HAWKE'S BAY STOCK AND STATION REPORT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XX, Issue 3901, 28 April 1877, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY STOCK AND STATION REPORT.

For the Year Ending April, 1577. We have had a very favorable season for feed, and the demand for stock of every description during the year has been in excess of the supply, consequent on our carrying capabilities — from new country being broken in, and large additional surface-sowing — having increased in a greater ratio than the natural increase of our stock ; besides which we have had a large demand on our stock for Poverty Bay and East Coast, arising from the same good cause ; our settlers have thereby been enabled to cull their flocks again pretty freely ; and from this and the higher class of rams now used, the clip from this district must yearly realise higher values. It is satisfactory to report that both in merino and longwool, brokers report that the improvement is marked as to quality, and the weight of clip has increased considerably ; indeed the average weight this year per fleece maintains the character obtained the previous two seasons of being the highest in the Australasian Colonies ; this is most encouraging to those settlers who have spared neither capital nor energy in improving both their flocks and their lands. There are still amongst us owners who have the opportunity, in comparatively unimproved thousands of acres, of following an example, the good results of which are so patent — who could .make country now carrying very limited flocks to carry, by surface-sowi2i;r, which our lands take so readily, within a" few years, from three to four sheep per acre. The additional land surface-sown this year amounts, as per superintendent collector's returns, t>< 58,268 acres. Wool and tallow pay here so much better and take so much less trouble in raising, compared with cereals and root crops, that we have only 3101 acres cropped. But the very considerable addition of 11,115 acres has been broken up for cropping of the ensuing year. Our lambing for the past season has been g00d— 390,900 from 505.390 ewes, giving fully an average of 77 per cent. ; and the net increase of the provincial district, after deducting numbers exported, boiled down, home consumption, and mortality (the latter a shade under 5 per cent, average over the whole province), leaves a a net addition to our total flocks of 21 "2, 220 sheep, equal to 185 per cent, general-increase — a most favorable result after supplying demands for other districts, boiling-down, consumption, and mortality, amounting over the twelve months to 279,080. Our perfect ! freedom from scab or any other disease will | continue to make this the most desirable market to draw stock sujmlies from. In cattle there is but a small increase to our total number ; our local consumption is getting considerable, considering the small herds in the province. This description of stock is I much in demand for improving country — so much so that the prices of store cattle are much higher relatively than those of fat stock. The present month's quotations are for: — Cattle : Fat, 22s 6d to 2os per 1001 b. Stores, mixed ages and sexes, £4 5s to £4 15s; steers, for individual ages, 1, 2, 3, and 4 years respectively, £3, £5, £G ss, and £7 5s ; female stock, same ages, range from £2 10s to £6 10s each; dairy cows, £8 to £12 each. •Sheep.— Fat merino : wedders, prime, Gs Gd to 7s, demand Junited ; store do., aged, 4s ; G and 8-tooth/^s to 5s Gd. Cross-bred wedders— fat, 10s Gd to 13s, according to weight ; stores, the market bare ; 2, i, and C-tooth, have been largely sold, at from 8s Gd to 9s Gd. In. ewes— merino, scarce, 2, 4, and G-tooth, 9s 6d to 10s Gd, sound 8-tooth, 5s to 6s ; culls, nominal ; cross-bred ewes 2 and 4-tooth, 10s to 11s Oil, Gaud 8-tooth, Ssto 9s. At these rates large sales have been effected' Earns— operations in these may be said to be completed for the season, though I am advised of a small shipment of Mr Joseph May, of Auckland, to Messrs Rich and Shrmtpton. In longwool rams our importations during the year have been of the highest class from England— fortunately ample before the prohibition of importation of stock now in force. We have also had selections from the best breeders of other provinces— Mr May and Messrs Jackson and .Russell of Auckland ; Messrs Sutton of Southland, and Mr Threlkeld of Canterbury In mermo rams we have had importations from the flocks of J. L. Currie, Thomas Dowhng, and Sir Samuel Wilson, Victoria • A. Murray, of South Australia ; Studholme Bros., of Canterbury ; and F. D. Rich, of Otago. Our local breeders, Mr Hugh Campbell, of Poukawa, and the stud flock of the late Sir Donald M'Lean, have also been largely and satisfactorily drawn upon. Horse Stock. — There is but a small amount of business altogether done in this description

of stock, and our market very limiied, medium draughts may be quoted at £30 to £35, and heavy draughts, £50 to £60; serviceable hacks range from £15 to £25 ; weedy, light do., of which there is abundant supply, offered at nominal prices. Station Properties. — A great deal of attention has been turned to our squatting properties here from the satisfactory results to investors, but from the critical state of matters at home buyers have been lately more than cautious, and I have less business to report as being completed during the past | year than during the years preceding, but ] enquiries continue numerous not only from the Australian colonies and the Middle Island but also from England and America, and this hitherto comparatively overlooked fine basin of country — so much of it onlygrowingawaste of rich fern, from the bulk of it being held in too extensive acres for the individual owners to develop speedily, this requiring not only capital but competent overseeriug — will, there is no doubt, with the aid of more capital and labor, become one of if not the most largely remunerative province in the colonies. Land may still be obtained from the Crown here from 10s to 40s per acre ; good land, easy access, £7 to £10 per acre ; the richest alluvial plains, highly improved and productive, from £15 to £25 per acre according to locality, and returns of annual yield, many giving an average of £(i to £7 for wool and tallow per acre. For information of those who only receive my annual circular, I again quote sales of properties since October : — Air Balfour's Mohaka run, 376 acres freehold, and 0740 acres leasehold (rent to Crown £1 1 annually for 8 years) with SOO sheep given in, to Mr W. Smith, for £1700 (this run capable at present of carrying 3000 sheep). Mr John M'Kinnon's Arapawanui leasehold of 5000 acres, 16 miles from Napier, on the seaboard, rent £40, with 2000 sheep, to Mr E. Towgood, for £2500. 400 acres Mr Todd's Homewood land, 3 miles from Kaikora Railway Station, to Capt. Howard, at £7 per acre. Mr M 'Hardy's Estate, about S miles from Napier, the improved homestead block, 55(3 acres, to Mr A. Grant, for £15,470 (this estate now capable of carrying a minimum of 7 sheep to the acre), the lower block of same estate, CIS acres, to Mr G. Peacock for £0700, making an average for the whole estate of £15 10s per acre. *~I have also sold the Tutira Lake station, a leasehold of Mr Tow-good's, containing 20,500 acres, rent £150, 17 years of lease unexpircd. with 4000 sheep to Messrs Stuart and Merritt, for £4000, and in small blocks of 242 acres on Puketiritiri (land reserved for settlement) for £355. There are also several properties in negotiation. Wool.— There is little fresh information from home respecting the course of the wool market. The latest advices by letter indicate a very sensitive condition of the trade, and the last telegrams state ' ' Wool inactive." We will have to wait patiently for the opening of the May sales, and only hope that preseut value may be maintained if not improved upon. In this market about 3000 bales have been sold at very satisfactory prices : —

The prices quoted are mostly for Crossbred wools, which is the bulk of the produce of this district. Latterly prices have weakened in sympathy with home account, but those who sold here have good cause to be satisfied with the result. There appears to be a good prospect of an increasing business being done on this side, as buyers have operated with considerable spirit, and where satisfactory prices are to be had, if; would seem wise to take a certainty here, rather than run the risk of a fluctuating market in London. I have again been favored by the Collector of Cnstoms, the Snjierintendent Collector of Agricultural Returns, the Chief Inspector of Sheep (Mr Peacock) also by his valuable assistance in compiling, and by the courtesy of the merchants of tho Port furnished with returns enabling me to give my ammal statistics connected with the pastoral interests of this Provincial District for the year ending 2Sth April, 1577. Total acreage of province, 3,050,000 ; under cultivation, or partially so, 1,500,000 acres ; surface-sown or laid down in artificial grasses _ (1575-715), 2(>±,<iS2 acres; ditto (1576-77), 322,750 acres. Increase in 1577, SS,2GS acres. Number of acres in wheat, oats, root, and other crops, 3054 acres. Estimated sheep shorn, 1870-77 . . 1,17-2,6GS Increase, IS7O (lambs) 390,900 Export for whole year .. .. 86,000 Provincialeonsumption and boilingrdown . . . . 130,000 Mortality and casualties . . 63,680 279.650 Less accounted lor from my last annual report till shearing: as exports, consumption, and mortality .. .. 101,000 ns.cso 212,220 Net total sheep at date .. .. 1,384,863 Sheep imported for stud purposes — Merino rams, 381 ; ewes, 12S : longwool rams, 390 ; ewes, 9<j 095 Cargo merino ewes 1,13& ■ 2,134 Total sheep at date 1,287,022 Great cattle, 23,000 head. Wool shipped from April 30, 157 C, to April 30, 1577 :— yt i . „ Bales. £ irlawke s Bay to Britain . . . . 11 140 °2° 800 Coastwise to Wellington, &c. . . «JU7B lOlifitSO Coast stations direct to Wellington 19S0 :ss',37o 2:J.O!y 4.V2,7;;0 Tallow, direct .. 11% casks— 3f>9 tons 1-2.000 „ coastwise .. 1000 oa s k-,—2(j:i tons SVT'I Sheepikim, direct .. l^sbale-i -V,--' .... >;. coastwise « l, ;i le- 1140 Hides direct .... 01 - Mo Total value of exports . . ..t47<,f.Gl (Wool in tran.-;itu or in store not include! in above ) The wool shipped gives an average for the number of sheep shorn, 1,172,G(iS (after deducting allowance for lambs shorn not included in returns) of Gibs 14oz per sheep ; large as this seems over a whole province, it is certainly within the mark, one settler alonu from 17,000 sheep, lnngwool and cross-brels, having an average of IHlbs over the whole number. Mr Peacock estimates that throefifths of our Hocks are longwoob and cro.-*---breds, the remaining two-fifths Merino. Tho mortality from death does notquite reach o pur cent, per annum. M. I!. Mili.ek, Stock and Station Agent, Auctioneer, &c. Napier, N.Z., April 27, 1577.

d d d d First-class greasy 10 to 11 Washed inferior oto 11 Medium . . . . Si 9A Good pieces . . 9 11 Inferior .. ..7 8" „ locks ..5 0 Good clean pieces C S Scoured merino 10 IS Good clean Jocks 3 4,, medium 13 !."> Washed first-class 15 10 „ pieces 10 11 medium 12 14 „ locks 0 7