PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL.

North Otago Times, Volume V, Issue 90, 9 November 1865, Page 2

PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL.

Snow has fallen recently on the inland ranges, and the Kakanui mountains have been snow-capped for «imc time past. The fiequent rains on the plains have ■find the effect of gi eatly improving the pastures, which -sue iu many parts now assuming a fresh and gieen appearance. Station operations are progressing satisfactorily. Shearing will commence eaily on some stations, and, we believe, will ho general about the middle of next month. The nale of Mr Murray's property, in the Awamoka Distiiefc, is reported. The price, we understand, is L3100.

The "Southern doss" of October 19, says :— " The breeders of s-heep in this Piovince will be pleased to learn <hat by the Ida Zeigler, which at rived a few days ago. four rams and five ewes, of the long-woolled or Leicestei breed, weie brought to this colony by Captain .Reynolds, the commander of the above vessel. They were taken from the celebi ated West Dereham flock, bred bv Hugh Aylmer, Esq., and since their arrival they have been insptetvd by competent judges, and pronounced by tin in to be the finest specimens of the bieed which h.ivp been imported into this Province. They have lince been purchased by George Howard, Esq., of the T.un.iki, at a considerable cost, but certainly not beyond their value. We need hardly call attention to the fact that bv far the greater portion of the wool grown in this Province is conveyed to the English market by the good ship Ida Zeigler, which has been such a successful trader here under the command of Captain .Reynolds. The Province is certainly indebted to that gentleman for the trouble and risk he had taken upon himself in this importation. We append the history of the West Dereham flock, as given by Mr Aylmer : — " The West Dereham Abbey dock of long-woolled, or Leicester sheep, was originated some sixty years since, from ten ewe» of the renowned Bakewell flock of Leicester sheep, and since crossed by rams of the purest and best blood in England, for which extraordinarily high prices were given. It has now obtained great celebrity throughout England and all parts of the Continent— rams and ewes having been sold to the Emperor of the French, the Emperor of Russia, and to Sweden, America, Melbourne ; and to the most celebi ated ram-breeders in the counties of N- rfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Devonshire, Scotland, Ireland, &c. Upwards of 400 rams are annually sold and let from this flock ; moi e than 300 prizes have been awarded to Mr Aylmer during the last twenty years, at the Royal and other local shows, for rams and ewes ; and 100 prizes have been obtained at the Smithfield and Birmingham fat cattle shows for fat sheep, the produce of these rains."

The Customs Revenue collected at the Port of HoUitika from the lab to the 28th October inclusive, nmount<xl to L12.500.

DT7NEDIN. — A moderate amount of activity has ljeeu ol)9«i vable in the transactions of the day, and a cood demand in apparently setting in for most spring

goods. Intelligence is to hand both from Melbourne and Hokitikn, and the improving tone of commerce in both places is likely to influence our markets in some respects for the better. Flour has experienced a small advance in pi ice, and holders are now declining to take less than LI 9 for guaranteed parcels of Chilian. Adelaido is equally firm at L24 10s to L25. In beers and spirits there have been some moderate operations for shipment, but not to a sufficient extent to influence prices. An active enquiry is maintained for cigars, of which the stock is smaller and worse-assorted than it has been for a long time previously ; both fine white and low browns are scarce. For all miscellaneous merchandize, quotations aro without any sensible variation. — Daily Times, 8th November.