DUNEDIN.

Southland Times, Issue 1572, 3 May 1872, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

Messrs Drives, Stewart, and Co. report for the week ending 27th April : — Fat Cattle. — About 30 head of medium quality, light weights, were yarded, but the trade being well supplied, only 30 head were sold, at from £4 15a to £7 17s 6d. We quote really prime ' quality at 20s ; medium do at 16s to 17s 6d per lOOlbs. The continuance of fine weather has enabled cattle to bold condition longer than . usual, Trat jwe. now notice a marked indication of - f»lHiig off m quality," ami We anticipate that ere long prime, beef will be in better demand. Besides "severaT small lota, we hare to report the sale of 220 head, for delivery on station, at £6 each. Fat Sheep. — Only 275 were penned — halt eweß and wethers — of ordinary quality, which we eold at 5s to ss* 3d for former, and 7s 3d to 8s for latter. The demand for good quality continues good, and we have sold 1500 merinoes for forward delivery at 2id to 2f d ; cross-breds are saleable at id advance on these rates ; of those we have sold 300 at 9s, delivered on station. Store Cattle. — There is a fair demand for quiet steers, for winter feeding, at £3 to £3 10s , mixed lots are neglected. We hare sold, in various lots, about 120 head, at from 25s to 70s each. Store Sheep. — We have never experienced so great a demand for every class of sheep, with so . few transactions resulting, most holders being fully determined to hold rather than accept prices offered by buyers. A large proportion of our sheep country is now fully stocked for our ordinary seasons ; but if we should have a severe we fear large losses will be reported from some districts, attended by a deterioration in the value of wool. We have sold 750 cross-bred lambs, at 6s; 1000 mixed ewes, at ss; 1000 . full-mouthed do, at 3s 3d; 1000 do in lamb, at 4s. Wool — No public sales haye been held, and the business done privately during the week has been limited to the sale of about 100 bales, at from Bid to 11 Jd for greasy, and 16d to 18d for washed fleece. Light-conditioned greasy parcels, suitable for shipment, continue in good request, and for such very full prices are obtainable. For heavy descriptions the demand is scarcely so active, owing to the break in the weather, which seriously retards and entails considerable additional expense upon scourer's operations. We purpose offering about 120 bales by auction on Wednesday, Ist prox. New Zealand Hemp. — The very favorable nature of the advices by hist mail from England has induced' considerable enquiry for this fibre, and several parcels have changed hands during the week at an advance on late quotations of from 35s to 40s per ton. We have placed ASB, 20 bales, at £21 to £22 per ton. The quantity offering is very limited. Grain;— Wheat continues in good demand, and first-class samples sell readily at 4s 9d to 5s per bushel. Oata are in fair request. Milling, worth 2s to 2s 2d ; feed, Is lOd to 2s per bushel. Malting barley scarce and wanted. Prime well filled grain is worth 5s to 5s 3d per bushel.