DUNEDIN.

Southland Times, Issue 1529, 26 January 1872, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

Messrs Wright, Stephenson & Co. report for the week ending 20th January, as follows : —

Fat Cattle.— 33 head were yarded of good quality, and sold at from 17s 6i to 20s per lOOlbs. Fat Sheep. — None were yarded. 70 fat lambs brought from os 9d to 7s each. We sold privately 340 half-breds at 2d per lb. which we quote as their present value. Merinos are worth lfd. Store Sheep.— Almost every class are in demand, but not many are offering. We sold 2000 half-bred lambs at ss, and 150 half-bred ewes, 2, 4, and 6 -tooth, at 6s 6d. We quote half-breds, 5s 6d to 63 6d ; merino wethers, 4, 6, and 8-tooth, 4s to 4s 6d ; do ewes, 4s to 43 3d ; half-bred lambs, ss. Country Sales.— We held a sale of growing crops on account of Mr Wm. A. Todd, at East Taieri, on the . 19th inst. There was a good attendance of buyers, and bidding was spirited. Wheat brought £7 15s to £8 7s 6d per acre ; spring wheat, £5 to £5 10s ; oats, £4 10s to £5 12s 6d. . , .Horses. — Our market continues well supplied with light stock. On Saturday we sold, ex Wanganui, from Wellington, a shipment of 25 head, consisting principally of this description, at from £6 to £14. Five heavy horses brought from £18 to £32. We quote first-class draughts, £40 to £45 ; medium do, £2-5 to £30 ; good hacks and light harness horses, £15 to £20 ; light and inferior, £3 to £6. Grain. — Few good samples of wheat offering. Prime milling worth 5s to 58 3d ; inferior, difficult to quit, except as fowls' food. Oats, quiet. Muling samples are worth 2s 2d to 23 3d ; feed, 2s to 2a 2d. Barley— No sales to report.

Messrs Deiyee, Stewaet, and Co. report for the week ending 20th January, 1872, as follows :— Pat Cattle. — Only 27 head were yarded and sold ; they were of good fair quality, but the trade being pretty well supplied, brought but moderate prices. The paddocks continue to suffer for want of rain, and after the cattle at present ready for market are worked off, we expect to see an improvement in prices. We quote best quality at 20s. per lOOlbs. Fat Sheep. — 200 wethers and 120 lambs were penned, but only 100 of former were sold at 6s 6d to 7s 6d ; the lambs all sold at 5s 9d to 8s 6d. We expect a fair supply of sheep for next few weeks. We quote first-class half-breds at 2J per lb. ; do, merinos, at l£d do. Store Sheep. — Although we feel certain that a sufficient number will be offered at fair values to meet the demand which exists, the views of buyers and sellers have not been sufficiently tested to establish definite prices. At present we quote as follows : — Merino wethers, 4s to 4s 6d ; do, cross-breds, 5s 6d to 6s ; merino lambs, 7s to 7s 6d per pair ; cross-bred do, 9s to 10s per pair ; merino ewes, 4 and 6-tooth, 43. Store Cattle.— We hear of but few enquiries, and no transactions to report. Station Property. — There is a marked improvement in the desire to invest in good properties. Wool. — The sale on Wednesday was fairly attended by buyers and others interested, and competition, if anything, more spirited than usual. The catalogue comprised 600 bales — chiefly small lots, but well grown and in excellent condition — all of which were disposed of at prices from jd to f d in advance of late rates for light conditioned greasy and well got up washed fleece. Inferior descriptions, however, did not exhibit any appreciable improvement. Any parcels of the former, suitable for shipment, now being placed on the market will command very full rates. • Another public sale was also held, at which about a like quantity was sold. We give the following as present market values : — lnferior greasy fleece, 9d to 10£ d ; medium do, lid to 12d ; superior do, 12£ dto 14d ; very choice light conditioned do, up to 15d ; cross-br ed greasy fleece, llf d to 15£ d ; medium cold water washed flsece, 18£ dto 19£ d ; superior do, 20d to 21^d ; cross-bred do, up to 21 fd. Our advices from Canterbury notice the purchase of a considerable quantity of wool in that market on American account. About 400 bales have been despatched from Lyttelton per out-going mail steamer, and 425 bales from thi3 port, the greater portion of the latter being on account of the Mission and Pacific Woollen Mills, San Francisco.

Sheepskins continue in excellent demand. At auction we placed about 600 skins at from 7£d to 9± d per lb.