 10s; Queen, 3s. Sales :'New Zealand Insurance, £5 ; New Zealand Loan and Mercantile, £5 9s; Red Queen, 3s ; Caledonian, £2 10s ; Moanatairi, £lO 7s Cd, £ll, £lolss ; Cure, 7s ; Albumia, £2. £118s; Queen May, £l, 2s 3d ; Beach, £llos ; Tokatea, Cs Gd; Queen of Beauty, £1; Kurunul, £1 Gs; I’iako, 10s ; Thames Gold Mining Company, £2 2s. J ’ , STOCK AND . STATION REPORT. The following is Mr., M, B. Miller’s Hawke's Bay stock and station report for the'year ending April, 1877 , We have had a very favorable season for seed, and the demand for stock of every description during the year has been in excess of the supply,’consequent on. cur carrying capabilities—from new country being broken in, and large additional surface-sowing—-having Increased in a greater ratio than.the natural increase of our stock; besides which we have had a large demand on our stock for Poverty. Bay and East Coast, arising from the same good cause : our settlers have thereby been enabled to cull: their.docks again pretty freely; and from this and the higher class of rams now used, the clip from this district must yearly, realise higher values. It is satisfactory to report'that both In merino and long wool brokers report that the improvement Is marked as to quality, and the weight of clip has increased considerably ; indeed the average weight this year per fleece maintains the character obtained the previous two seasons, of being the highest in the Australasian Colonies; this Is most encouraging to those settlers who have spared neither capital nor energy in improving both their flocks and their lands. There are still amongst us owners who have the opportunity, in comparatively unimproved thousands of acres, of following an example, the good results of ■which are so patent—who could make country now carrying very limited flocks to carry, by surface-sow-ing, which our lands take so readily, within-a few years, from three to four sheep per acre. The additional land surface-sown this*year amounts, as per Superintendent Collector's returns, to 58,268 acres. Wool and tallow pay here so much better and take so much less trouble In raising, compared with cereals and root crops, that we have only 3161 acres cropped ; but the very considerable addition of 11,115 acres has been broken up for cropping of the ensuing year. Our lambing for the past season has been g00d—390,900 from 508,390 ewes, giving fully an average of 77 per cent.; and the nett increase of the provincial district, after deducting numbers exported, boiled down, home consumption, and mortality (the latter a shade under B per cent, average over the whole province), leaves a nett addition to our local flocks of 212,220 sheep, equal to 18| per cent, general increase—a most favorable result after supplying demands forotherdlstricts, boiling-down, consumption, and mortality, amounting over the twelve months to 279,680. Our perfect freedom from scab or any other disease will continue to make this the most desirable market to draw stock supplies from. In cattle there Is but a small increase to our total number; ourlocal consumpf’on is getting considerable, considering the small herds in the province: this description of stock Is much In demand for Improving country—so much so that the prices of store cattle are much higher than those of fat stock. The present month’s quotations are for — Cattle.— Fat, 22« Gd to 25s per lOOlbs. Stores, mixed ages and sexes, £4 5s to £4 IBs; steers, for individual ages, 1,2, 3, and 4 years respectively, £3, £5, £6 6s, and £7 B; female stock same ages range from £2 10s to £6 10s; dairy cows, £8 to £l2. Sheep. —Fat merino—weuders, prime, Cs 6dto7s, demand limited. Store do.—Aged, 4s; G and 8-tooth, B» to Bs Gd. Crossbred weddors—Fat, 10s Gd to 13s, according to weight; stores, the market bare; 2,4, and 6-tooth hare been largely sold at from 8s Gd to Os Cd. In ewes—Merino, scarce, 2,4, and 0-tooth, fls Gd to 10s 6d; sound 8-tooth, 5s to 6s; culls, nominal: cross-bred ewes, 2 and 4-tooth, 10s to lls; 6 and 8-tooth. 8s to 9s. At these rates large sales have been effected. Rams—Operations in these may be said to be completed for the reason, though I am advised of

a small shipment by Mr. Joseph May, of Auckland, to Messrs. Kleh and Shrimpton. , In longwool jams our importations during the year have been of the highest class from England-fortunately ample before the prohibition of importation of stock now In force; we have also had selections from the best breeders of other provinces-Mr. May and Messrs. Jackson and Russell, of Auckland: Messrs. Sutton, of Southland, and Mr. Threlkeld, of Canterbury. In merino rams we have had importations from the flocks of J. L. Currie Thos. Dowling, and Sir Samuel Wilson, .of. Victoria: A. Murray, of South Australia: Stndholm Bros., of Canterbury; and F. D. Rich, of Otago. Our local breeders, Mr. Hugh Campbell, of Poukawa, and the stud flock of the late Sir Donald McLean, have also been largely and satisfactorily drawn upon. Horse Stock.— I There is but a small amount of business altogether done in thk description of stock, and our market very limited; medium draughts may be quoted at £3O to £35, and heavy draughts. £SO to £6O ; serviceable hacks from £ls to £25; weedy, light do, of which there is abundant supply, offered at nominal prices. Station Properties. —A -great deal of attention lias been turned to our station properties here, from the satisfactory results to investors, but from the critical state, of matters at Home, buyers have been lately more than cautions, and I have less business to report as being completed during the past yearthan during the years preceding, but enquiries continue numerous not only from the Australian colonies ana the Middle Island, but also from England and America, and this hitherto comparatively overlooked fine basin of country—so much of it only growing a waste of rich fern, from the bulk of It being held in too extensive areas for the "individual owners to develope speedily, this requiring not only capital but competent overseeing—will, there is no doubt, with the aid of more capital and labor, become oneof, if not the most largely remunerative provinces in the colonies. Land may still be obtained from the Crown here from 10s to 40s per acre, though the extent is now limited, and that somewhat distant from market. Prices of partially improved land in largo runs average from 30s to 60s per acre ; good land, easy access, £7 to £XU per acre; the richest alluvial plains, highly improved and productive, from £ls to £26 per acre, . according to locality and returns of annual yield, mahy gmng an average of £6 t# £7 for wool and tallow per acre. For information of those who only receive my annual circular, I again quote sales of properties since last October:—Mr. Balfour’s Mohaka run, 376 acres freehold and 9740 acres leasehold (rent to Crown £ll annually for 8 years), with£oo sheep given in, to Mr. W. Smith, for £I7OO (this run capable at presept of carrying 3000 sheep). Mr. John McKinnon's Arapawanui leasehold of 5000 acres, 16 miles from Napier, on the seaboard, rent £4O, with 2000 sheep, to Mr E. Towgood, for £2500. 400 acres Mr. Todds Homewood land 3 miles from Kaikora railway station, to Capt. Howard, at £7 per acre. McHardy’s estate, about 9 miles from Napier, the improved homestead block, 856 acres, to Mr. A. Grant, for £15,470 (this estate now capable of carrying a minimum of -7. sheep to the acre). The lower block of same estate, 013 acres, to Mr. G. Peacock, for £6700, making an average for the whole estate of £lslos per acre. I have also sold the Tutira Lake station, a leasehold of 20,500 acres, rent £l5O, 17 years of lease unexpired, with 4000 sheep, to Messrs. Stuart and Merritt, for £4OOO, and in small blocks of 242 acres on Puketirtiri (land reserved for settlement) for;£3ss/. There are also several properties in negotwetion. Wool.— There is little fresh information from Home respecting the wool market. The latest advices by letter indicate a very sensitive condition of the trade, and the last telegrams state “ Wool inactive.” We will have to wait patiently for the opening of the May sales, and only hope that present value may be maintained if not improved upon. In this market about 3000 bales have been sold at very satisfactory prices :—First-class greasy, from lOd to lid ; medium, Bid to:9.Jd ; inferior, 7d to 8d ; good clean pieces, 6d to Sd ; good clean locks, 3d to 4d ; washed first-class, 15d to 16d : do medium, 12d to 14d ; do inferior, lid : good pieces, Od to lid ; do locks, 5d to 6d • scoured merino, lOd to 18d ; do medium, 13d to 15d ; do pieces, lOd to lid ; do locks, 7d. The prices quoted are mostly foi cross bred wool, which is the bulk of the produce of this district* Latterly prices have weakened in sympathy with Horae account ; but those who sold here have good cause to be satisfied with the result. There appears to be a good prospect of an Increasing business being done op this side, as buyers have operated with J considerable spirit, and where satisfactory prices are to be had, It would seem wise to take a certainty here rather than run the risk of a fluctuating market in Wool shipped from'SOth April, 1876, to 30th April, Hawke’s Bay to Britain .. 11,140 bales=£222,Boo Coastwise to Wellington, &c. .9,678 bales= 191,660 Coast stations direct to Wellington .. •• ... 1,980 bales— 38,370

23,098 ba1e5=£452,730 Tallow, direct .. ’ .. • l,l9Ccasks= 12,600 ~ coastwise .. .. 1,050 casks— 8,879 Sheepskins, direct .. .. .. •• . 2,682 ~ coastwise.." ... •• 1,140 Hides, direct .. "

£478,561 (Wool in transitu, ordn store not included in above.) The wool shipped gives an average for the number of sheep shorn, 1,172,668 (after deducting: allowance for lambs shorn not included in returns) of 6lb 4oz per sheep. Large as this seems over a whole province, it is certainly within the mark, one settler alone from 17,000 sheep, longwool and crossbreds, having- an average of 9llb ovet the whole number. Mr. Peacock estimates that three-fifths of our flocks are longwools and crossbreds, the remaining two-fifths Merino. The mortality from death, docs not quite reach 5 per cent, per annum.