HAWKE'S BAY STOCK AND STATION REPORT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5072, 10 May 1878, Page 2

HAWKE'S BAY STOCK AND STATION REPORT.

Fop. this Year ending April, 1878. We have had a very dry season, almost unprecedently so, and though all stock yet thrive well, were it not tor the ever ready " pot " for fat, and the large outlet for surplus stores in our northern districts, many of our Southern runholders would have been seriously cramped for feed. From the greater number of the runs being still only very partially improved, indeed it is understating the number of sheep they would carry to say three times the present number, if only the energy and capital bestowed by the few in fencing and grass-seeding were followed by the many. The most marked increase in carrying power has been in the northern part of our district, between Petane and Wairoa, a district that has suffered much neglect from want of roads, though it is a drawback to that portion as a whole that the properties are individually too large fer the means of speedy development. It is satisfactory to be able to report that the past clip shows continued advancement both in quality and quantity, maintaining our position of having the English average clip in the colonies. The addition to our surface sown lands during the season though not so great as could be desired, has been steady, viz., 77,000 acres additional against 58,000 last year. This will soon tell in bringing up our carrying power, as by surface sowing, which takes most readily here, and within a few years makes our fern lands capable of carrying three to four sheep per acre. It is to be regretted that so very little land has been laid down in crop, by our inspector's last returns only amounting to 4776 acres. Though wheat is grown here equal in quality to South Australian, wool and tallow take so much less trouble in raising that other sources of wealth have been hitherto neglected, Our lambing for the

past season is again good ; 423,500 from I 550,550 ewes gives an average of 70 per cent, and the net increase of the Provincial District, after deducting the large number exported, boiled down, home consumption and mortality (latter 4 per cent, altogether) 321,000, leaves a net addition to our flocks of 102,500 for the year. In cattle the increase on the total number continues small from the export of fat and home consumption, from this description of stock being so much in demand for improving country. Prices of stores are relatively higher than for beef. Present quotations are for :— Cattle.— Fat, 25s per 100 lbs, upward tendency j stores, mixed ages and sexes, £4 10s to £5 ; steers, f©r|individual ages, 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, £3 ss, £5 ss, and £7 15s, but few offering; females stock in demand, same ages, range £2 103 to £7 ; dairy cows, £9 to £12. Sheep. — Fat merino wedders, 8s 6d to 9s ; store wedders, 2 and 4-tooth, 7s ; 6tooth, 6s ; 8-tooth, 6s ; aged, unsaleable ; cross-bred wedders, fat, lls 6d to 13s <3d ; stores, 2, 4, and 6-tooth, 8s 6d to 9s ; Btooth, 7s 6d to 8s ; ewes, merino, 2 and 4-tooth, 10s ; 6-tooth, 8s ; fresh 8-tooth, 6s to 7s ; full-mouth and broken, nominal ; cross-bred ewes, 2 and 4-tooth, 8s 6d to . 10s 6d ; 6 and fresh 8-tooth, 7s (id to 8s 6d ; full and broken mouths difficult to place ; lambs, cross-bred, 5s 6d to 6s 6d. Operations in store stock may be considered closed for this season, my whole sales in April only amounting to 10,253 sheep, 2268 lambs, and 227 rams. Our importation of longwool rams from other provinces this season amounted to 471, from the flocks of Mr J. May, Messrs Maclean and Co., Auckland, and Mr Threlkeld and Mr Marcroft, of Canterbury, and a small shipment from Victoria ; also, 210 stud Lincoln ewes from Messrs Maclean and Co. for Messrs Rhodes and Co. Merino rams imported, 195 from Mr John Anderson, Otago, and 68 from Victoria and Tasmania ; also, 444 j stud merino ewes and 4000 superior flock merino ewes from Canterbury, for Mr Ford, now Messrs Harding. Horse Stock. — Medium draught for plough saleable at £25 to £30 ; light draught, £15 to £50 ; heavy ditto, £45 to £55 ; good hacks, £25 to £30 ; light serviceable ditto, £10 to £15 ; light and weedy stock abundant at nominal prices. Station Property. — This description of property continues to advance in value in proportion to expenditure in improving; and results in every instance have been most satisfactory to investors. We still require more capital and labor devoted to converting our rich fern land into pasture. The bulk of our properties are of too great an extent for the owners to break in speedily, largely remunerative as this process to any extent has proved. Lands in the hands of the Crown are now comparatively scarce, but excellent rough country can still be selected at 40s per acre. This price created by. our recent Land Act is higher than investors care to give for such land, generally difficult of access, while partially improved runs are obtainable at 30s to 60s per acre, according to locality and amount of improvement. Good land of easy access and in small lots commands £7 to £10 per acre. The price for rich alluvial land near town ranges from £15 to £25 per' acre. The approaching Government land sale of the Patutahi block, near Gisborne, Ppverty Bay, has turned a deal of attention to that district, and visitors have not been disappointed in the quality of the rich lands offeredthere. I have at presentmany enquiries for properties in that district, and where titles are satisfactory negotiations are likely to be completed satisfactorily. Since October last comparatively few properties havo changed hands. My own sales are:— The Hon. W. S. Peters, Puketapu estate, 7000 acres, to Messrs Bennett and Collison for £16,000 ; Mr H. Ford's Whana leasehold property, 30 miles from Napier, containing 18,600 acres, rent £209, 11 years unexpired, with 12,000 mixed sheep and all station plant, to Mr N. E. Beamish, of Okawa, for £16,600 ; also Mr Ford's Kereru freehold estate of 14,350 acres, with all plant and 16,000 sheep (inclusive of small stud flock, J. L. Curries) to Messrs Josiah and Arthur Harding, of Mount Vernon, for £28,500 sterling. I have also sold Mr Allen M'Donald's (Messrs Barker and M'Donald's) Pouawa property, Gisborne, containing 19,200 acres leasehold, rent £100 per annum ; 16 years to run and 112 acres freehold, with all improvements and 14,000 sheep, to Mr David Doull, of Mataura, Otago, for £16,000 sterling. I have still numerous enquiries for small properties, both grazing and agricultural. Wool.— Our total export for the year amounts to 8,288,5201b5, about one-fifth of which was scoured wool. The average weight per sheep is somewhat under that of last year, but this is accounted for by the larger quantity scoured, and the lightness in grease of our flock this past season. About 2500 bales changed hands here at prices noted below: — Superior crossbred, greasy, lOd to 10|d ; scoured, up to Is 4id ; medium cross-bred greasy, B£d to 9|d ; scoured locks, 8d to Is ; inferior, 7d to 8d ; greasy locks, 2d to 3d ; pieces, bulky, 5d to 6|d. The position of the article' at this moment as regards the home markets is a very critical one indeed, and fraught with great interest to growers in general. The uncertainty and suspense of the past few months have done almost as much to injure this industry as a general Continental war would have done. As far as present values are concerned, it is possible they may be maintained to some extent, and in the case of certain descriptions, when the 1 next series of sales commence, providing war has not been declared in the meantime. It will, however, even should matters be soon pacifically arranged, take some months for the trade to recover from the paralising effects of the crisis that has been pending so many months, and should prices keep about the same level as the closing rates of last Beries, there will be much cause for satisfaction. This, however, in the face of the large quantities available for sale is hardly to be looked upon as to any degree certain, and it would be as well not to indulge in too sanguine a view of the immediate future of the article until something definite is arrived at, as regards the present political crisis. In the event of peace, a steady and gradually improving market will, in all likelihood, be the result. I have again to acknowledge with thanks the returns furnished me by the Collector of Customs, the merchants of the Port, the Superintendent Collector of Agricultural Returns, and the Chief Inspector of Sheep (Mr Peacock), with whose valuable aid I am enabled to give my annual statistics connected with the pastoral interests of this Provincial district for the year ending 30th April, 1878 :— Acres. Total acreage of province 3,050,000 Under occupation, or partially so 1,500,000 Surface sown or laid down in artificial grasses, 1876-77 322,750 Surface sown or laid down in artificial grasses, 1877-78 399,782 Increase in 1878 .. .. 77,032 Number of acres in wheat, oats, root, and other crops 4,770 Sheep Inspector's returns Ist May, 1877 ... 1,370,157 Increase 1877 from 550,550 owes, 70 per cent. . . 423,500 Export for whole year . . 79,000 i Provincial consumption and boiling-down . . 170,000 Mortality and casualties, 4 per cent. . . . . 72,000 321,000 Net increase 102,500 Total .. .. 1,-178,G57 ' Sheep imported for stud purposes —Merino rams 213, ewes 441, Lincoln rams 471, ewes 222 1400 Three cargoes superior Merino ewes . . 4075 5,475 Estimated net total sheep in province T to date 1878 1,484,1.32 J Sheep shorn as per returns 1870-77 1,172,608 Ditto estimates 1877-78 1,275,157 Estimated net increase „ 102,449