COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2417, 21 September 1868, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

Lyttelton Times Office, Saturday Evening.

The Customs revenue collected at Christchurch, to-day, amounted to &52 4s. The following were the items Wine, 38 gallons, £7 12s; tea, 30 lbs, 15s; cottons, 11 cases, £35 12s Id; hats, 2 cases, £5 9s; Scotch twill shirts, 1 case, £2 5s 3d ; floor cloth, 1 case, 10s,

But very trifling business was transacted iu the grain market on Saturday, and nothing worthy of remark came under our notice. The parcels offered were of the smallest description, and no alteration of any kind occurred iu previous quotations.

Messrs, Wilson and Alport report sales of cattle at their yards, Cashel street, as under : Fat heifer, £lO 17s 6d ; dairy cows, £6 7s 6d to £8 per head; 12 to 18 months old heifers, £5 17s 6d to £6 6s; 9 months old heifers, £3 5s to £3 15s; 40 boxes V.D.L, apples brought 13s Gd to 16s per box.

At Preece's saleyards on Saturday, the following prices were obtained: — large porkers, 20s to 27s each ; smaller do 15s to 20s do; stores 8s to 16s do; suckers, 3s 6d to 7s 6d do ; carcase pigs, 2£d to 4Jd per lb; poultry, turkeys large, 9s each; smaller do, 4s Gd to 7s 6d do ; ducks, 5s 6d per couple; fowls, 2s 6d to 3s 9d do ; pigeons, Is 9d do; produce, See., flour, good, 14s to 16s per 100 lbs; inferior do, 10s to 13s; do sharps, Is 3d per bushel; bran, 9d to Is do; chicken wheat, 2s Gd to 3s do j barley, inferior, 2s 6d to 3s do; oats, 2s to 2s 6d do ; peas for pigs, 2s Gd to 3s do; beans do, 3s; tares, 3s Gd to 5s do; potatoes, Derwents, 70s per ton; pigs' potatoes, 30s to 40s do; carrots, 30s do; hams, 5d to 7d per lb; bacon, 4£d to 6d do; cheese, iuferior, 3£d to 4|d per lb; medium quality, 5d and 6d per lb; onions, ljd and 2d per lb; hay, 2s per truss.

Melbourne,—The Argus of Sept. 8 re-ports:-Business in the import markets presents no signs of improvement, no transactions of any consequence having been reported throughout the day. In breadstuffs the demand for flour is strictly limited to the disposal of small lots for trade purposes at £l7 10s; for quantities £l7 continues still to be asked, though we understand that for about a hundred tons (sold in two lines) 5s less was accepted, In feeding grains we note somewhat less doing. In oats very little inquiry has been experienced, and quotations remain at last week's closing rates of 3s 8d for N'ew Zealand, and 3s lid to 4s for Tasmanian, A parcel of De Roubaix's candles was placed at 10fd. Malt continues to improve in value, and a shipment of about 1600 bushels, to land, was taken up at equal to 10s 9d. We hear of an invoice of 125 tons of bar and rod iron having changed bauds on terms withheld. There is not much doing privately in sugar; rations have been sold at £26. The sound portion of the Arc-en-Ciel's cargo of Bourbon sugars will be offered for public sale to-morrow, - New teas are getting more into favour, there being now much less difference between buyers and sellers then existed a short time ago. A line of 100 half-chests was disposed of, ex Tekli, at 2s. Two lines of ordinary congous were also placed, ex Isabella Brown, at satisfactory figures. The unsold balance of the Mobile's cargo was under offer, and expected to be closed for ■ but owing to the arrival of the Fromm, Coryphaeus, and Katarina Maria, with tea cargoes since Saturday, this transaction could not be carried through. Messrs Towns and Co.'s portion of the Fromm's cargo will be offered by auction on Wednesday. Since the sale of a large line of JDKZ geneva, full strength and contents, there has been a considerable demand for twenty-bottle case shipments, as this description of package is getting very much into favour.

Sydney.—The Morning Herald of Sept. 2 reports: —The demand for imported goods continues limited to pressing trade requirements ; for parcels of this kind holders obtain a fair price, but it is almost impossible to place a line at paying prices. Supplies hare been rather in excess of requirements, and stocks have been augmented by heavy arrivals; the Brockham, Martha Birnie, and Ilarlaw, from London—Steuart Lane, from Liverpool-and Syringa, from Glasgow, having come in during the past fortnight. Importers do not seem inclined to force sales, preferring rather to hold for an improvement in trade. Advices from California received by last Panama tiail unsettled the breadstuffs market for some days, but it has now somewhat recovered; and, although it would be difficult to place a parcel at anything like current quotations, Bm all lots have been quitted more readily during the last few days. The Melbourne and Adelaide markets also exhibit a firmer tone. The stock now held here is large, and supplies continue to come forward from the country districts. Most of the recently arrived Californian flour has changed hands at from £l6 to £l7. The bulk of theßelvidere's went on to Auckland, and it is stated that the Speedwell's will be sent to Mauritius, Best Adelaide is quoted at £lB to £l9; other descriptions from £ls 103 to £l7los. Wheat is in good demand at from 8s down to 6s 6d. J»ew Zealand wheat is offered for less money, but from its soft nature finds no favour with the millers. Malting barley is very scarce and commands 5s 6d to 6s; Cape, dull at about 3s. Maize has fluctuated considerably, best samples sold from 2s 6d up to 2s I id today, worth 2s 6d to 2s Bd. The Brucklay Castle took a small shipment for the London market.