INVERCARGILL HORSE, CATTLE, AND SHEEP MARKET.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 82, 18 August 1863, Page 2

INVERCARGILL HORSE, CATTLE, AND SHEEP MARKET.

Mkssks. Robkktsox and Co. report — We ieel convinced our friends will place confidence in our assertion that ifc is with extreme regret we again find ourselves compelled to report most unfavorably of this market, and we aloo ask them to give us credit for being equally sorry that we are constrained to allude to other reports in terms of reprobation. Still wu-e a system that has lately found its way into this market allowed to pass without comment, it might bo imagined we endorsed that which we feel called upon to protest against, as most improper, and likely to lead, if not checked, to serious loss to all who place reliance in statements plausibly put forth, but which can have but one effect »f believed, namely, thut of entailing injury upon the too credulous person wbo may act upon the advice therein contained. Tor the past three months our advice to all our friends, and through the medium of the press to thejpublic'at large, has been, " do not 6cud any-

/■ '"• " '•■-■' ■' ■ ■• '■'■■tot>-- , ■•• i thing to this ninrket fort? some time ; whereas j others have quoted sales',, fit such prices as would lend dealers- and shippers to calculate that. large ■] profits must bo realised here upon ''.any stock. And what has been the consequence? Why those who placed confidence in bur judgment have refrained from sending; and those who have believed . tn« quotations of other* have shipped largely, to find by bitter experience of account sales that "nil is not gold tint glitters," and that LllotoL'2) are, as far as they are concerned, fables , and to their cost most expensive little pieces of pleasantry. However, wo will refrain from further pursuing this subject, as we feel convinced that it is an evil that must in the end, (and tbu worse the evil is the sooner the end must como) work its own cure, and would now bespeak attention to a few remarks we feel called upon to impress upon our friends as to the present state of our market, after which we will glance at what we consider muy be fairly looked upon as the earliest, period at. which an improvement; may be calculated upon with any degree of certainty. In tlic first place we havo not the slightest hesitation in stating that bad as our trade was J when wo published our report for the month of July, since that period every day has added to the depression then existing, and it has been with the greatest difficulty that, any business at all has been" transacted for the last ten rlavs or a fortnight. This is fairly attributable to the following causes. — In the first pla-.e. the stores in the Lake district were thoroughly filled even to repletion some two months or more back, and, even hud not many left there, the supply would have fully equalled the demand until the opening of the spring. Secondly, the state of the roads has tor an eqiul period been such as to render it almost an act of madness to attempt to convey any goods out of the town. Thirdly, the immigration so iully calculated upon by many has during that peri"d scarcely exceeded the exodus ; and lastly, and certainly not the least, the stocks in Invercargill itself have been, and in fact now are. so out of nil proportion to the wants of the district, that trade bus fallen away, as we have before state. l. It would be a work of useless repetition for us to adduce any arguments to show that tho can >ps we have pointed out above have hnd a depressing eftVct upon the horse market, but we will inerelv observe that we have felt that depression to the fullest extent, and we fear that at. least another sis weeks must pas? before any mnrked improvement can be hoped for. In such a state of things, what must necessarily result from shipping previous to that ? We feel confident lieaw loss. The reason is obvious. The whole face' of the country within an easy distance of Invercargill is more or less swampy, and the total absence of all natural or artificial gra<ses during the winter months renders it nearly certain starvation to attempt to keop mobs within any easy distance, while if sent to a greater the exI peiise becomes so heavy that should good prices be ! ultimately obtained, any profit would be entirely absorbed. In our July report, we particularly advisor! our friends not to ship a single head to this market for ■ some time to come, stating, at the same time, that we were convinced no change for the better could be hoped for-previous to the end of September. To this opinion we strongly adhere, and we emphatically state it to be our settled conviction that the period named above is the very earliest at which we may reasonably hope to see any improve- | ment. In annexing our quotations of sales for the I month, we think it only right, in the face of our advice as above, to say that, at this moment, there i are not many good horses in the market ; but neither is there any demand, and a single shipment of any one class would be almost certain to remain on hand a very long time, therefore, even where we quot> horses as scarce, it can only bo taken to mean fey ottering, but by no means to intimate a good sale. We advise having sold, during the month, as follows, viz : — Superior heavy draught horses (very few now in market) ... £80 to £00 Goodsecond-elassdraught horsos (scarce) £50 to £05 Light harness .. £25 to £35 Superior hacks — good weight carriers (very scarce) . . . . £30 to £40 Inferior bucks and unbrokun colts (price nominal)... ... £15 to £25 Working Bullocks. — The market continues overstocked, and thero is the greatest difficulty in realising upon nay but the very first, class. These, however, might be cleared at about £fi>) per pair. During the month we have had a large number offering, but none of more than average quality, and our prices havo ranged from L-18 to L 52 10s for ordinary, to L 55 lor the better description, There is not the slightest use in sending poor, second-class cattle to contend against such roads as we havo, and arc likely to havo for some time to come.

Cattle. — We may fairly state that this is an exception to the rule, as there has been, and still continues to be, a great and increasing demand for all eliissc*. unless too thin, and good prices are easily realised. We quote store cuttle nfc L\& t<> Lls, and milch cows from Llt> to L2O, with good demand.

Fat Cattle. — There are none, nor have there been during the month; we quote 70s to 75s per K'lOlbs.

Sheep (tat) are worth 37s to 48s, according to weight ; store, nono offering. Station Property. — Many enquiries; nono good in the market.