Stock and Station Report.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5612, 24 August 1889, Page 2

Stock and Station Report.

Mr. M. R. Miller has forwarded his sixteenth annual review of the progress of tho district. Aftor an introductory portion, the substanco of which wo gave a fortnight ago when publishing Mr. Miller's report to the Chamber of Commerce, tho report proceeds as follows:—

Station Properties.—There havo bean very few transactions during the past year, sales by mortgagees being tho chief feature. It may be asked how it is that so many are forced to sell pastoral properties which show such favorable progress in production. In the first place, many men, tempted by the low prico per acre of unimproved land, buy too much for their capital to improve from fern and grass land. Tho prospects are ho good that money is borrowed largely for this purpose, and the portion of improved hind has to bear tho interest of tho unimproved as well as its own, and when wool is low this cannot bo done. Interest accumulates, and banks and financial institutions, anxious to got their money back, oven to turn over again in tho same direction, force many unfortunately too plucky mcii to sell at the first signs of recovery, and tho new buyer comes in and reaps the benefit of- the first possessor's skill and capital. Prices for unimproved pastoral lands range from •Is Gd to 7s Gd per acre, partially improved 20s to 2fls ; lands more highly improved, of easy access. 40s to 60s ; exceptionally iiuli lands, up to .C(i per'acru. Small farm* within convenient diistane<» of market range from £8 to £26 per afire, tuMmling l» portion, fertility, and improvement*, Thaeoel of bringing fern binds under j-tom, including fencing, ranges from 13« 'id Ut «'»s.i y>t*r aero, according to the n.ittm; of the httid. I give these figures with authority, and may state that tbe average cost of improving land is about 20s per acre. Leasehold properties with up to 16 years to run are offend at 17s Od to 20s per head for all fihsep delivered with tho properties. Sheep. —Immediately from tho shears this pant season sheep were in large demand, and scarce, but some apprehension of drought for a short time caused a largo number to be offered, and prices became easier. However, plentiful rain fell, and sheep of any class were almost unattainable. The high price at Homo for frozen mutton had a good effect in steadying tho market. The aversgc for store crossbreds up to end of March ranged from 8s to 9s. Sixpence each per mouth for wool may be added as a rise in values since; 2 and otoolh owes averaged 9s to 10s Gd; fresh Btooth, 6s to 7s Gd ; full and broken, 4s 6d to 5s 6d : merino ewes, 2 and 4-tooth, 5s to 6s 6d ; and fresh S-tooth, 4s Od to 5s 6d ; wedders, same ages, 4s to ss.

Cattle.—These havo been very dull of sale, and in several instances extremely low prices havo been obtained, but the prospect is improving .owing to the considerable number frozen. Fat cattle are now scarce. Prices for fat have ranged from 10s to 16s per 1001b, with a decided upward tendency; stores, yearling steers 20s to 26s each ; 2-year-old, 33s Gd to 37s 6d; 3 to 4 year old, 66s to 70s. Female stock averaged 5s to 7s Gd under above quotations. Dairy co ( ws rauged from £3 10s to £7 according to quality. Horses. — Medium draught, unbroken, £10 to £15 ; broken, £15 (o £20; heavy do, £30 to £10 : light harness, £7 to £12 etch ; good weight-carrying hacks, £20 to £25 ; ordinary do, £7 to £10; light do, £3 to £G.

Wool Sales.—At our local auction sales •5056 bales have been sold this year, against 33-10 the previous year. Annual Statistics.—l have to acknowledge with thanks tho courtesy of heads of departments, the Collector of Customs, the Chief Inspector of Sheep, and others in furnishing returns. Acres. Total acreage of provincial district 2,950,000 Under occupation or partially so 2,000,000 Land broken up but not under crop .. .. .. .. 21,874 Land broken and under crop .. 41,980 | Land broken up and under grass 186,311 | Land surface shown with grass 809,127 | Total improved land .. 1,112,299 ! Sheopiu Hawkc's l Bay, Waipawa, j Patangata,and Wairoa Counties on May 31, 1888 .. .. 2,022,960 Increusobylambiti g, fi o m 1,119,052 ewes at say 77 per cent 861,069 Exports, Auckland 73,387, W ell i ngton 19.195, West Coast 80,303, Poverty Bay 18,100 .. 101,798 Frozen sheep and lambs exported 253,270 j Boiled down and [ preserved .. 10,587 Taken for local consumption .. 215,391 Mortality, say, 5 | percent. " .. 131,1-16 802,198 Net increase for the year .. 59,171 Total number of sheep iv the district on 31st May, 18S9 .. 2,682,42-1 Merinos, 593,811; long wool, 228,662; crossbred, 1,931,951 ; males 1,003,847, females 1,678,677. Other live stock, great cattle 8-1,706, horses 1-1,020, pigs 9900. Wool as Per Customs Returns Exported from Poiit of Napier to the I'hitkd Kingdom during the Year ending 30th June, 1889. Wool direct to Britaiu .. -19,616 bales Woolcoastwi.su to Wellington .. .. 4,415 bales Net wool exports to 30th

June, 1889.. 54,031 bales = 18,853,5261b = £731,000 Average weight per balo 188G-S7, 3581b; 1887-88, 3511b ; 1888-80, 3491b. Wool, as above 731,900 Sheepskins, 257 bales = 25,390 in numier .. .. .. 2,!)52 Pelts, 123(5 casks=-25,971 dozen 1-1,-150 Tailow, 1889, 3511 easks__= 27,3400wW£28,818 .. .. 28,818 Tallow, 1888, 164S easks= 12,020owtp=-£ll,llo. Increase, 1800 easks=ls,32oowt ,=£17,768. Sheep frozon, 250,701 carcasses, 5031 haunches, legs, fee, 8958qrs and pieces beef, 879 haunches beef, 808 boxes tongues 181,094 Preserved meats, 2970 cases, 157-1 cwt 4,487 Hides and calfskins, 10,279 iv number 9,022 Potatoes, 1921 tons .. .. 6,407 Hops, 3071cwt 2,081 Bones and bouedust, 381 tons.. 1,71S Soap, 2137cwt 1,430 Timber, 2,547,314 feet .. .. 10,292 Grain—Barley, 50,497 bushels 7,071 Oats, 320 bushels .. 40 Wheat, 11,695 bushels 2,231 Grass seed, 43,858 bushels .. 9,119 Piirs, 303 81<J Sheep, 191,204 exported to other provinces at average value 7s 00,923 1147 rams at £5 .. .. ~ 0,132 Sundries —Butter, honey, hay, chaff, &c, &o 7,610 Total value of exports for tho year ending 30th Juno, 1889,. £1,095,252 The undernoted tables of the acreages of each provincial district in New Zealand, and the number of sheep carried, with the amount of purely pastoral exports, and the proportion of this province for the year ending March 31st, 1889, will be of some interest. Acres. Sheep. Auckland .. 15,225,000 350,710 Poverty Bay .. 1,775,000 481,796 Taranaki .. 2,290,000 14,121 Wellington, Wangamii, &c. .. 7,000,000 2,237,430 Bawke's Bay .. 2,950,000 2,584,034 Marlborough .. 2,500,000 1,110,021 Nelson .7 . .. 7,000,000 155,807 Canterbury and Wettland .. 11,738,700 4,270,890 Otago und Southland .. .. 16,038,400 3.527.479 G0,577.,100 15,042, IDS The total exports from this colony amounted to £8,201,409, of which the pastoral products are —wool, £3,339,122 ;

meat, frozen, £666,556 ;* meat, presi-vvpd, £95,381; tallow, £142,428; sheepskins, hides, &0., £124,618; live stock, £0!,705 ; total, £4,122,810. Of this amount Hawke's Bay in 1888-89 contributed £1,095,252, being 7' B 5d per acre over the total provincial acreage, although as yet only about onehalf under grass. Population of provincial district 29,506, including Maoris. M. R. Miller, Stock and Station Agent.