INVERCARGILL HORSE, CATTLE, AND SHEEP MARKET.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 73, 17 July 1863, Page 2

INVERCARGILL HORSE, CATTLE, AND SHEEP MARKET.

Mfsshb. Robehtson and Co. report — Tho continued unpropitious state of the weather since the last mail has entirely closed every channel for business, and we have experienced a degree of dulness that but few who only witnessed the previous brisk state of trade in Invercargill, were at all prepared for. From one trade to another this 6tate of inaction has been gradually getting mote marked, and we do not think we are at all over-estimating matters when we state that at tho present time unleps (to use a homely expression) from hand to mouth, any good a can be sold. The demand from the Lake district ha 3in no wayincrea'ed, and we fear there is very little prospect of any improvement until the spring trade opens out, and the miners are again able to get into full work. These causes have combined to produce a very low rate of cartage, and the whole have caused great stagnation in the horse market. We refer our correspondents to the advice we have given them in our last report, by which they will see that we deprecated a practice now unfortunately too common, of quoting exceptional prices in circulars as those ranging generalljt This mode of drawing particular attention to our market has already begun to make itself seriously felt by the great dissatisfaction expressed by owners, who, upon receipt of account sales, find that L 75 and LBO are the utmost limits to be obtained for that which they have been led, by the fictitious quotations above alluded to, would realise from LI 10 to Ll2O. We still, therefore, caution our friends not to give credit to any such quotations, except as exceptional 6ales, where, perhaps, a single horse, if far beyond the standard, may have changed hands at a price which should no more guide the trade than the quotation of LSO or LIOO paid for a single ram should be taken to regulate the price of a whole flock of sheep. We would particularly direct the attention of our friends to the following advice, which we are convinced will be found the best for their interest, viz., not to ship a single head to this market Jor some time to come, as we are certain that much lower prices will now range, at least until the end of September. This conclusion wo have arrived at from the gradual decrease in. the demand, which has made itself felt for the last ten days, and which, in our opinion, — and wo have arrived at that after mature consideration — will become gradually more severely felt until the opening of the spring trade. However, we are certain that our advice should be acted upon until a change takes place, and we have no hesitation in asserting that at the earliest a change for the better will not be felfc, unless under very exceptional circumstances, until the period we have named above— in the latter end of September. During the term that has elapsed since our last monthly report, by far the greater portion of the sales we have to advise have been effected privately, but those few of good quality that have passed under the hammer during tho first fortnight have been readily quitted, but lately there has been considerable difficulty in obtaining quotations. Wo advise sales as follows, viz. :— Very superior heavy draught horses, demand felling off £80 to £90 Good second class draught horses £55 to £70 Light harness hones . . £25 to £35 Superior hacks . . . . £30 to £40 Good weight carriers— scarce Inferior weight carriers and unbroken colts, no demand, price nominal . . £15 to £25

■"Working Bullocks.— The market nt present is overdone, lieally good ones are worth from Lsp to LGS per pair. Ie is bo use shipping a lot of poor half-starved cattle, as the market is full. We sold six pahs of really j:ood bullocks, at L62 10s per pair, and they must be very superior to realise bighor prices. Cattle.— A good mixed lot of store cattle would realise from Ll2 to Ll3 10s per head, according to qualify. Quiet milch cows, used to bail, would realise good prices — say from iil6 to L2O. Fat Cattle— Scarce, worth from ; 65s to 70s per lOOlbs. Sheep. — Fat ones ore worth from 35a to 455, according to weight. Store Sheep — none offering 1 at present. Acclimatise d Ewes, worth 32s per head. Station Property. — Several inquiries, but little or none really good in the market.