STOCK REPORT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 237, 15 August 1872, Page 8

STOCK REPORT.

Messrs. Weight, Stephewson", and Co. report, for the week ending 10th August, as follows : —

Fat Cattle,— -The number yarded was scarcely equal to the demand, being only 42 head of good quality, which we sold at from £7 to £9 5s for bullocks, and £5 10s to £7 5s for cows. We also sold privately 40 head at £6 10s, equal to 20s per 1001 b. We quota prime quality 22s 6d per 1001 b; middling do, 18s.

Fat Sheep. — There was again a scarce market. 240 wethers of medium quality were penned, which we sold at 14s 6d per head. We also sold privately, for delivery end of August, 500 at 4d per lb. We quote prime quality 3^d to 3f d per lb. Store Cattle. — Well-grown cattle are in fairrequest. We anticipate that as spring advances a good many will be required for paddock fattening. We quote steers, 2h to 4 years, £3 ss ; mixed cattle, £2 2s to £2 10s per head.

Store Sheep. — We have enquiries for store wethers, but holders manifest little inclination to sell. We sold 80 Leicester ewes in lamb at £3 each. We quote merino wether 8s to 9s.

Country Sales. —We held our monthly sales at Mosgiel on Tuesday, 6th instant, at which only a moderate amount of stock was offered. We sold 20 head fat cattle at from £4 to £5 ss, and 30 head mixed cattle, 30s to £3 ss.

Horses. — The demand for heavy draught colts and horses adapted for coaching purposes is well maintained. At our yards to-day we sold ex Albion, from Melbourne, on account of Mr. Isaac Gidney, 9 heavy draught colts at from £34 to £49. We quote firstclass draughts, £45 lo £54 ; medium do, £25 to £35 ; good hacks and light harness horses, £18 to £25 ; medium do, £10 to £12 j light and inferior, £a to £6.

A Parliamentary return has just been issued about absenteeism. It appears that less than 20,000 persons own the soil of Ireland, of whom 5982 own less than 100 acres. These, of course, are resident, and so are 5589 more, owning an average of 1600 acres apiece, while only 1443, owning altogether 3,145,514 acres, or a seventh of the soil, are usually resident outside the island. A considerable number — 4465 — reside away from their properties, but still in Ireland, and the remaining few are occasional visitors.

"In 1596 the Dutch explorers in Nova Zemble constructed a small wooden hut. Captain Carslen, in a fishing expedition beween the 9th of September and the 4th of, November last, made the tour of Nova Zembla, during which he discovered this house fallen to ruins and completely covered with ice. In it hie found 150 objects of interest ; amongst others books which, after nearly 300 years, are in a good state of preservation. The collection is to be placed ' ih the museum of Amsterdam. — " Athen. »üm."