HOKITIKA LIVE STOCK MARKET REPORT.

West Coast Times, Issue 39, 2 September 1865, Page 2

HOKITIKA LIVE STOCK MARKET REPORT.

J. Jokes fc Co's Monthly Report. — The market during the past month, wns furnished with the following supply :— Fat Cattle, 370 head ; Calves, 4 ; and Sheep, 590 ; and, as will bo seen by our report — tho priujipal importers of cattle during the past (as with tho two or three preceding months) —have been the slaughtermen. Mr J. Harris having introduced 100 head ; Messrs Morison & Co., 107 head and i calves ; and Messrs Evans and Hoel, 67 head, which were disposed of by tho owners, alive, to tho up-country buyers, at about hi per 100 lbs, and by carcass to tho town and suburb trade nt L 6 per 100 lbs. The whole of the sheep have, of course, arrived by ship, there not beiug at present any other aveuue by winch they can be brought here. At the commencement, and throughout. the greater portion of the month, meats were very scarce, still no great advance in price occurred, by reason of intelligence having been brought by the mailmau that "any quantity" of cattlo was on tho road for Hokitika, and > this, with n seasonable arrival of sheep, kept prices at about the usual average. The first consignment of cattle for sale by auction (Mr Mardon'a lot of 49 head), were placed in our ;yards on the 10th, and disposed of by us to the trade ftt about lid per lb., tho whole averaging L 23 por Ihead. They were not a very even lot, but -having been very carefully driven, we were enabled to quit them to tho perfect satisfaction of tho ■ownor. The only remaining mob entrusted to our .•care was Mr B. Metcalfs, 39 head, and these -had about 12 been culled from them — wmthl havo proved tho finest lot of cattle ever brought from Canterbury, ■the quality being first class and condition superb, the natural result of assiduously careful driving We disposed of the 39 head nt tho rate of L 23 all round. Wo also told 3 bodies of beof ex the Lady Darling, a very nico sample, at 9£d perlb. The news throughout the whole of the enormous -extent of country now opened as a gold field is unprecedontedly favorable, so that the great rush alluded to in our last report will, we feel confident, set in at a much earlier date, and provo far more 'considerable than we anticipated ; but in the meantime last month's supply -if the arrival of stock could havo beon judiciously timed— would have proved about up to tho demand, Tnit emptier shops Tfould have induced buyers to bid with moro spirit and greater freedom j and wo warn stock holders that quotations of last month may have no relative bearing, in value, as to those wo may have to give in this presont mo.ith of September, the more especially as we are advised that tho frontiers of the Canterbury district havo been so well weeded, and that meat has risen in prieo at Christohurch 3d per lb. We give prices for last month :— Prime cattlo, L 5 per 100 lbs ; medium, Li per 100 lbs. Calves. — So few at any timo to hand that it is difficult to quoto prices. Tho four introduced could scarcely be termed veal, and wero sod at L 6 por Ijeocl. Sup.rp.— Wo submitted and sola on tho 7th a conBignmeut of 03 wedders, by Mr J. Freeth, of Nel« son, at an average of 51b, and on the same day 60 of Mr H. H, Stafford's, also from Nelson, poorly conditioned wedders, and small frame, nt 3fls all round. On tho 15th, the romnining 00 weddors, the property of Messrs Taggart and Co, at from - 25s to 80s— these wo sold at tho {.hey, which wo found anything but a favorable market. Mr 0. Mullins imported 160 wedders from Nelson on his own account, for shop übo ; and Captain Allardyee ISO per the /-ady Darling, which were sold at from 853 to 40s. We also disposed of f>4 carcass sheep ex Lady Darling, at Did per lb. The«o were vciy good, aud, but that so many live flheep voro to liana, would have commando! fully Is per lb. We quote pfinl« she«p *t (JOi to 70s ; wedders, 4p« to We.

Pins. — No arrivals, and tho market becoming bare. Houses. — Considering tho rush down south, and elsewhere, it is astonishing the demand continues so limited. Under all circumstances, a really good horso — either for saddle or harness — enn scarcely be obtained. We quote good drnughters at from LCO to LBO ; do packers, L 25 to L3f» ; and good hacks, L3O to L4O. Inferior lioise stock almost unsaleable. J. Jones & GGit. t Stock Salesmen.