STOCK REPORTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1159, 5 November 1869, Page 2

STOCK REPORTS.

Messrs Driver, M'Lean and Co. report : — There is but little, if any, alteration to note in the state of the stock market aince the issue of our last report. Fat cattle and sbeep hare been brought forward regularly in numbers equal to the demand, and of superior quality, prices remaining steady at our quotations. Store sheep are enquired for, but shearing being so near at hand, holders do not care to disturb their flocks, and evince no desire to meet the views of buyers in t lie matter of price. There is still but little enquiry for store cattle. Our quotations are as foUo-wa : — Beef, prime quality, 30s per lOOlbs in town. Mutton, prime quality, 3d per lb. Store sheep — nominal — eweß, 2, 4, and 6 tooth, about 8s each ; wethers, 4, 6, and 8 tooth, about 7s each ;" weaners, equal sexe*, about lls per pair. Store cattle, mixed mobs, £4 10s to £4 15s; bullocks, 2 to 4 years old, £5 to £6. Horses. — Importations have been limited, and the mnrket is bare of horaes of good stamp. We look for an increased demand for waggon horses and coaehers during November. Our' present quotations are: — Heavy draught horses, £45 to £50; medium do do, £30 to £40; first-class liatrks and light harness horses, £20 to £25 ; inferior to medium, £7 to £15. Sta'ions. — The only transaction in station prope tv that has come under our notice, is that of the Ben Lomond Run near Oamaru, consisting of 30.00'" acres leasehold, 5200 acres freehold, with 22,000 sheep, improvements given in, sold at £24,500, to Robert Campbell, Esq. Enquiries begin to come in chiefly for good fattening country, and we are inclined to believe such will be sa'esib'e at fair value after shearing. The operations of the meat preseving companies about to be commenced will tend greatly towards steadying the market for both stations and stock, and avoiding the extremes of depression and unsaleability to which both have lately, been subject. Wool. —Beyond the shipment, of a few hundred bales of fellmongers' sorts via" Melbourne, nothing has been done in this staple during the month. Active preparations are, however, being made for shearing, which will commence early next month. Our first sale of the season will be held about Ist December. A s the result of the unfavorable reports from the London wool brokers, and of the correspondence which has lately appeared in the colonial papers on the subject of hot water washing, con* siderable doubt exists in the minds of many as to the proper course to be adopted during the coming season — whether to revert to the old of shipping in the grease, to wash in cold water, or to persevere with the hot water process. Extreme opinions are held and propagated by the supporters of each system, and it behoves the grower, before committing himself to either, to weigh well the advantages and disadvantages of each with reference to his particular circumstances. Referring to the correspondence above mentioned, it appears to us that in most cases the writers have failed to discriminate between the theory or principle of the hob-water system and the practice, as carried out — and that very imperfectly — in this province last season. Considering that on many stations the spout or battery apparata were hurriedly erected, the water races new, and the supply occasionally insufficient, the paddock accomodation inadequate, and — most important of all — that experience was wanting, it is matter for wonder that the results have not been less favorable. The prices realised for a few New Zealand clips — noticeably for the " Waimea Plains" brand, averaging 22£ d per lb. for 120 bales — evidence what can be done when care, experience, and the requisite appliances are brought to bear. Our advices from Melbourne report the opening of the wool season there, with a large attendonce, and'spiriteJ competition, buyers evincing a general feeling of greater confidence in the maintenance of late rates in the home market. Sheepskins continue in fair demand, at 3s to 3s 3d. Hides. — Very few available for export, the demand for local tanneries being fully equal to the iupply. 1 allow, we quote at £34, for best mutton, to £32, for fair to good beef, per ton. Messrs Wrigbt, Stephenson, and Co. report : — Fat Cattle : The market has been well supplied, principally with very pood quality. Our sales have comprised several small lots, which we disposed of at 30s per lOOlbs, which is present market price for prime beef ; middling, 255. Fat Sbeep : A full supply, middling quality, came forward. Our sales have been as follows — 2000 prime, delivered in town, at 3d per lb ; 700 middling realised at auction from 8s to X'" cacti, and 300 shorn iialf-breds, delivered in town, at 2»d per lb. Best mutton is worth 3d per lb ; inferior, little over store prices. Fht lambs we have sold at from 7s to 7s 6d each, j Store Cattle : There is a considerable reduction in the value of this class of stock, in consequence of the large ruimher forced into the market through scarcity of gra«s. There is, however, a demand for good two and three year old steers for paddock fattening. Other 'lescriptions are not much sought after*. <Our quotations are — Bullocks, three years and upwards, £5 to £6 ; mixed mob», £i to £4 !<)■» Store Sheep

—Very; few. transactions have taken place, partly Qwinj».ttftbe near approach of shearing. There are enquiries for store wethers and mixed hoggets. We quote four, six, and eight-tooth wetfcers, 6s 6d ttf 7s each \ mixed hoggets, 10a 6d to lls per pair, at which rates we have made sales. Country sales. — At Mr T. Lees, Tuapeka, dairy .cows brought from £6 to £11 ; mixed storea, £4 to £5 ; steers and heifers, . 6 to r ,lB months^old,- £2 to £2 10s ; light : unbroken coltsand fillies, 3E5 10s to £9 10s ; hacks, £10 to £17.— At Otakiaand Waikouaiti, bullocks, 2 years and upwards, £4 7s 6d to £4 15s ; mixed, from 6 months to 2 years, £2 10s to £3 5s : dairy cows with calves or springing, £5 10s to £10.— At Maungatua. 3 years old steers, £5 10s each ; 2do do do, £4 ; 2do do heifers, £3 7s 6d ; steers and beifers, from 6 to 15 months, £2 6s ; quiet "COWa, ' £s~to 3811. — At'- like Waipori, 140 head cattle realised as follows : 3 years old bullocks, £6 : 2 years, £4 to £4 10s ; yearlings, £2 5s to £3 ; dairy cows, £4 10s to £9 10s, according to quality. Horses— The demand for all descriptions is limited ; a few young draught mares and geldings and useful upstanding hacks coming to hand would meet a ready sale at the following quotations :— Heavy ! draught, £45 to £50 ; medium, £25 to £35 ; iai feriof, £15 to. £20 ; first-class hacks and light harness horses, £26 to £35 ; useful, £15 to £22 ; inferior, £8 to £12. The only arrival during the month is a small lot of hacks from Christchurch, which we sell to-day.