HAWKE'S BAY STOCK AND STATION REPORT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7825, 18 August 1887, Page 3

HAWKE'S BAY STOCK AND STATION REPORT.

'OUItTEKXTH AXNt'AI. RKVIHW, I'Ull TIIH Yb.us Expixr; 30th Jink, ISB7.

The statistics for the past year show a favorable lambing and largely increased export of wool and sheep, live, frozen, preserved, and boiled down. A partial drought in our lower and richer lands, usually heavily stocked, occasioned a heavy mortality, in weaners especially, and almost a panic to get rid of stock. The name lots of shoep were frequently placed in the hands of three or four agents, so that the number' advertised for sale was apparently at least thrice the number that was actually in the market. Thus the immense numbers ostensibly for sale told disastrously on the prices obtained. However, the dry season so prejudicial to the low country was altogether favorable to the back and hill country, where grass was plentiful and the young stock never thrived better, so the average mortality cannot be seriously increased. The brightened prospects given by the Home wool sales of September and October last have unfoi Innately not been maintained at subsequent series. From this cause and the extreme low prices for mutton and tallow, there continues a verydepressed feeling, and to incrense this depression banks and loan companies demand n greater margin of security, so

much so that it is dillimilr, indeed impossible in some instance*, for mortgagors to re-arrange expiring loans, although we have the best proof of the vitality of the colony, and of this district in particular,

in the largely increased exports Of an increase for the whole of New Zealand for the year ending 30th June over the preceding year of -27,280 bales of wool, this small district contributes 60:S."J bales.

Comparing the exports from Hawke's Hay for the past ten years we haye — Total Sheep. Bales wool. Lbs wool. 1887 .. .. 2,G1!>,797 17,997 1T, 101,8.% 1877 .. .. 1,172,66S -23,098 8,072,00-> Increase .. 1,117,120 21,899 9,12-Z,7151 About one-fifth ot the wool being scoured, the total year's export gives an average of 7lb per sheep shorn. Messrs Nelson Bros.' (Limited) returns show for the past season equal to Io0,32!) ffezen, as against 151,510 carcases the preceding year, and this district is in

dobted to the action of that firm for a considerable reduction in freight for the coming season as compared with last seasons. A still further reduction is promised by the new refrigerating com-

pany who are about to erect works here at the western spit. The fact of two coi'.ipauies being at work during the busy season must prove most beneficial to our sheepfarmers.

There has been a large number of sheep boiled down during the season, but being nearly altogether culls there is a decrease in.tallow exported of U7 casks, but the

icrease in

the export of preserved

meats from '21(j0 eases last season to j357 cases this .season. Pelts also show an increase from 480 casks to (ji)s casks to Britain.

Station Properties —A \cry Urge number of station properties are in the market, solely from the iinaucial reasons already stated, but there is no business being done, although if buyers offered in many cases even the amount of mortgage it would be accepted, to the ruin of the present holders, who have so successfully improved the breed of stock and the lands, as ■shown by our exports. This small district, containing about 2,000,000 available acres, of which as yel fully one-

half is still under fern, now carries •2,U19,797 sheep, about 70,000 cattle, 12,000 horses, and 70,000 nigs. Pastoral lands, freeholds partially improved and more or lees stocked, aie ottered at from los to 30s per acre ; lauds more highly improved and of easy access, agricultural and pastoral 40s to u'O.s par acre according to presentcaiT.yingeapacity. Small farms rich alluvial, in vicinity of town or railway line that will now carry four to .seven sheep per acre ran^c fiom £1!) to £28 per acre. Kieeholds unimproved, back country •"ih to 7s per acre.

liou/tchold properties up to KS years to run at rents ranging from 'Jd toljdper acre are oH'eied at 17s (id to 'JO.- pel head for all .sheep dclivcicd. The high price of agricultural labor and low price of produce hinder progress to any extent. We li<i\o only 2(3,100 acres under crop, and 12,400 broken uji, while we have 147,000 acres laid flown in grass ami 7(31, 100 surface sown in jfruss. Slice]). — For the reasons already given prices were most erratic. During the panic two and four tooth good crossbred wethers were sold as low as 5s per head, but by the beginning of May prices crept up to (is (id and 7s. The same class of sheep

would now realise 10- (id to Up. 13s (3d lo 1")S Gd is now demanded for fat sheep. Crossbred ewes shared in (hi 1 depression but have nut recovcicd much. I''or luciino- very low juices weio accepted, indeed pressed into the market by some holders at. any price, but owing to J,he large number already exported mid boiled down there has been a rccoxery, and good ewes foi breeding crosibreds t will be in demand, likely at ISS.'i prices, viz., Htooth, 4s ; up to Sis for 2 and 4-looth ; anil at a. reduced consolidated rate for frown mutton, a larger number of merino wethers will be absorbed in that form. Cattle.- There is no demand, liusiness in this description of stock is at a stand still except for local consumption. Prices -Vat, Us to 17.-- 6d per 1(10 lb • stoic yearling steers, u'os lo 30s ; two Year-old, 40s to 30s : four-yeiir old, (iOs to 70s, Female .stock ~>s to lOs under those fitiotations, Dairy cows, £■! 10.- to C(i. Horses —Medium draughts, unbroken, £10 to U2, broken, £lo to J.-.20 : henvy draughts, £30 to i'lo ; hames- lior.sos, £10 to £b"> ; good weight eairyuig hacks, £20: ordinary ditto, CS t<> 110; light ditto, £3 to CO eacli. Wool --The auction .sales of wool here although not large are gradually mcrciisin"- 36:-M) bales were disposed of by onrloi-nl iiiictionecis at prices more satisfactory to the "rowers than lo the buyer." so far as can be judged by account sa cs received from Home up to date of 30th Jnuc last, Competition was keen here in the earlier part of the season and it was well for speculators that many lots were passed in, the reserves being high, biiscd on the September-) lolober series. J here, is very little doubt but that fit all colonial wool

sales the average is more in favor of the grower than the exporter. Sheepskins. — The shipments to the Home market are about 200 bales less than last year, while those of pelts are increased by 42,000 in number over the preceding year, proving that prices obtained from the local fell mongers are more satisfactory than those obtained for the skins in wool shipped Home. ANNUAL STATISTIC. 1 ?. 1 have lo acknowledge with thanks the courtesy of heads of Departments, the Colleclor of Customs, the Chief Inspector of Sheep, and others in furnishing returns. Acres Acres Tola! acreage of Provincial District 3.120.000 Under occupation or partially so 2,000,000 Land broken up but not under crop 1:,391 Land broken up and under crop ... . . 26.131 Land broken up and tinder grass 111i,!)9.5 Land surface sown in grass 701. H1 Total improved land. 910,9(11 Sheep in Hawke'sßay, Waipawa.and Wairoa Counties on 31st May 1888 2,59.5.105 Increase by lambing from 1,1011.000 ewes, ray 71 per cent .. 787.150 Exports — Auckland 00,830 Wellington S3 .i"li Wcsl Coast and Wanganuui . nii.OlK Ppvc r t j Bn\ . . 18.300 171.T77 Frozen sliccp and liinibs exported .. 1n0.320 Boiled down and preserved . 121.177 Taken for local consumption .. .. 135.307 Mortality. say 0) per rent. .. .. 175.103 - 71H.75S Met increase! foi ihc year 2J.G92 Total number of sheep in the District on 31st Ma' , 1887 . . . 2,019,707Merino, 71/S.I10; longwool, JOT/ilO; cross. bred. 1,100,817. Males, 1,012,03 1 : females 1,570.813, al. an average value of 10s. Other Live Stock.— Great cattle, 70,000; lorsea, 12,000 : pigs, 7300. Wool as per Customs Ttct urns exported from Port of Napier lo the United Kingdom during the year ending 30th June, 1887. Hales. lb. £ Wool direct to Hri-lain,gi-pasy ..)..,., M3.!Wi.1!3 51(1,13!) scoured . j ll ' 0 ' 8 ! 1,201,111 73,137 Wool to Xow Zealand ports, grcaxv 1.0.58 109,319 13,011 scoured 2.417 03H.220 31,811 Wool coastwise to Wellington .. 3.1.VJ 1,103.200 30,773 18,235 17,274,!)91i 671.801 Less wool fiom Gisborne, shipped here 2HB 80.110 2,813 Net wool exports to 30th . Time, 1887 .. 17,907 17.191,8.10 G65,959 Net wool exports to 30th June. 1830 . lI.IKJJ 15.113,855 170,719 Increase for the vcar «,033 2,081/01 189,210 Wool as above £008,959 Sheepskins to Britain 33s bales,sheepskins lo X.Z. ports 23 balcs-358 bales, 39.112 in number .. .. 1983 Pells to Uiitaln, 095 casks, 155,511 in number . ■■ 8288 Sheep frozen to Britain, 120,008 carcases, 15,181 lambs, 30.752 legs and haunches, 230 bags kidneys— 7l,osßjcwt 81,387 Preserved meats, s3s7 cases— 32slc«t.. 5530 Casks. Cwl. £ Tallow, 1887.. .. 2052 18,110 20,832 Tallow, 1888 . . . . 2799 19,593 18,822 Decrease in quantity I Increase in esti- 117 I,ll7 ft.V'lo mated value J Hides, 1100 in number 928 Oil, whale (sperm), 533.!g"1s .. .. 1000 Seeds, grass and clover, 1780 bushels . 931 Polatoos, OaitoiiH 332 Hops, 7l'.cwt .. . 209 Bones and Boncdusl, 200 tons . . . 1399 Soap, laOOcwt 1200 Sausage skins, 8 pkgs 129 Sundries, timber, bacon and hams, butter, honey, fungus, &c, &c. .. 399 Total value of 171.777 sheep exported lo other provinces at an average of(is3d 51,618

Total cxDOrls for the year eliding 30th June, 1887 £851,127 Population of the provincial district is now estimated at '2!),.)43, including 3COO Maoris. M. 1!. Mn. Mil:, Stock and Station Agent. Xaplei-, X.Z., 10th August, ISS7.