HAWKES BAY STOCK AND STAT ON REPORT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5528, 3 November 1879, Page 2

HAWKES BAY STOCK AND STAT ON REPORT.

November, 1879. It is satisfactory, in resuming the publication for the season of my monthly circular, to report that, notwithstanding the depressed feeling arising from the low price of wool, there never lias been a more promising season for grass in this province ; ample winter rainfalls succeeded by a genial spring has clothed our hills and plains with luxuriant feed, md the lambing i 3 above the average of p-ist years. Shearing is already well forward on our lower and seaboard runs, and from all local districts there are reports of the wool being in excellent condition, and a certainty of a good clip this season. Although a considerable additional extent of land was turned to graingrowing last year, and botli the wheat and oats produced wore of the highest class, we are yet tar from self-supporting in this branch. This is more to be regretted, as from reports received regiirding samples of our wheat forwarded to other markets it has be^n quoted as -worth from Gd to 9d per bushel more than Southern wheat. We have many thousands of acres available for cereals waiting for the plough, and no doubt a very much greater breadth would have been cnltivated this Bcason' but for Ihn pressure o£ the times, scarcity of money giving little heart for any expenditure amongst our sheepfarniers beyond •what was absolutely necessaiy. Amongst our agricultural farmers, few as there yet are, there is a cheerful feeling from the promising appearance of the crops. Business in stock has been as usual limited in winter. During the season we sent overland to Auckland province about 18,000 fat sheep, and by steamers exported to '"the sarae district, as per shipping agents' (Messrs Wardrop and Co.'s) returns, 11,650 fat sheep and 560 fat cattle direct from Napier, exclusive of stock shipped direct from Maliia Peninsula. In local transactions store cattle have maintained good prices, nor is there likely to be any depreciation in value of stock of this description, but in sheep there is ho probability of last season's prices being obtained. There are large numbers of cross-breds of both sexes in the market, but from the present low prices of this wool there is very limited demand. In merinos inquiries are more numerous, and from the comparatively limited number of this class offered business will be more readily effected. I have already under negotiation 7500 merino ewes and 2000 mixed sexes at prices quoted as under : — Cattle.— Fat, 2os to 27s 6d per lOOlbs; store steers, for individual age 3, 1, 2, 3, and 4 years, £3 10s, £5, £7, and £8 10s ; female Btock, same ages, range from £3 to £7 each ; dairy cows, £9 to £12 each.

Sheep. — Fat merinos, weddcrs, shorn, 6s, little demand ; store do, 2 and 4-tooth, 5s 6d to 6s demanded ; for 8-tooth, no enquiry ; merino ewes, sellers ask for 2-fcoofch, ite, 4tooth Bs, 6- tooth 7s, and fresh 8-tooth range from 5s 6d to 6s ; buyers offer 6d less, and at this figure business will be done. For cross-bred wedders, fat, 7s 6d to 8s 6d ; store do, 2 and 4-tooth, 6s 6d to 7s asked, but sellers likely to yield ; 6 and 8-tooth, 7s asked, but no business, buyers limited and holding off. In cross-bred ewes, 2 and 4tooth, 8s asked ; 6 and fresh 8-tooth, 6s 6d asked j sound full-mouth offering at 4s each. Hams, merinos are likely to be in fair demand at from £2 2s to £3 3s from good flocka ; sales from Mr Hugh Campbell's flock already effected, 80 first-class 2-tooth at £3, and 30 second-class at £2 2s. In Lincoln rams a considerable number will be wanted, as owners of well-bred flocks will maintain their qxiality, notwithstanding present low prices of longwool, but only first-class rams ■will meet sale, and at moderate prices. Several owners of cross-bred ewes used merino rams last season apparently satisfactorily, and will with others follow the samo course this season.

Horse stock. — There is little business doing. Heavy draught, £45 to £55 ; medium, £25 to £30 ; light harness, £15 to £20 ; good hacks, £20 to £25 j medium, £12 to £15 j light do, £6 to £8 each. Station Properties. — There has been but little business dojng lately in station properties, and the. few that ha,ye been, placed

are at extremely low rates, say 30 to 40 per cent, less than they would have realised eighteen months ago. The low price of wool and scarcity of money Ims caused a larger number o2 these propei'tioa to bo placed in my hands for sale than is at all desirable for the sellers, though of course this presents tho most favorable opportunity for purchasers. Leasehold runs arc more depressed even than freeholds, from the present difficxilty of obtaining loans oii the former at moderate rates. Freehold station properties, partially improved and half stocked, range at from 15s, 20s, 30 to 40s per acre according to locality, &c. Lands more highly improved for pastoral purposes and partly agricultural, of easy access, range at from £3 to £5 per acre. Small farms nenr town and of highest agricultural value rango at from £20 to £35 per acre. Leaseholds, with eleven to sixteen years to run, and rents ranging from £d to l£d per acre, are offered at 17s 6d to 22s 6d for all sheep delivered, with all working stock and plant given in. These runs are generally capable of being made to carry 3 to 5 times their present stock. Undernoted is list of sales of properties since publication of my laafc report : — Mr N. Wallace's leasehold, Petanc, 600 acres, 11 miles from town, with 1000 cross-bred sheep and good improvements, to Mr R. Brathwaitc £1500. Mr Alfred Cox's leasehold, 7760 acres, 30 miles from town, with 7000 sheep and 100 cattle, to Mr J. Hindmarsh for £3500. Mr J. N. Williams' freehold, portion of Apley estate, improved, 17 miles from town, 3250 acres, with 6000 sheep, to Mr John Bennett for £20,275 stg. Mr J. G. Kinross's Motuoturia estate, 14,600 estate, with 15,000 sheep, 200 .cattle, and plant, to Mr Sanders, for £40,000. Mr J. G. Kinross's freehold, Maungawhare, 21,449 acres and 17,100 acres leasehold, with 28.5C0 sheep, to Hori. G. M. Waterhouse for £31,500. Mr J. N. Williams' freehold, portion of Apley estate, 5670 acres, improved, to Mr J. S. Giblin for £22,680 stg. Mr Wm. Douglas's residence at Havclock, and 40 acre 3 freehold to Mr P. Gruchy for £2000. J. Sutherland and Co.'s leasehold, Mohaka, 8000 acres, with 3000 sheep, to Mr W. Balfour for £3000. Mr Thos. Tanner's freehold new township of Hastings, adjoining railway station, 249 sections, i aero, averaged £27 10s per lot, and 80 sections rich farm and suburban lots, together 1024 acres, realised average £26 per acre; total stiles, £34,500. Hon. H. R. Russell's freehold "Little Bush," 43 farm and suburban lots, from 1 to 40 acres, average £22 5s pei- acre . total sale, £12,195 stg. Mr J. N. Williams' freehold, portion of Apley estate, 780 acres, improved, to Mr E. Davis at £5 per acre, £3900 stg. Mr W. A. Richardson's 690 acres freehold farm, 6 miles from town, 14 years' lease, to Mr Wm. Carswell, " 3 years £400 per annum, next 4 years „_ ~»er annum, remainder of term £600 per

£500 t annum. "h the last Home sales, more Wool, — Thoi. b and cross-bred, again especially ill longwu 'anointment to otir resulted in much disu^ ' feeling gaining 1 growWa", there is a hopi'lm . - est T rusfc . ground that tfe have seen the lo» - few of ing that this feeling is well founded, . our largci' grower* care to sell hero at or*, now offered, though a few small dips, dnefly , crossbred, have been purchased at prices ranging from skl to 61- per lb. Skins realise high markets compared with other provincial markets, and sales are effected at an average of sid per lb. for merino, and 4id per lb. aveittge for cross-bred. . , m _ TO Our annual 0W held on the Society » »« grounds n<J«rf Hastings on the <6th and 9th October attracted the largest as semblage i evex mefc in Hawko's Bay, The high quality of the stock exhibited, hortcK, crtttle, sheep, &£. showed the good effect of licarty mtclh^nt rivalry, stimulated by the" active effort* of o ir A. and P. Society; £800 in pme*,- , cuiw, were awarded for merit 111 live 1 stocs, wool, a-n-icultural implements, farm prtHMctnk &c. The prizes taken in stock were lot Merino ram champion cup, and Merino ewe champion cup, both awarded to Mr A. Maclean for Douglas Maclean, as well as Mr Miller's cup for pen of three ram hoggetts. Other prize takers in Merino classes were A. Lyons for Dcimld Gollan, first in rams ami ewes ; T. 11. Mcincrtzhagen, first ram ; Rich ftlid Shrimpton, Koysc and Anderson, ami W. Hastie fof Stokes Bros., the latter also taking Mr Miller's cup for a pen of three ewehoggetts. Longwool, ram champion cup, Watt ivnd Farmer, taking also Loatx Mid Mercantile Agency's Company's cup. Longwool, ewe champion cvp 1 , A. M'Hardy ; otlier prize takers in Lincolna wore, J. D\ Ormond, Thomas Tanner, J. N. Williams, R. F. Williams. Dolbel Bros., Gavin Peacock, F. nnd W. Nelson, »nid W. Dougks. Horses, thoroughbred sire champion aiid tlioroughbrcd more champion, both cups rtwuttlcd to Allan M'Lcan ; other prize takers WtW \\att and Farmer. W. and G. Heslop, tiud VV fllium Douglas Oi.'impion draught sire and «» a "^-' pion draught 71W1-D. bo f h cvips were taken by Mr John He.slop , other prize takers in thw cluss were, Douglas MiLcin, John Evaiw, A. M. Macdomld, J. D. Ormond, Watt and Farmer, and Allan M'Lcan. Cattle, champion bull and champion cow, both cups to A. M'Hardy ; other prize takers, J. D. Canning, A. M. Williams, H. R, Russell, J. D. Ormond, J. P. Russell, Tliomas Tanner, W. and G. Heslop, Stokes Bros., J. S. Lyon, H. Troutbeck, Thomas Tanner, and Thoiraw Crow. M. R. Miller, Stock and Station Agent, Auctioneer. Napier, November Ist, 1879.